Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois Represented in the General Assembly: that Robert Huston, Asford Smith, David Hodges, Washington Bell, Josias H Coggshall, Harvey Jarboe[,]Chester Swallow[,] Joshua Hanks[,] and their associates[,] successors[,] or assigns are hereby created a body corporate & politic, by the name of the “Manchester & Bridgport Rail-Road company” & by that name are hereby made capable in equit law & equity, to sue & be sued, to plead & be impleaded, defend & be defended, in
any cou Court or courts of Record, or in any other place whatever; to contract & be contracted
with; and shall be & hereby are vested with all the powers & privelieges which may be neccessary to carry into ^effect^ the purposes & objects of this act, as hereinafter set forth: and the said company are hereby authorised, to locate[,] construct[,] & prossecute, to final completion, a Rail-Road commencing at, Manchester, from thence to Glassgow thence to Bridgeport on the Illinois River, in Morgan County; and said company are authorised to lay out their said Road at least six Rods wide, through the whole length; and
for the purpose of cutting embankments, stone, & gravel,
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may take as much more land as may be necessary for the proper construction of rail
Road provided, that all damages that may be occasioned to any person or corporation by the taking
of such land or materials for the purposes aforesaid, shall be paid for by saidcompany, in the maner hereinafter provided.
Sec. 2. The capital stock of said company shall be one hundredthousand Dollars to be divided into shares of one hundred dollars each; and the government
and direction of the affairs of said company shall be vested in not less than five directors, who shall be chosen by the members
of the company, in the manner hereinafter provided, who shall hold their offices for one year, and
until others are duly elected; and the said directors, a majority of whom shall form
a quorum for the transaction of business, shall elect one of their number to be president
of the company; & shall choose a clerk, who shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of his duties,
and a treasurer who shall give bond to the Company with ^such^ security as shall satisfy the directors.
Sec. 3. The president & directors are hereby authorised to make such equal assessment from time to time on all shares, as may be necessary
for the prosecution of
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the work, and direct the same to be paid to the treasurer of the company, & the treasurer shall give notice of such assessments.
The board shall have power to call special meetings of the stock holders, and to adopt
Rules or bye-laws regulating the maner & time of payment of ^all^ assessments they may order
Sec. 4. Said company shall pay all damages that may arise to any person or persons[,] Corporation or Corporations, by taking thier land, stone, or gravel for the use of said Road, when the same can not be obtained
by voluntary agreement; to be estimated and recovered in the maner provided by law, for the Recovery of damages hapening by the laying out of highways.
Sec. 5. When the lands If any person shall wilfully & maliciously & contrary to law, obstruct the passage of any car on said Road or any part thereof
or any thing belonging thereto, he, she, or they, ^shall^ forfeit & pay to said company, for every such offence double such damages as shall be proven before any court competent to try the same,
to be sued for in the name & behalf of said company, and such offender or offenders shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and liable
to indictment in the same
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maner as other indictments are found in any county or counties where such offence shall have been committed; or upon conviction of such offence, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars for the use of the
county where the indictment may be found, or may be imprisoned not exceeding one year.
Sec. 6. Said company shall so construct said Road, as not to obstruct[,] hinder[,] or interfere with the passage or free use of any public highways
Sec. 7. The time & place of holding the anual meetings of the company, for the purpose of election of directors, & other purposes, shall be fixed & determined by the bye-laws of said company; and at such meetings each stock holder shall be etitled to as many votes as he hold shares; and any two persons named in this act are t authorised to call the first meeting of said company, by giving notice in one of the papers published at Jacksonville, of the time & place of holding such meeting, at least fifteen days before the time
of such meeting.
Sec. 8. The president & directors shall have power to enact such bye-laws[,] Rules[,] & Regulations as they may deem expedient, to carry into effect the provisions of
this act: provided the same shall not be repugnant to the constitution or laws of this State or of the United States.
Sec. 9. said corporation shall establish and
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collect tolls, for all persons and property which may be conveyed upon said Road at
such rates per mile as may be agreed upon from time to time, by said corporation; provided however, that if the nett income & Reciepts for tolls or other profits, from and after the completion of Said Road, shall exceed
twelve per cent, per anum, the legislature may reduce said rate of tolls, so as to take off the overplus.
Sec. 10. The said company shall have the Rout of said Road serveyed, or expend [too?] in its construction five thousand dollars within three years from may Next and completed
within eight years thereafter otherwise this act shall be null & void.
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A Bill for an act to Incorporate the Manchester and Bridgeport Rail Road Company
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Handwritten Document, 6 page(s), Folder 262, HB 297, GA Session 10-1, Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL) ,