508

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

personal or mixed, its contracts and privilege?, and its char-
tered rights and franchises, including its franchise to be a cor-
poration; and it may, as the business of the company shall
require, sell, lease, convey and encumber the same; and it
shall be lawful for said company to subscribe to and hold the
stock and bonds of manufacturing or other corporations, and
any manufacturing or other corporations may subscribe to,
guarantee and hold the stock and bonds of the said com-
pany.

May connect
with other
lines.

SEC. 5. The said company may connect or unite its line for
the transmission of power with those of any other company or
companies, or consolidate and merge its stock, property and
franchises with and into those of any other company or com-
panies incorporated under the laws of this State or any other
States of the United States, operating or authorized to operate
lines for the transmission of electric or other powers, upon such
terms and under such name as may be agreed upon between
the companies so uniting or connecting, merging or consolidat-
ing, or may acquire the said property and franchises of such
other company or companies by lease or purchase; and for
that purpose power is hereby given to it and to such other
company or companies to make and carry out such contracts
as will facilitate and consummate such connection, merger or
consolidation, lease or purchase; provided, that a copy of every
such contract of consolidation and merger shall be filed in the
office of the clerk of the Circuit Court for Washington county
and be recorded in the corporation record book of said county.
And provided further, that no merger or consolidation made
under the provisions of this charter shall exempt the proper-
ties of the said Hagerstown Electric Company from taxation.

Power of

condemna-
tion.

SEC. 6. The said company may acquire, by condemnation,
in the manner provided by sections 248 to 254, both inclusive,
and any supplements thereto, of Article 23 of the Code of
Public General Laws of this State for acquisition of private
property for public use, strips of land not exceeding twenty-
five (25) feet in width, with necessary additional width in
deep cuts and fillings, required by the company for its power
transmission lines, and all other lands not exceeding one
thousand (1,000) acres, exclusive of right of way, necessary
for the construction and operation of its works, as well as all
necessary water, including in the land and water thus described
water powers, water privileges and land flowed or submerged
with water accumulated by the company's dams.