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II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That Peter Edmondson, John Bennett,
John Kennard, William Meluy, Joseph Haskins and James Neall, of Talbot county, and Frederick
Holbrook, William Potter, John Wright, William Haskins, William Macdonald and William
Everngam, of Caroline county, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to do and perform
the several duties herein after mentioned; that is to say, they, or any two of them, shall and may,
on or before the second Tuesday of April next, procure one or more books, as they shall think
necessary, and enter therein as follows, to wit: "We whose names are hereunto subscribed, do
" promise to pay to the president, directors and company, for erecting a bridge over Choptank river,
" at or near Dover ferry, the sum of two dollars at the time of subscribing, and two dollars every
" thirty days thereafter, until twenty dollars be paid on every share of stock in said company set
" opposite our respective names; " and shall thereupon proceed to receive subscriptions for the
stock of the said company, which is hereby declared to be the sum of ten thousand dollars, divided
into five hundred shares of twenty dollars each, at such times and places as they shall think proper,
of which three weeks notice shall be given in the two news-papers published at Easton, and shall
keep the said books open for the space of three weeks unless the whole number of shares shall be
sooner subscribed for, which subscriptions may be made by person or by proxy; and in case the
whole number of shares shall not be subscribed for in that time, the said commissioners, or any two
of them, shall give notice as aforesaid of the time and place when and where they will receive sub-
scriptions for the remaining shares.
III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That as soon as three hundred shares shall be subscribed, the said
commissioners, or any two of them, shall call a meeting of the stockholders, who shall proceed in
person, or by proxy, to the election, by ballot, of nine directors, and the said directors shall elect
one of their number to act as president, who shall, with the directors, continue in office one year,
and until a new election for directors shall thereafter be made; 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, and in that case on the day succeeding, shall
elect, by ballot, from among the stockholders, nine persons as directors, and the president and di-
rectors 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; and in case it should happen that an election of
directors should not be made upon any day when, pursuant to this act, it ought to have been made,
the said corporation shall not for that cause be dissolved, but it shall be lawful on any other day to
hold and make an election of directors, in such manner as shall be regulated by the by-laws or ordi-
nances of the said corporation; and in case of the death, resignation or removal, of a director, the
said directors shall elect another person to supply such vacancy for the remainder of the year; and
in every election for directors each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote, for every share by him
or her held.
IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said president and directors shall be authorised to make
such by-laws, rules, orders and regulations, (not inconsistent with the laws of the United States or
of this state, ) as shall be necessary for the well ordering and directing the affairs of the said com-
pany, and also to appoint a treasurer during their pleasure, who, before he proceeds to act as such,
shall give bond, with approved security, to the president and directors, in such sum as they shall
appoint, with condition for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office.
V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said stockholders, and their successors, from the time of the
first meeting before-mentioned, shall and are hereby declared to be incorporated, by the name of
The Choptank Bridge Company, and by that name may sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded,
answer and be answered unto, in any court of law or equity of this state, and may make, have and
use, a common seal, and the same break, alter and renew, at pleasure.
VI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the president and directors first to be chosen as aforesaid, shall
procure certificates, to be written or printed, for all the shares of stock of the said company, and
shall deliver one such certificate, signed by the president, and countersigned by the treasurer, and
sealed with the seal of the corporation, to each person for every share by him or her subscribed or
held, upon payment to the treasurer of the two first instalments on each share of the said stock,
which certificate shall be transferable in person or by attorney, in presence of the president
or treasurer, subject, however, to the payments due, and that may grow due thereon; and the
assignee holding any certificate, having first caused the assignment to be entered in a book of the
company which shall be kept for that purpose, shall be a member of the corporation, and for every
certificate so held shall be entitled to one share of the capital stock, and of all the estates, be-
nefits and emoluments, of the company, and to vote as aforesaid at the meetings thereof.
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CHAP.
CXII.
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