JOHN FRANCIS MERCER, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR. NOVEMBER.

1801.

II, BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That Jesse Hollingsworth, of the city
of Baltimore, William Maccubbin and James Tolly, of Baltimore county, and William Smithson,
John Mores and John Barrett Onion, of Harford county, or any three of them, be and are here-
by appointed commissioners to receive subscriptions at Belle-Air, in Harford county, and at the
city of Baltimore, for erecting said bridges ; and that three weeks notice be given in one of the
public papers of the city of Baltimore of the times and places of opening the said subscription,
and that the same be kept open until the whole number of shares be subscribed.

C H A P.

XXIII.

Commission-
ers appointed,
&c.

III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the sum of twelve thousand dollars, for the capital stock, be
raised in the manner aforesaid for the above purpose, and that the said stock be divided into one
hundred and twenty shares of one hundred dollars each, and that as soon as sixty shares shall be
subscribed, the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall call a meeting of the stockhold-
ers, who shall proceed in person, or by proxy, to the election, by ballot, of seven directors, who
shall have full power and authority to contract for the building of the said bridges, and to do all
other things appertaining thereto, agreeable to the provisions of this act.

Money to be
raised, &c.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said directors shall elect one of their number to act as pre-
sident, who shall, with the directors, continue in office one year; and the said stockholders, in
one year after the day on which the election shall be first made, and on the same day in every year
thereafter, except the same shall happen on Sunday, in that case, on the day succeeding, shall
elect, by ballot, from among the stockholders, seven persons as directors, and every stockholder
shall be eligible as a director; and the president and directors for the time being shall give public
notice for a new election, at least ten days previous to the expiration of the time for which they
were elected.

Directors to
elect a presi-

dent, &c.

V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said president and directors shall be and they are hereby
authorised and empowered to appoint a treasurer during their pleasure, who, within ten days after
his appointment, and before he proceeds to act as such, shall give bond, with approved security,
to the said president and directors, in such sum as they shall appoint, conditioned for the faithful
discharge of the duties of his office..

President, &c.
to appoint
treasurer, &c

VI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said president and directors shall keep a just and true ac-
count of all and every the monies received by their collector for tolls, and shall declare and make
a dividend of the profits thereof among the stockholders on every first Monday in January and
June, of which public notice shall be given; provided nevertheless, that no such dividend of pro-
the shall take place until the damages herein after mentioned shall have been paid and satisfied
and provided also, that no division of profits shall exceed fifteen per centum per annum

And keep a ju
account, &c.

VII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said president and directors, after the bridges aforesaid
shall be completed, shall annually, between the first day of January and the first day of May, lay be-
fore the county court of Baltimore and Harford respectively, a just aed true account of their receipts
and expenditures, with a statement of the clear profits thereof, which shall be applied in the first
instance to the payment of the damages sustained by individuals over whose land the said public
road runs, and which have been heretofore ascertained according to the provisions of an act, en-
titled, An act to streighten and amend the post-road from Havre-de-Grace to Baltimore-town,
and to the extinguishment of the capital stock, in such manner as may by the said president and
directors be deemed best calculated to effect the same; and whenever the said damages, and also
the principal stock, shall be so sunk, with an advance of fifteen per centum per annum on said prin-
cipal stock, then and in such case the said bridges shall be thrown open, and remain for ever after
clear of all toll.

To be laid be-
fore the court
&c.

VIII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if the said president and directors shall not return their ac-
counts as herein directed to the county courts of Baltimore and Harford as aforesaid, they shall
forfeit the sum of one thousand dollars each for every such neglect, to be applied towards sinking
the capital of the said bridges.

Penalty for ne-
glect, &c.

IX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if the said bridges be not begun before the first day of July,
eighteen hundred and three, and rendered passable with security and convenience before the first
day January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, then this act to be
void in all its parts.

D X, AND

If bridges are
not begun, &c.
act to be void
&c.