BY-LAWS
OF
DREYFUS DEBT AND EQUITY FUNDS
ARTICLE 1
Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Principal Office
1.1. Agreement and Declaration of Trust. These By-Laws shall be
subject to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in
effect (the "Declaration of Trust"), of the above-captioned Massachusetts
business trust established by the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2. Principal Office of the Trust. The principal office of the
Trust shall be located in New York, New York. Its resident agent in
Massachusetts shall be CT Corporation System, 0 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000, or such other person as the Trustees from time to time
may select.
ARTICLE 2
Meetings of Trustees
2.1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be
held without call or notice at such places and at such times as the
Trustees from time to time may determine, provided that notice of the first
regular meeting following any such determination shall be given to absent
Trustees.
2.2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Trustees may be
held at any time and at any place designated in the call of the meeting
when called by the President or the Treasurer or by two or more Trustees,
sufficient notice thereof being given to each Trustee by the Secretary or
an Assistant Secretary or by the officer or the Trustees calling the
meeting.
2.3. Notice of Special Meetings. It shall be sufficient notice
to a Trustee of a special meeting to send notice by mail at least forty-
eight hours or by telegram at least twenty-four hours before the meeting
addressed to the Trustee at his or her usual or last known business or
residence address or to give notice to him or her in person or by telephone
at least twenty-four hours before the meeting. Notice of a meeting need
not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of notice, executed by him
or her before or after the meeting, is filed with the records of the
meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the meeting without protesting prior
thereto or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or her. Neither
notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need specify the purposes of
the meeting.
2.4. Notice of Certain Actions by Consent. If in accordance
with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust any action is taken by the
Trustees by a written consent of less than all of the Trustees, then prompt
notice of any such action shall be furnished to each Trustee who did not
execute such written consent, provided that the effectiveness of such
action shall not be impaired by any delay or failure to furnish such
notice.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1. Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the Trust
shall be a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such other officers, if
any, as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion elect. The
Trust also may have such agents as the Trustees from time to time may in
their discretion appoint. An officer may be but need not be a Trustee or
shareholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
3.2. Election. The President, the Treasurer and the Secretary
shall be elected by the Trustees upon the occurrence of any vacancy in any
such office. Other officers, if any, may be elected or appointed by the
Trustees at any time. Vacancies in any such other office may be filled at
any time.
3.3. Tenure. The President, Treasurer and Secretary shall hold
office in each case until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or
becomes disqualified. Each other officer shall hold office and each agent
shall retain authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
3.4. Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws,
each officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in
the Declaration of Trust set forth, such duties and powers as commonly are
incident to the office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were
organized as a Massachusetts business corporation or such other duties and
powers as the Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5. President. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the
President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and of the
Trustees. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the President shall be
the chief executive officer.
3.6. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial and
accounting officer of the Trust, and, subject to the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust and to any arrangement made by the Trustees with a
custodian, investment adviser or manager, or transfer, shareholder
servicing or similar agent, shall be in charge of the valuable papers,
books of account and accounting records of the Trust, and shall have such
other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the
Trustees or by the President.
3.7. Secretary. The Secretary shall record all proceedings of
the shareholders and the Trustees in books to be kept therefor, which books
or a copy thereof shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust. In
the absence of the Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or
Trustees, an Assistant Secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is
absent, a temporary Secretary chosen at such meeting shall record the
proceedings thereof in the aforesaid books.
3.8. Resignations and Removals. Any Trustee or officer may
resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered
to the President or Secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such
resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be
effective at some other time. The Trustees may remove any officer elected
by them with or without cause. Except to the extent expressly provided in
a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee or officer resigning and no
officer removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period
following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on
account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Committees
4.1. Appointment. The Trustees may appoint from their number an
executive committee and other committees. Except as the Trustees otherwise
may determine, any such committee may make rules for conduct of its
business.
