STATE ROADS 3309

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Company, and so long as they shall be held by
such body, the provisions of Section 67 of this Article imposing a fran-
chise tax on the tolls and other revenues of the said bridge shall be
inoperative.

1931, ch. 539, sec. 51.

69. The right to sell, assign, transfer and mortgage all or any part of
its property, including all or any part of the franchises, rights, powers,
privileges and immunities conferred by this sub-title or otherwise ac-
quired is hereby granted to said company, and to its successors and assigns;
and that any person, partnership, association or corporation to which such
property, franchises, rights, powers, privileges and immunities or any
thereof may be sold, assigned or transferred, or who shall acquire the same
by mortgage foreclosure or otherwise, is hereby authorized and empowered
to own said property and to hold, exercise and have such franchises, right,
powers, privileges and immunities as fully as though conferred herein
directly upon such person, partnership, association or corporation; sub-
ject, however, to all the limitations thereof provided by the terms of this
sub-title.

1931, ch. 539, sec. 52.

70. In addition to its power to acquire said bridge and appurtenant
property by condemnation upon payment of just compensation as now
provided by statutory and constitutional authority, the State .of Maryland
shall have the right upon or after the expiration of twenty years from the
date of the opening of said bridge to traffic and upon not less than two
years' notice in writing from the chairman of the State Roads Commis-
sion to the company, its successors or assigns, to take over by purchase, at
cost, said bridge together with all other property, rights, and appurtenances
owned and held by said company, its successors or assigns then valuable and
serviceable in the maintenance and operation of said bridge. Such cost
shall be determined by agreement between the State Roads Commission and
the said, company, its successors or assigns, and in case of failure to agree,
by a proceeding in equity to be instituted by the State of Maryland in
the Circuit Court of Baltimore County, with the right of either party to
appeal to the Court of Appeals of Maryland.

1931, ch. 539, sec. 53.

71. None of the provisions contained in Sections 152 to 159, inclusive,
of Article 23 of the Code of Public Laws of this State shall be deemed
to be applicable to said bridge or to said company, its successors and
assigns with respect thereto.

1931, ch. 539, sec. 54. 1935, ch. 109, sec. 54.

72. The authority hereby granted shall cease and be null and void
unless the construction of said bridge be commenced within two years and
completed within five years from June 1, 1935.

1931, ch. 539, sec. 55.

73. The provisions of this sub-title are subject to all valid and appli-
cable provisions of laws of the United States concerning bridges over
navigable waters of the United States.

Secs. 61-73 referred to in construing secs. 133-152. Public Service Comm. v. Md. Bay
Co., 176 Md. 67.