EDWIN WARFIELD, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

1401

public highways, the board of estimates is hereby author-
ized, in its discretion, after the acquisition of said roadbeds,
or parts of roadbeds, by the Mayor and City Council of Bal-
timore, should the United Railway and Electric Company of
Baltimore, its successors and assigns, apply for the fran-
chise or right of using any of said roadbeds, or parts of
roadbeds, for its railway lines, to fix the compensation or
compensations to be paid therefor, without reference to any
other application or applications for the same franchises or
rights by any other person or corporation, and free from the
obligation cast upon it by Section 37 of Article 4, entitled
" City of Baltimore," of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland, to fix the compensation to the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore in such cases at the largest amount
that it may be able by advertisement or otherwise to obtain
for the franchise or right ; provided, however, that said
compensation or compensations shall in no case be fixed
by said board of estimates at a lower sum or sums than the
sum or sums which the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore

CHAP. 821

Compensation
fixed for
franchise.

shall have paid, or become obliged to pay unto said company,
whether as the result of condemnation proceedings or other-
wise, under the provisions of Chapter 274 of the Act of the
General Assembly of Maryland for the year 1904, for the pur-
pose of acquiring the respective street railway franchises,
easements, interests or rights now or hereafter possessed or
enjoyed by said company in said respective roadbeds, or
parts of roadbeds, as to which said application or applica-
cations for new franchises or rights shall or may be made by
said company as aforesaid.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 5, 1906.

Proviso.