An act to incorporate the “Central Branch Webster Rail Road Company.”

Section 1^st Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois Represented in General Assembly: That James Allin M L Covell J. W. Fell David Davis Franklin Brattan, Jacob Moon their associates successors and assigns, are hereby created a body corporate and politic, under the name & Style of the “Central Branch Webster Rail Road Company,” and by that name and [style?], and hereby are made capable in Law & equity, to sue & be sued, to [?]; to plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, in any Court or Courts of Record, or in any other place whatever; to make, have and use a common seal, and the same to [break?], [?] and alter at pleasure; to contract and be contracted with; and shall be, and hereby are vested with all

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the powers priviledges and immunities, which are or may be necessary to carry into effect the purposes and objects of this Act as hereinafter set forth; And the said Company are hereby authorised and empowered, to locate construct, and finally complete a Rail Road commencing at or near the Town of Webster in the County of Lasalle on the Big Vermillion and running from thence so as to intersect at the nearest and most convenient point on the great “Central Rail Road,” in such manner and form as the said company shall deem most expedient; and for this purpose said Company are authorised to lay out their said Rail Road at least six rods wide, through the whole length; and for the purpose of cutting embankments, stone and gravel, may take as much wood [land?] as may be necessary for the proper construction and security of said Rail Road; Provided, that all damages that may be occasioned to any person or corporation by the taking of said land or materials for the purposes afore-

. . .direct the same to be paid to the treasurer of the company, and the treasurer shall give notice of all such assessments. The board of directors shall have power to call special meetings of the stockholders of the company, and to adopt rules and by-laws regulating the manner and time of payment of all assessments they may order, as they may deem expedient.

Section 4^th. Said company shall be holden to pay all damages that may arise to any person or persons, corporation or corporations, by taking their land, stone or gravel for the use of said ^rail^ Road when the same cannot be obtained by voluntary agreement, to be estimated and recovered in the manner provided by law for the recovery of damages happening by the laying out of highways

Section 5^th. When the lands or other property or estate of any married woman, infant, or person non compos mentis shall be necessary for the construction of said rail road the husband of such married woman, and the guardian of such infant, or person non compos mentis, may release all damages in relation to the land or estate to be taken and appropriated as aforesaid, as freely as they might do if the same were holden in their right, respectively

Section 6^th. If any person shall wilfully, maliciously or wantonly, and contrary to law, obstruct the passage of any car on said rail road, on any part thereof, or any thing belonging thereto, he, she, or they or any person assisting shall forfeit and pay to said company, for every such offence treble such damages as Shall be proven before any court competent to try the same, to be sued for in the name and behalf of said company and such offender or offenders shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and liable to indictment in the same manner as other indictments are found in any county or counties where such offence shall have been committed; and upon conviction of such offence, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding

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five thousand dollars, for the use of the county where the indictment may be found, or may be imprisoned not exceeding one year, at the discretion of the court before whom the conviction may be had.

Section 7^th Said company shall so construct their said Rail Road across rivers, ^rail roads^ turnpikes, or other public ways so as not to obstruct hinder or interfere with the passage and free use of such public ways and if said road shall not be so constructed it shall be lawful for the persons agrieved to abate the same, in the same manner as is now provided by law for the removal of obstructions to public ways.

Section 8^th The time and place of holding the annual meetings of said company for the election of directors and other purposes shall be fixed and determined by the bye laws of said company; and at such meetings each proprietor shall be entitled to as many votes as he holds shares and any two persons named in this act are hereby authorised to call the first meeting of said company by giving notice in the Bloomington Observer published at Bloomington or in any other paper of general circulation in the State, of the time and purpose of such meeting at least thirty days before the time mentioned in such notice.

Section 9^th The president and directors shall have power to make and ordain, and establish such bye-laws, rules and regulations and ordinances as they may deem expedient and necessary to accomplish the purposes and to carry into effect the provisions of this act, and for the well ordering regulating and securing the interest and affairs of said company. Provided the same are not repugnant to the constitution and the laws of this State and of the United States.

Section 10^th A toll shall be and is hereby granted and established for the sole benefit of said company, upon all passengers and prop-

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