4.2. Quorum; Voting. A majority of the members of any Committee
of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business,
and any action of such a Committee may be taken at a meeting by a vote of a
majority of the members present (a quorum being present).
ARTICLE 5
Reports
The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the time and in
the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or any applicable law.
Officers and Committees shall render such
additional reports as they may deem desirable or as may from time to time
be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed, and shall be subject
to change, by the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE 7
Seal
The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die with the
word "Massachusetts," together with the name of the Trust and the year of
its organization cut or engraved thereon but, unless otherwise required by
the Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and in its
absence shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other
paper executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Execution of Papers
Except as the Trustees generally or in particular cases may
authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds, leases,
contracts, notes and other obligations made by the Trustees shall be signed
by the President, any Vice President, or by the Treasurer and need not bear
the seal of the Trust.
ARTICLE 9
Issuance of Share Certificates
9.1. Sale of Shares. Except as otherwise determined by the
Trustees, the Trust will issue and sell for cash or securities from time to
time, full and fractional shares of its shares of beneficial interest, such
shares to be issued and sold at a price of not less than net asset value
per share, as from time to time determined in accordance with the
Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws and, in the case of fractional
shares, at a proportionate reduction in such price. In the case of shares
sold for securities, such securities shall be valued in accordance with the
provisions for determining value of assets of the Trust as stated in the
Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws. The officers of the Trust are
severally authorized to take all such actions as may be necessary or
desirable to carry out this Section 9.1.
9.2. Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing certificates for
shares, the Trustees or the transfer agent either may issue receipts
therefor or may keep accounts upon the books of the Trust for the record
holders of such shares, who shall in either case, for all purposes
hereunder, be deemed to be the holders of certificates for such shares as
if they had accepted such certificates and shall be held to have expressly
assented and agreed to the terms hereof.
The Trustees at any time may authorize the issuance of share
certificates. In that event, each shareholder shall be entitled to a
certificate stating the number of shares owned by him or her, in such form
as shall be prescribed from time to time by the Trustees. Such certificate
shall be signed by the President or Vice President and by the Treasurer or
Assistant Treasurer. Such signatures may be facsimile if the certificate
is signed by a transfer agent, or by a registrar, other than a Trustee,
officer or employee of the Trust. In case any officer who has signed or
whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall cease
to be such officer before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by
the Trust with the same effect as if he or she were such officer at the
time of its issue.
9.3. Loss of Certificates. The Trust, or if any transfer agent
is appointed for the Trust, the transfer agent with the approval of any two
officers of the Trust, is authorized to issue and countersign replacement
certificates for the shares of the Trust which have been lost, stolen or
destroyed subject to the deposit of a bond or other indemnity in such form
and with such security, if any, as the Trustees may require.
9.4. Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The Trustees
at any time may discontinue the issuance of share certificates and by
written notice to each shareholder, may require the surrender of share
certificates to the Trust for cancellation. Such surrender and
cancellation shall not affect the ownership of shares in the Trust.
ARTICLE 10
Indemnification
10.1. Trustees, Officers, etc. The Trust shall indemnify each
of its Trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Trust's
request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which
the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise)
(hereinafter referred to as a "Covered Person") against all liabilities and
expenses, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of
judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and counsel fees
reasonably incurred by any Covered Person in connection with the defense or
disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or
criminal, before any court or administrative or legislative body, in which
such Covered Person may be or may have been involved as a party or
otherwise or with which such person may be or may have been threatened,
while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having been such a
Trustee or officer, except with respect to any matter as to which such
Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated in a decision on the
merits in any such action, suit or other proceeding not to have acted in
good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was
in the best interests of the Trust and except that no Covered Person shall
be indemnified against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to
which such Covered Person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office. Expenses,
including counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but
excluding amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as
fines or penalties), may be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance
of the final disposition or any such action, suit or proceeding upon
receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay
amounts so paid to the Trust if it is ultimately determined that
indemnification of such expenses is not authorized under this Article,
provided that (a) such Covered Person shall provide security for his or her
undertaking, (b) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by
reason of such Covered Person's failure to fulfill his or her undertaking,
or (c) a majority of the Trustees who are disinterested persons and who are
not Interested Persons (as that term is defined in the Investment Company
Act of 1940) (provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act
on the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall
determine, based on a review of readily available facts (but not a full
trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe such Covered Person
ultimately will be entitled to indemnification.
