748 ARTICLE 23.

An. Code, sec. 283. 1904, sec. 265. 1888, sec. 178. 1876, ch. 242, sec. 22. 1890, ch. 553.

1916, ch. 664.

218. It shall be lawful for any Railroad Company heretofore or here-
after incorporated under the Laws of this State to consolidate with any
other Railroad Company incorporated under the Laws of this State, or any
other State, or of the United States, whose railroad within or without this
State shall, either directly or hy means of intervening line of railroad, con-
nect with or form a continuous line with the railroad of the Company so
consolidating upon such terms as may be agreed upon; provided, however,
that the agreement for such consolidation shall be submitted to the stock-
holders of the Railroad Company incorporated under the laws of this State
at a special meeting called for considering the same, and shall be sanctioned
by the holders of a majority of the stock of such Company, and if sanctioned
at such meeting by such holders of a majority of the stock, shall be filed
in the office of the Secretary of State of this State; and provided further,
that such agreement shall contain no provisions in conflict with the pro-
visions of this Article, or which shall exempt such railroad so far as it lies
in this State from the operation of the laws of this State, and nothing in
this Section shall be construed to authorize the consolidation of any Rail-
road Companies owning or operating competing or parallel roads or par-
allel lines of railroad, which is hereby declared to. be unlawful and ex-
pressly prohibited without the special consent of the General Assembly
being first obtained therefor.

This section enables two railroad companies whose tracks form a continuous
line, to consolidate. The two corporations cease to exist, and the third one comes
into being. Neither corporation is deprived of any of its rights, property or credits,
nor relieved of any of its responsibilities already incurred. State v. Baltimore and
Lehigh R. R. Co., 77 Md. 491. And see Consol. Gas. Co. v. Baltimore County, 98
Md. 695.

See secs. 33, 115, 235, 379 and 381. See also art. 48A, sec. 48.

An. Code, sec. 284. 1908, ch. 126.

219. It shall be lawful for any railroad company incorporated under
the laws of this State, to lease its railroad and franchise for the operation
thereof to any other railroad company incorporated under the laws of this
or of any other State of the United States whose railroad, within or with-
out this State, shall, either directly or by means of intervening line, con-
nect with the railroad so to be leased to said company, and thus forming a
continuous route or routes for the transportation of persons and property,
and it shall also be lawful for any railroad company incorporated under the
laws of this State to become the lessee of the railroad and the franchises
for its operation of any other railroad company incorporated under the
laws of this or of any other State of the United States whose railroad,
within or without this State, shall, either directly or by means of interven-
ing line, connect with the railroad of the lessee company, and thus forming
a continuous route or routes for the transportation of persons and property;
provided, however, that nothing in this section shall authorize any com-
pany incorporated under the laws of this State to lease its railroad to any
railroad company whose railroad within this State competes with the rail-