1804.

NOVEMBER. LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP.
LI.

subscribers to the said undertakings on account of the several subscriptions, and of all penalties for
delay in payment thereof, and of the amount of the profits on the shares which may be forfeited as
aforesaid, and also all monies by them expended in the prosecution of their said work, and shall,
once at least in every year, submit such account to a general meeting of the stockholders, until the
said road or roads shall be complete, and until all the costs, charges and expences of effecting the
same, shall be fully paid and discharged, and the aggregate amount of such expences shall be liqui-
dated and ascertained, and if upon such liquidation, or when the capital stock of the said company shall
be nearly expended, it shall be found that either of the said capital stocks will be insufficient to com-
plete that respective roact, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, it shall and may be
lawful for the said president, managers and company, at a stated or special meeting, to be convened
according to the provisions of this act or their own by-laws, to increase their number of shares to
such an extent as shall be deemed sufficient to accomplish the work, and receive subscriptions on
original terms, and demand the money subscribed for such shares in like manner and under like pe-
nalties as are herein _: before provided for the original subscriptions, or as shall be provided by their
by-laws.

An abstract to
be laid before
the assembly,
&c.

XXIX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the court of inspection aforesaid shall, at the end of every
third year from the date of those incorporations, until two years next after the whole of either of
the said roads shall be completed, lay belore the general assembly an abstract of the accounts of the
corporations, on the oath or affirmation of the persons intrusted by the companies respectively with
keeping of the said accounts, shewing the whole amount of their capitals expended in the prosecu-
tion of either of the said works, and of the income and profits arising from the said tolls for and
during the said respective periods, together with an exact account of the costs and charges of keep-
ing the said roads in repair, and all other contingent costs and charges, so that the clear annual in-
come and profits thereof may be ascertained and known; and if at the end of two years after either
of the said roads shall be completed from the beginning to the end thereof, it shall appear from the
average profits of the said two years, that the said clear income and profits will not bear a dividend
of ten per centum per annum on the capital stock of the said company so expended, then it shall and may
be lawful to and for the said president, managers and company, to increase the tolls herein before al-
lowed so much upon each and every allowance thereof as will raise the dividends up to ten per centum
per annum; and at the end of every three years thereafter the said companies shall, on the oath or affir-
mation of the persons respectively employed to keep the accounts of the said company or companies,
render such like statements to the general assembly; and if at the end of any such triennial period
there shall be a surplus of tolls over and above satisfying the aforesaid ten per cmtum upon all or
either of the said roads, the said court of inspection shall have power, and is hereby authorised, to re-
ceive such surplus, and to employ the same in purchasing out the stock of the said roads respectively.

Assembly may

:pay, &c.

XXX. AND RE IT ENACTED, That the general assembly of Maryland may, at any period after
all or either of the roads shall have been completed, one year's notice being given to the stockhold-
ers, pay all or either of the said companies the amount of the cost of the road or roads of such com-
pany or companies, with such an interest thereon as shall make it equal, with the tolls received, to
ten per centum, from the investments of their monies, and that thenceforward the tolls shall be sub-
ject to the regulation of the legislature.

Posts to be
erected, &c.

XXXI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said companies shall cause posts to be erected and conti-
nued at the intersection of every public road falling into, and leading out of, the said turnpike roads,
with a board and index hand pointing to the direction of . such roads, on both sides whereof shall be
inscribed, in legible characters, the name of the town, village or place, to which such road leads,
and the distance thereof in computed miles; and the said companies shall cause milestones to be
placed at the side of the said road or roads, beginning at the distance of one mile from the bounds.
of the city of Baltimore, and extending thence to the termination of each or either of the said re-
spective roads, whereon shall be marked, in plain legible characters, the respective number of miles
which each stone is distant from the city of Baltimore aforesaid; and at every gate or turnpike by
them to be fixed on the said roact, shall cause the distance from Baltimore, and the distance from the
nearest gates or turnpikes in each direction, to be marked in legible characters, designating the num-
ber of miles and fractions of a mile on the said gates, or some other conspicuous place, for the in-
formation of travellers and others using the said road; and if any person shall wilfully destroy the
said posts, boards, index hands or milestones, or deface the same, or deface the directions made on
the said gates or other conspicuous places as aforesaid, or shall, without permission of the acting-
superintendent of the said roact, throw out upon the roact, or within the limits of the same, and suf-
fer to remain for the space of one day, any mould, dirt, weeds, or rubbish of any kind, such person,
being convicted thereof by the evidence of one or more credible and disinterested witnesses before