J O H N H E N R Y, Efquire, Governor.

1797.

lars, or fo much thereof as the faid before-mentioned perfons, or a majority of
them, fhall judge to be fufficient for the purpofe aforefaid fhall be fubfcribed,
three weeks notice at leaft fhall be given in the George-town paper, requiring a
meeting of the faid fubfcribers in George-town, and a majority of fuch meeting,
provided two thirds of the faid fhares be therein reprefented, are hereby authorifed
and required to elect, by ballot, three of the faid fubfcribers, to be directors for
managing all the concerns of the faid company for and during the term of one
year next enfuing.

C H A P.
XCII.

II. And be it enacted, That all the faid fubfcribers, and their heirs and af-
figns, from the time of the faid firft meeting, fhall be, and are hereby declared
to be, incorporated, by the name of the Annacoftia Bridge Company, and may
fue and be fued as fuch; and the proprietors are hereby required to meet at
George-town on the firft Monday of January in every year thereafter, and elect
three directors to conduct and manage the concerns of the faid company for one
year; and in the firft election, as well as in every election thereafter, each pro-
prietor fhall be entitled to one vote for every fhare he fhall fubfcribe, and any
proprietor may, by writing under his hand, attefted by one or more witneffes,
depute any other proprietor to vote and act as his proxy.

Subfcribers
incorporated,
&c.

III. And be it enacted, That the faid directors, or any two of them, fhall
and may require any fum or fums of money from each and every proprietor, in
equal proportion, as may from time to time be neceffary for completing the faid
bridge and caufeways, and after giving three months public notice in the George-
town paper, to fee for and recover, in the name of the faid company, fuch un-
paid requisition, with all cofts and charges incidental thereto, with legal intereft
thereon from the time the fame became due; and the neglect or refufal to pay
any fuch requifition, after three months notice in the George-town paper, fhall
have the effect to forfeit all previous payments made on the fhare or fhares fo
neglected or refufed to be paid, to the ufe and benefit of faid company.

Directors
may require
any fum, &c.

IV. Be it enacted, That the faid bridge company fhall erect a good and fuf-
ficient draw to faid bridge, not lefs than twenty feet wide, and fhall keep a fuf-
ficient number of hands at all times ready for the purpofe of raifing the faid
draw, in order to admit veffels to pafs through, without delay or interruption,
for which no reward fhall be demanded or received; and in cafe of any neglect,
the directors for the time being may be indicted and fined in Prince-George's
county court as for a common nuifance.

Company to
erect a draw,

&c.

V. And be it enacted, That it fhall and may be lawful for every proprietor to
transfer his or her fhare or fhares, by deed or deeds executed before two or more
witneffes, and regiftered in the books of faid company, and not otherwife, except
by devife, which faid devife fhall alfo be regiftered before any fuch fhare or fhares

fhall pafs in virtue thereof.

Shares may be
transferred,
&c.

VI. And be it enacted, That for and in consideration of the great rifk incurred
by faid company, and of the great expence in building faid bridge, and making
faid caufeways, and of keeping the fame in repair, the faid bridge, and all its
profits, fhall be and the fame hereby is vefted in the faid company, to be held as
tenants in common, in proportion to their refpective fhares, to them, their heirs
and affigns, for ever; and it fhall and may be lawful for the faid directors, at all
times hereafter, for the term of fifty years, to receive fuch reafonable tax or toil
as they may from time to time agree on and require, provided they fhall not at
any time exceed the prefent rates of ferriage at the ferries now ufed over the faid
Branch, which rates or tolls fhall be made public, and not altered oftener
than once in each year; and at the expiration of the term aforefaid of fifty years,
the faid directors fhall receive fuch toll as fhall be regulated by the legifiature of
this ftate, or of the United States, fhould the faid bridge be erected within the
jurifdiction of the United States.

Bridge veiled
in the com-
pany, &c.