THOMAS SWANN, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

307

to do; they shall also at all times keep perfect, just
and true books of account, wherein shall he enter-
ed a full statement of all monies by them received,
and all monies paid, laid out and expended for said
company, which books shall at all times be open
to the inspection of any director or stockholder of
said company, and a true report shall be made
thereof to the directors thereof at their annual meet-
ing to be held at the city of Washington, on the
first Monday of March, in each and every year.

Books of ac-
count.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That said
company is hereby empowered to purchase, lease,
receive and hold real estate and water rights, which
shall be deemed necessary for the use of said com-
pany, but all such real estate, and water rights or
other property thus leased or purchased, and such
real estate and water rights which are not dona-
tions, shall be leased or purchased by the company
of the owner or owners of the same, at a price to be

Power to hold
real estate.

mutually agreed upon between them, and in case
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 war-
rant under seal, directed to the sheriff of said coun-
ty requiring him to summon twenty disinterested
inhabitants 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 the 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 at-
tendance to furnish 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

In case of
disagreement
jury to be
summoned.

act as a jury of inquest of damages; and before they
act as such, the sheriff shall administer to them an
oath or affirmation, 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 company, and the said
jury shall reduce their inquisition to writing, and
sign and seal the same and it shall then be return-
ed by the sheriff to the clerk of the county where
the land may be, and by such clerk filed in his

Oath,