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Dec. Ses. 1817.
Legal rate of
per cent—divi-
dend.
Oxen &c.—
rate.
Repairs—neg-
lect— penalty,
&c.
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er the tolls, or any of them, so as to bring the aggregate on the
said roads to ten per centum per annum; and the said court may,
in their discretion, on the representation of the said company, re-
vise the tolls herein established, so as to render them in their ope-
ration more favourable to the commerce and industry of the citizens.
20. And be it enacted, That the stockholders of the said respec-
tive companies shall be entitled to receive ten per centum per an-
num, and no more, over and above all charges and deductions
whatsoever; and the president and managers of the said respective
companies shall keep a just and true account of all and every the
monies received by the several and respective collectors of tolls,
at the several and respective gates and turnpikes on the said roads,
from the beginning to the end thereof, which account shall be upon
oath, or affirmation, as the case may be, and shall make a dividend
of the clear profits and income thereof, not exceeding ten per cen-
tum in the year, among all the stockholders of every description,
and shall, on the first Monday in May and November in every
year, publish the half yearly dividends made of the said clear pro-
fits as aforesaid, and of the time and place when and where the
same will be paid, and shall cause the same to be paid accordingly.
21. And be it enacted, That all such carriages as aforesaid to bo
drawn by oxen in the whole, or partly by horses and partly by ox-
en, two oxen shall be estimated as equal to one horse in charging
all the aforesaid tolls, and every mule as equal to one horse.
22. And be it enacted, That if the said companies after any of
the said roads are completed as aforesaid, shall neglect to keep the
said roads in good and perfect order for the space of three days,
and information shall be given to any justice of the peace of the
neighbourhood within the county where the repair ought to be made,
such justice shall issue a precept to be directed to any constable,
commanding him to summon three disinterested persons, to be
named by the said justice in the said precept, to meet at a cer-
tain time in the said precept to he mentioned, at the place in the
said road which shall be complained of, of which meeting notice
shall be given to the keeper of the gate or turnpike nearest thereto,
and the said justice shall at such time and place, on the oaths or
affirmations of the said persons, inquire whether the said road, or
any part thereof, is in such good and perfect order and repair as
aforesaid, and shall cause an inquisition to be made and certified un-
der the hands of himself and a majority of the Raid persons, and if the
load shall be found by the said inquisition to he out of order and
repair, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, the said
justice shall certify and send one copy of the said inquisition to-
each of the keepers of the turnpikes or gates between which such
defective place shall be, and from thenceforth the tolls hereby grant-
ed to be collected at such turnpikes or gates shall cease to be de-
manded, paid or collected, until three days after the said defective
part or parts shall be put in good and perfect order and repair as
aforesaid; and if the same shall not lie put in good and perfect or-
der and repair before the next county court of said county, the
aforesaid justice shall certify and send a copy of the inquisition
aforesaid to the judges of the county court, who shall thereupon
cause to be brought before them the body or bodies of the person
or persons intrusted by the companies with the care and superin-
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