10.2. Compromise Payment. As to any matter disposed of (whether
by a compromise payment, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) without
an adjudication in a decision on the merits by a court, or by any other
body before which the proceeding was brought, that such Covered Person
either (a) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such
Covered Person's action was in the best interests of the Trust or (b) is
liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in
the conduct of such Covered Person's office, indemnification shall be
provided if (a) approved as in the best interest of the Trust, after notice
that it involves such indemnification, by at least a majority of the
Trustees who are disinterested persons and are not Interested Persons
(provided that a majority of such Trustees then in office act on the
matter), upon a determination, based upon a review of readily available
facts (but not a full trial-type inquiry) that such Covered Person acted in
good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was
in the best interests of the Trust and is not liable to the Trust or its
Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person's office, or (b) there has been obtained an opinion in writing of
independent legal counsel, based upon a review of readily available facts
(but not a full trial-type inquiry) to the effect that such Covered Person
appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that such
Covered Person's action was in the best interests of the Trust and that
such indemnification would not protect such Covered Person against any
liability to the Trust to which such Covered Person would otherwise be
subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.
Any approval pursuant to this Section shall not prevent the recovery from
any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance
with this Section as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently
adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good
faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in the
best interests of the Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its
shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person's office.
10.3. Indemnification Not Exclusive. The right of
indemnification hereby provided shall not be exclusive of or affect any
other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in
this Article 10, the term "Covered Person" shall include such person's
heirs, executors and administrators, and a "disinterested person" is a
person against whom none of the actions, suits or other proceedings in
question or another action, suit, or other proceeding on the same or
similar grounds is then or has been pending. Nothing contained in this
Article shall affect any rights to indemnification to which personnel of
the Trust, other than Trustees and officers, and other persons may be
entitled by contract or otherwise under law, nor the power of the Trust to
purchase and maintain liability insurance on behalf of such person.
10.4. Limitation. Notwithstanding any provisions in the
Declaration of Trust and these By-Laws pertaining to indemnification, all
such provisions are limited by the following undertaking set forth in the
rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission:
In the event that a claim for
indemnification is asserted by a Trustee, officer
or controlling person of the Trust in connection
with the registered securities of the Trust, the
Trust will not make such indemnification unless
(i) the Trust has submitted, before a court or
other body, the question of whether the person to
be indemnified was liable by reason of willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or
reckless disregard of duties, and has obtained a
final decision on the merits that such person was
not liable by reason of such conduct or (ii) in
the absence of such decision, the Trust shall
have obtained a reasonable determination, based
upon a review of the facts, that such person was
not liable by virtue of such conduct, by (a) the
vote of a majority of Trustees who are neither
interested persons as such term is defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940, nor parties to
the proceeding or (b) an independent legal
counsel in a written opinion.
The Trust will not advance attorneys' fees
or other expenses incurred by the person to be
indemnified unless (i) the Trust shall have
received an undertaking by or on behalf of such
person to repay the advance unless it is
ultimately determined that such person is
entitled to indemnification and (ii) one of the
following conditions shall have occurred:
(x) such person shall provide security for his
undertaking, (y) the Trust shall be insured
against losses arising by reason of any lawful
advances or (z) a majority of the disinterested,
non-party Trustees of the Trust, or an
independent legal counsel in a written opinion,
shall have determined that based on a review of
readily available facts there is reason to
believe that such person ultimately will be found
entitled to indemnification.
