54

SAMUEL STEVENS, Jr. ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

personal intercourse between the two great sections of the United
States, and to interweave more closely all the mutual interests and
affections that are calculated to consolidate and perpetuate the vital
principals of union. And whereas, it is represented to this general
assembly, that the Potomac company are willing and desirous that
a charter shall be granted to a new company upon the terms and
conditions hereinafter expressed, and that the charter of the present
company shall cease and determine.

Commissi-
oners to open
books.

Sec. 1. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of Vir-
ginia, That so soon as the legislatures of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania, and the congress of the United States, shall assent to the
provisions of this act, and the Potomac company shall have sig-
nified their assent to the same, by their corporate act, a copy where-
of shall be delivered to the executive of the several states afore-
said, and to the secretary of the treasury of the United States,
there shall be appointed by the said executives and the President
of the United States, three commissioners on the part of each state
and of the government of the United States, any one of whom shall
be competent to act for his respective government; the said com-
missioners shall cause books to be opened at such times and places
as they shall think fit, in their respective states, and the District of
Columbia, under the management of such persons as they shall ap-
point for receiving subscriptions to the capital stock of the com-
pany hereinafter incorporated; which subscriptions may be made
either in person or by power of attorney, and notice shall be given
in such manner as may be deemed advisable by any one or more
of the said commissioners, of the time and places of opening the
books.

Proceedings
directed.
Meeting.

2. And the said commissioners shall cause the books to be kept
open at least forty days, and within twenty days after the expiration
thereof, shall call a general meeting of the subscribers at the city of
Washington, of which meeting notice shall be given by a majority
of the commissioners aforesaid, in at least four of the newspapers
printed in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of
Columbia, at least twenty days next before the said meeting; and
such meeting shall and may be continued from day to day until
the business is finished, and the commissioners at the time and place
aforesaid, shall lay before such of the subscribers as shall meet ac-
cording to the said notice, the book containing the state of the said
subscriptions; and if one fourth of the capital sum of six millions
of dollars should appear not to have been subscribed, then the said

Subscrip-
tions.

commissioners, or a majority of them, at the said meeting, are em-
powered to take and receive subscriptions to make up such defici-
ency, and may continue to take and receive such subscriptions for
the term of twelve months thereafter; and a just and true list of
all the subscribers, with the sum subscribed by each, shall be made
out and returned by the said commissioners, or by a majority of
them under their hands, to the board of public works of this state,
to the governor and council of the state of Maryland, to the se-
cretary of the state of Pennsylvania, and to the secretary of the
treasury of the United States, to be carefully preserved; and in
case more than six millions of dollars shall be subscribed, then
the sum subscribed shall be reduced to that amount by the said