940

LAWS OF MARYLAND,

Report
to commis-
sioners.

Sec. 108. And be it enacted, That when any
turnpike, or plank road, or passenger railway,
shall have been finished one mile in length, the
President and Directors shall report to the County
Commissioners of the county in which it may lie,
under the oath of the President and a majority of
the Directors, and of the Treasurer of the corpo-
ration, the actual cost of said road so far as fin-
ished ; and thereupon the County Commissioners
shall appoint three citizens of the county to ex-
amine said road, and determine whether the same
is constructed in such manner as will subserve the
public interests for the uses to which said road is
applicable, who shall report to said County Com-
missioners in writing, and said report shall be
reviewed by said County Commissioners, and if
they shall determine that the road is properly
constructed, then as to such turnpike or plank road
the Company shall be authorized to erect a

Toll-gates.

toll-gate thereon, and to charge such rates of toll
as will yield eight per centum per annum net
profit on said actual cost, for distribution to the
stockholders, and the same proceedings shall be
had as each succeeding mile shall be completed,
until the said turnpike, or plank road, or passen-
ger railway shall be finished ; but when more than
one mile of any turnpike or plank road shall be
completed, it shall not be necessary for the corpo-
ration to erect more gates than it may deem con-
venient, and it shall be empowered to collect at the
gate or gates ^hich may be erected tolls to yield
at the rate aforesaid for the number of miles of
said road or passenger railway which may be fin-
ished.

Revise rates
of toll.

Sec. 109. And be it enacted, That the corpora-
tion of any such turnpike or plank road, shall re-
vise its rates of toll every six months for three
years from the completion of its road, and shall
report the amounts of its revenue and expenditures
at any time when demanded by the County Com-
missioners, and if the receipts shall be found at
any time to amount to more than is necessary to
yield eight per centum per annum; net, to the
stockholders, the tolls shall be reduced to that
standard. In all cases the rates of toll chargeable
shall be specified and approved in writing by the
County Commissioners, and shall be, as nearly as