1846.

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 39.

Penalty of ne-
glect.

SEC. 11. Be it further enacted, That the said corpo-
ration shall be bound, on application of any of the offi-
cers of this State, or of the United States, acting in the
event of any war, insurrection, riot, or other civil com-
motion or resistance of public authority, or in the pre-
vention or punishment of crime, or the arrests of persons
charged or suspected thereof, to give to the communica-
tions of such officers immediate despatch; and, if any
officer, clerk or operator of said company shall refuse or
willingly omit to transmit such communications, or shall
designedly alter or falsify the same for any purpose what-
soever, he shall be subject to fine and imprisonment in
proportion to the aggravation of the offence, upon con-
viction thereof before any court of competent jurisdic-
tion; for transmitting such communications, the company
shall charge no higher price than for private communica-
tions of the same length.

In case of sale
funds to be
distributed, &c.

SEC. 12. Be it further enacted, That should the own-
ers of Morse's patents, or their assignees, acting in pur-
suance of any agreement which has been, or may be
entered into between them and the subscribers, of funds
to construct said telegraph, dispose of the said patent to
the Government of the United States, or should the hold-
ers of five-sixths of the stock in said corporation agree
to sell all their property in said telegraph and the fixtures
thereof to the said United States, then, upon payment of
the stipulated consideration to the president and direc-
tors of the Magnetic Telegraph Company, they shall
forthwith distribute the same among the stockholders,
and by resolution proceed to dissolve said corporation,
which resolution shall be certified by the president and
secretary thereof to the Secretary of State.

Body politic.

SEC. 13. Be it further enacted, That Samuel F. B.
Morse, with such persons as are now or may hereafter
become interested as owners of Morse's patent right on
the route from Baltimore to the Western limits of this
State, or as subscribers of funds to build Morse's Electro
Magnetic Telegraph on said route be, and the same are
hereby constituted a corporation and body politic, under
the name and style of the Western Telegraph Company,
with all the rights, powers and privileges, and subject
to all the duties and responsibilities hereinbefore granted
and prescribed to the Magnetic Telegraph Company;
and such corporation may be organised and put into op-
eration at such time and in all respects in such way and
manner as to a majority of the above named corporation
may seem proper, and not be inconsistent with the pro-