ARTICLE 11
Shareholders
11.1. Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders shall be called
by the Secretary whenever ordered by the Trustees, or requested in writing
by the holder or holders of at least 10% of the outstanding shares entitled
to vote at such meeting. If the meeting is a meeting of the shareholders
of one or more series or class of shares, but not a meeting of all
shareholders of the Trust, then only the shareholders of such one or more
series or classes shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the
meeting. If the Secretary, when so ordered or requested, refuses or
neglects for more than five days to call such meeting, the Trustees, or the
shareholders so requesting may, in the name of the Secretary, call the
meeting by giving notice thereof in the manner required when notice is
given by the Secretary.
11.2. Access to Shareholder List. Shareholders of record may
apply to the Trustees for assistance in communicating with other
shareholders for the purpose of calling a meeting in order to vote upon the
question of removal of a Trustee. When ten or more shareholders of record
who have been such for at least six months preceding the date of
application and who hold in the aggregate shares having a net asset value
of at least $25,000 or at least 1% of the outstanding shares, whichever is
less, so apply, the Trustees shall within five business days either:
(i) afford to such applicants access to a list of names and
addresses of all shareholders as recorded on the books of the Trust; or
(ii) inform such applicants of the approximate number of
shareholders of record and the approximate cost of mailing material to them
and, within a reasonable time thereafter, mail materials submitted by the
applicants to all such shareholders of record. The Trustees shall not be
obligated to mail materials which they believe to be misleading or in
violation of applicable law.
11.3. Record Dates. For the purpose of determining the
shareholders of any series or class who are entitled to vote or act at any
meeting or any adjournment thereof, or who are entitled to receive payment
of any dividend or of any other distribution, the Trustees from time to
time may fix a time, which shall be not more than 90 days before the date
of any meeting of shareholders or the date of payment of any dividend or of
any other distribution, as the record date for determining the shareholders
of such series or class having the right to notice of and to vote at such
meeting and any adjournment thereof or the right to receive such dividend
or distribution, and in such case only shareholders of record on such
record date shall have such right notwithstanding any transfer of shares on
the books of the Trust after the record date; or without fixing such record
date the Trustees may for any such purposes close the register or transfer
books for all or part of such period.
11.4. Place of Meetings. All meetings of the shareholders shall
be held at the principal office of the Trust or at such other place within
the United States as shall be designated by the Trustees or the President
of the Trust.
11.5. Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each meeting of
shareholders, stating the place, date and hour and the purposes of the
meeting, shall be given at least ten days before the meeting to each
shareholder entitled to vote thereat by leaving such notice with him or at
his residence or usual place of business or by mailing it, postage prepaid,
and addressed to such shareholder at his address as it appears in the
records of the Trust. Such notice shall be given by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary or by an officer designated by the Trustees. No notice
of any meeting of shareholders need be given to a shareholder if a written
waiver of notice, executed before or after the meeting by such shareholder
or his attorney thereunto duly authorized, is filed with the records of the
meeting.
11.6. Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any election
unless requested by a shareholder present or represented at the meeting and
entitled to vote in the election.
11.7. Proxies. Shareholders entitled to vote may vote either in
person or by proxy in writing dated not more than six months before the
meeting named therein, which proxies shall be filed with the Secretary or
other person responsible to record the proceedings of the meeting before
being voted. Unless otherwise specifically limited by their terms, such
proxies shall entitle the holders thereof to vote at any adjournment of
such meeting but shall not be valid after the final adjournment of such
meeting. The placing of a shareholder's name on a proxy pursuant to
telephonic or electronically transmitted instructions obtained pursuant to
procedures reasonably designed to verify that such instructions have been
authorized by such shareholder shall constitute execution of such proxy by
or on behalf of such shareholder.
ARTICLE 12
Amendments to the By-Laws
These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by
a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees,
or by one or more writings signed by such a majority.
Dated: September 11, 1986
Amended: December 31, 1999
