70

SAMUEL STEVENS, Jr. ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

Dec. Ses. 1823

1 at Harper's Ferry, in consequence of the rapidity of the stream, of
ice, high waters, and high winds, to the great injury of the communi-
ty, in order therefore to remedy those evils and inconveniences, and
to promote the public weal.

Books to be
opened.

. Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That
it shall be lawful for Col. Stephen Steiner, James F. Houston, James
Torrence, Thomas B. Hall and Casper W. Wever, to open books at
such times and places as they shall think fit, and under the manage-
ment of such persons as they shall appoint, for receiving subscrip-
tions to such an amount, not exceeding thirty thousand dollars in
shares of twenty dollars each, as they may deem sufficient for the
erection of a Toll Bridge across the Potomac River at or near Har-
per's Ferry, upon such scite as may be chosen by the president and
managers of the company hereinafter incorporated, or a majority of
them.

Subscrip-
tions payable,
&c.

2. And be it enacted, That the sum subscribed' as aforesaid
shall be paid in the manner following, viz: every subscriber at the
time of subscribing shall pay two dollars for each share by him sub-
scribed, to the person or persons appointed by this act, or by virtue
of this to take subscriptions, and the remaining eighteen dollars
shall be paid to the president and managers of the company incorpo-
rated by this act, in such proportions, and at such times as they shall
from time to time require, of which requisition or requisitions due
notice shall be given for three weeks in such newspaper or newspa-
pers as the said president and managers may think necessary, and if
any subscriber shall fail to make any of the future payments so re-
quired, his share or shares after ten days notice, shall be sold at pub-
lic auction by the president and managers, and conveyed to the pur-
chaser; and if the amount of sales shall exceed the sum or sums re-
quired after deducting the expense of the sale, the surplus shall be
paid over to the original subscriber, his heirs, assigns, or lawful at-
torney, and if the said sales shall not produce a sum sufficient to dis-
charge the balance due after deducting the expenses as aforesaid, the
deficiency shall be paid by the subscriber, and on default thereof the
said president and managers, on ten days previous notice, shall reco-
ver the same before any justice of the peace or court of record with-
in this state.

Stockhol-
ders privi-
lege.

3. And be it enacted, That every subscriber or holder of a share
or shares, shall be entitled to vote by himself, his agent or proxy ap-
pointed under his hand and acknowledged before two witnesses, at all
elections in virtue of this act, and shall have as many votes as he has
shares as far as ten shares, and one vote for every five shares thereaf-
ter, but such agent or proxy shall be a member of the company.

Incorpora-
tion.

4. And be it enacted, That so soon as the subscriptions shall be
closed, the commissioners before named to take subscriptions, or such
of them as shall act, shall certify under their hands the names of the
subscribers, and the number of shares subscribed by each person, to
the clerk of the court of Washington County, and thereupon the said
subscribers, their heirs or assigns, shall be and are hereby created a
body politic and corporate, by the name and style of "the Harper's
Ferry Bridge Company," and by that name, and under that style, the
said company shall have succession, and shall be authorised to sue
and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, de-
fend and be defended, both at law and in equity; also fix upon, make,
have, and use a common seal, and the same to change, alter and re-