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all such expenses shall be liquidated and ascertained; and if after
the said bridge is completed, it shall be found that more monies
shall remain in the hands of the treasurer than is necessary for
the payment of all charges and expenses incurred in and about
erecting the said bridge, the surplus shall be returned as part of
the dividend due and payable to the stockholders respectively.
9. And be it enacted, That the said bridge shall be built in the
most secure and substantial manner, and shall be secured and sup-
ported at each end by good and sufficient abutments, or piers, and
shall be not less than eighteen feet wide, with railing on each side
thereof at least four feet high, and there shall be a draw in the
said bridge, so as to afford a convenient passage to vessels up and
down the said river, of at least twenty-six feet wide, with wings
on each side of said bridge at the draw, to be at least fifteen feet
long and live feet deep; and the president and directors for the time
being, shall keep a sufficient number of hands at all times ready
for the purpose of raising the said draw, in order to admit vessels
to pass through without delay or interruption; they shall have buoys
fixed on each side of said draw with ropes sufficient to warp ves-
sels through whenever the winds or current may render it necessary,
for which no reward shall be demanded or received; and in case of
any neglect, the said president and directors may be indicted and
fined in Somerset or Dorchester county courts as for a common
nuisance.
10. And be it enacted, That for and in consideration of the great
risk and expenses to be incurred by said company, not only for
building the said bridge, but for keeping the same in continual re-
pair, the said bridge, when built and completed according to the
directions of this act, and all its profits, shall be and the same are
hereby vested in the said company for ever, to be held as tenants
in common, in proportion to their respective shares; and it shall and
may be lawful for the said directors, at all times hereafter, to de-
mand and receive the following tolls for passing said bridge, to wit:
for every coach, chariot, or other four wheeled carriage, stage or
wagon, seventy-five cents; for every two wheeled carriage or cart,
of every description, thirty-seven and an half cents; for a horse and
rider twenty cents; for every horse or mule twelve and an half
cents: for every head of horned cattle six cents; for every sheep or
hog four cents; for every foot passenger twelve and an half cents;
which rates of toll shall at all times bo made public and kept in
sonic conspicuous place for the inspection of passengers; Provided
that no toll shall he demanded or received from any person residing
in Somerset or Dorchester counties, and in lieu thereof the levy
court of said county is hereby authorised and directed, at their
first session after the said bridge is completed, and annually there-
after, to assess and levy on the assessable property of said county,
the sum of two hundred dollars for each county, current money,
together with the usual commission for collecting the same, which
sum shall be paid to the president and directors, for the time be-
ing, or their order, by the collector of said county, in such man-
ner and at such time as other public monies are payable.
11. And be it enacted, That, if the said president and directors,
or their successors, or any collector of tolls, or person employed by
them, shall demand or receive any greater rates or tolls for passing
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Dec. Ses 1817
Bridge, how
to be built.
Tolls.
Proviso.
Fine for de-
manding great-
er toll than is
allowed.
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