1874.] OF THE SENATE. 745

JOINT RESOLUTIONS.

WHEREAS, It has been announced in the newspapers, that
the Trustees of the Eastern Shore Rail Road Company, have
given notice to the bondholders, that they will issue certifi-
cates of indebtedness, bearing interest from the first day of
January, 1874, for all the overdue and unpaid coupons of in-
terest upon their bonds, and—

Whereas, The State of Maryland is a stockholder in the
said company to an amount exceeding one hundred and
twelve thousand dollars, and is by a mortgage constituted a
preferred stockholder, and may be prejudiced by the pro-
posed funding of arrears of interest of the bonded debt of
the said company ; therefore—

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the
Eastern Shore Rail Road Company, at its earliest conveni-
ence, be and it is hereby directed to inform the Board of
Public Works of this State, by what authority the said Trus-
tees are acting in the premises, and also to furnish to said
Board, copies of such proceedings of the said bondholders of
the aforesaid company, as relate to the management and
operation of the said Rail Road, and also to inform the said
Board, by whom the said road is operated, and by whom its
corporate franchises are used and employed, in order that the
said Board may submit the same, together with a copy of the
said mortgages to the State, to the Attorney General for his
opinion in writing as to the proper means to be adopted to
secure the interests of the State, without prejudice to the
rights of the said bondholders.

Resolved, That the Attorney General be, and he is hereby
directed, to institute such proceedings as the Board of Public
Works may, in the exercise of their constitutional supervision
over the Public Works in this State, in which the State is
stockholder or creditor, authorize or direct to be instituted to
protect the interests of the State as preferred stockholder of
Eastern Shore Rail Road Company.

Which was read the first time.

Mr. Claggett, from the Committee on Judicial Proceedings,
reported

The Senate bill entitled an Act to provide for the reversion
to the original owners of lands and real estate donated or
sold to Literary, Religious ,or Benevolent Corporations or
Societies, and subsequently abandoned or no longer used by
such corporations or societies.

Which was read the first time.

Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Judicial Proceedings,

reported

87