Sec. 4. And be it enacted, That the said corpo-
ration is hereby authorized to purchase or lease,
hold, occupy, possess and enjoy such lands and re-
al estate, not exceeding two hundred and fifty
acres, and such articles, implements and utensils
as may be necessary to carry into full effect the
object of this corporation; and that the President
and Managers of said corporation may agree with
the owners of any land or fisheries that may be
necessary for the location and erection of their
piers or other structures for the making, erecting
and using of said boom or booms, for the purchase,
lease, or use and occupation of the same, and if
they cannot agree, or any of the owners be a feme
covert, under age, non compos mentis, or out of the
county in which the property wanted may be, ap-
plication may be made to any Justice of the Peace
of such county, who shall thereupon issue his
warrant under seal, directed to the Sheriff of said
county, requiring him to summon twenty disinter-
ested persons, having the qualifications for jurors,
to meet at or near the land on the day named in
the said warrant, not less than ten, nor more than
twenty days after issuing of the same, and if any
of the said persons do not attend) the said Sheriff
shall immediately summon as many jurors as shall
be necessary, with the jurors in attendance, to fur-
nish a panel of twenty in attendance, and from the
panel each party may strike four jurors, and if
eight be not struck the Sheriff may strike as many
as with those struck by the parties will make eight,
and the remaining twelve shall act as a jury of in-
quest of damages, and before they act as such, the
Sheriff shall, administer to them an oath or affir-
mation, as the case may be, that he will honestly
value the damages sustained by the said owner or
owners, by the use and occupation of the said land
by the said corporation, and the said jury shall
reduce their inquisition to writing, and sign and
seal the same, and it shall then be returned by the
Sheriff to the Clerk of the County where the land
may be, and by such Clerk filed in his office, and
shall be confirmed by said Court at its next ses-
sion, if no cause be shown to the contrary, but if |
Authority to
lease or possess
lands, &c. |