Act for inspection of pork, beef, flour, tar, pitch, and tur pentine fur

ther coutinued.

Inspector's

fees.

dient and necessary that the same should be further continued and amended:

3

II, Be it therefore enacted, That the act, intituled "An act for the inspection of pork, beef, flour, tar, pitch, and turpentine," except so much thereof as res pects the article of flour, shall continue and be in force, from and after the expiration thereof, together with this act, for and during the term of ten years, and from thence until the end of the next session of assembly, and no longer. Yet gelan

III. And be it further enacted, That the several inspectors appointed or to be appointed by virtue of the said recited act, shall receive the following fees in lieu of those heretofore established, to wit: For everey barrel of pork or beef inspected and stamped, four pence; and for every barrel of tar, pitch, and turpentine, three pence.

[Ch. LXXXH in original]

Potowmack

company in corporated.

CHAP. XLIII.

An act for opening and extending the navigation of Potowmack river.

1. WHEREAS the extension of the navigation of Potowmack river, from tide water to the highest place practicable on the North branch, will be of great public utility, and many persons are willing to subscribe large sums of money to effect so laudable and beneficial a work; and it is just and proper that they, their heirs, and assigns, should be empowered to receive reasonable tolls forever, in satisfaction for the money advanced by them in carrying the work into execution, and the risk they run: And whereas it may be neces sary to cut canals and erect locks and other works on both sides of the river, and the legislatures of Maryland and Virginia, impressed with the importance of the object, are desirous of encouraging so useful an undertaking: Therefore, Books to be 11. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Assembly of Vir subscription. ginia, That it shall and may be lawful to open books in the city of Richmond, towns of Alexandria and

opened for

Winchester in this state, for receiving and entering subscriptions for the said undertaking, under the management of Jaquelin Ambler and John Beckley at the city of Richmond, of John Fitzgerald and William Hartshorne at the town of Alexandria, and of Joseph Holmes and Edward Smith at the town of Winchester, and under the management of such persons and at such places in Maryland as liave been appointed by the state of Maryland, which subscriptions shall be made personally or by power of attorney, and shall be paid in Spanish milled dollars, but may be paid in foreign silver or gold coin of the value; that the said books shall be opened for receiving subscriptions on the eighth day of February next, and continue open for this purpose until the tenth day of May next, inclusive; Meeting of and on the seventeenth day of the said month of May, the subscrithere shall be a general meeting of the subscribers at bers. the town of Alexandria, of which meeting notice shall be given by the said managers, or any four of them, in the Virginia and Maryland Gazettes, at least one month next before the said meeting; and such meeting shall and may be continued from day to day until the business is finished; and the acting managers at the time and place herein after-mentioned, shall lay before such of the subscribers as shall meet according to the said notice, the books by them respectively kept, containing the state of the said subscriptions; and if one half the capital sum hereinafter-mentioned, should, upon examination, appear not to have been subscribed, then the said managers at the said meeting, are empowered to take and receive subscriptions to make up the deficiency; and a just and true list of all the subscribers, with the sums subscribed by each, shall be made out and returned by the said managers, or any four or more of them, under their hands, into the general court of each state, to be there recorded; and in case more than two hundred and twenty-two thousand two hun- capital. dred and twenty-two dollars and two ninths of a dollar, shall be subscribed, then the same shall be reduced In case of an overplus sub to that sum by the said managers, or a majority of scription, them, by beginning at and striking off a share from mode of redu the largest subscription or subscriptions, and con- cing it. tinuing to strike off a share from all subscriptions under the largest, and above one share, until the sum is reduced to the capital of two hundred and swen

Amount of

Capital to be divided into

500 shares.

1

ty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-two dollars and two-ninths of a dollar, or until a share is taken from all subscriptions above one share, and lots shall be drawn between the subscribers of equal sums, to determine the numbers in which such subscribers shall stand, on a list to be made for striking off as aforesaid; and if the sum subscribed still exceeds the capital aforesaid, then to strike off by the same rule until the sum subscribed is reduced to the capital aforesaid, or all the subscriptions are reduced to one share: and if there still be an excess, then lots to be drawn to deter mine the subscribers who are to be excluded, to reduce the subscriptions to the capital aforesaid, which striking off shall be certified in the list aforesaid, and the said capital sum shall be reckoned and divided into five hundred shares, of four hundred and forty-four dollars and four-ninths of a dollar each, of which every person subscribing may take and subscribe for one or more Unless one whole shares, and not otherwise. Provided, That unhalf of capital less one half of the said capital shall be subscribed as the whole to aforesaid, all subscriptions made in consequence of this be void. act, shall be void, and in case one half and less than the whole of the said capital shall be subscribed as aforesaid, then the president and directors are hereby empowered and directed to take and receive the subscriptions which shall first be offered in whole shares as aforesaid, until the deficiency shall be made up, a certificate of which additional subscriptions shall be made under the hands of the president and directors, or a majority of them for the time being, and returned to and recorded in the general courts, aforesaid.

subscribed,

Tobe incor

Style of corporation.

III. And be it enacted, That in case one half of the porsted as a said capital, or a greater sum, shall be subscribed as company. aforesaid, the said, subscribers, and their heirs and assigns, from the time of the said first meeting, shall be, and are hereby declared to be incorporated into a company, by the name of the "Potomack Company, and may sue and be sued as such; and such of the said subscribers as shall be present at the said meeting, or a majority of them, are hereby empowerd and required to elect a president and four directors, for conducting the Rules for e- said undertaking, and managing all the said company's lecting offibusiness and concerns, for and during such time, not exceeding three years, as the said subscribers, or a majority of them, shall think fit. And in counting the

cers.

lecting a mount of

shares, sub. scribed for.

V. And be it enacted, That the said president and directors, and their successors, or a majority of them, Mode of col- shall have full power and authority, from time to time, as money shall be wanted, to make and sign orders for that purpose, and direct at what time, and in what proportion the proprietors shall advance and pay off the sums subscribed, which orders shall be advertised at least one month in the Virginia and Maryland Gazettes, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to demand and receive of the several proprietors, from time to time, the sums of money so ordered to be advanced for carrying on and execuúng, or repairing and keeping in order the said works, until the sums subscribed shall be fully paid, and to order the said sums to be deposited into the hands of the treasurer, to be by him disbursed and paid out as the said president and directors, or a maMay sell shares of de- jority of them shall order and direct. And if any of linquent sub- the said proprietors shall refuse or neglect to pay their said proportions, within one month after the same so ordered and advertised, as aforesaid, the said president and directors, or a majority of them, may sell at auction, and convey to the purchaser, the share or shares of such proprietor so refusing or neglecting payment, giving at least one month's notice of the sale in the Virginia and Maryland Gazettes; and after retaining the sum due, and charges of sale out of the money produ ced thereby, they shall refund and pay the overplus, if any, to the former owner; and if such sale shall not produce the full sum ordered and directed, to be advanced as aforesaid, with the incidental charges, the said presi May sue for deat and directors, or a majority of them, may, in the deficiencies name of the company, sue for and recover the balance arising on by action of debt, or on the case; and the said purcha

scribers.

sales.

Election of officers.

Vacancies supplied,

sér or purchasers, shall be subject to the same rules and regulations, as if the said sale and conveyance had been made by the original proprietor: And to continue the succession of the said president and directors, and to keep up the same number;

VL. Be it enacted, That from time to time, upon the expiration of the said term, for which the said president and directors were appointed, the proprietors of the said company, at the next general meeting, shall either conthe the said president and directors, or any of them, or shall choose others in their stead; and in case of the death, removal, resignation, or incapacity of the president, or