Sect.[Section] 1 Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois represented in General Assembly, That John Marshall ^Hen Eddy^ Ephram H. Gatewood Jas. C. Sloo[,] J. C. Stickney[,] Alex^r Kirkpatrick ^W^m H Davidson^[,] Jessee Kirkham[,] & Tho^s S. Hick their associates[,] successors[,] and assigns are hereby created a body politic and corporate under the name and style of “The ShawneeTown & New Haven Rail Road” Company and by that name shall be, and are hereby made capable in Law & equity, to sue & be sued, plead & be impleaded, defend & be defended, in any courts or courts, whatsoever, to make and use a common seal, the same to alter & renew at pleasure & by that name & style be capable in law of contracting & being contracted with, purchasing, holding & conveying personal & Real estate for the purposes & uses of said corporation as herin after set forth limited, and shall be & ^are^ hereby vested with all the powers & privileges, and immunities which are or may be necessary to carry into effect the purposes and objects of this act, as herein after set forth, and the said company are hereby authorised and empowered to locate[,] and construct[,] & finally complete a rail road for a double or single track commencing at ShawneeTown on the Ohio River, near the corner of north first street adjoining the upper public landing in said town thence to the Town of New Haven on the little Wabash River and terminating upon the banks of the river above the mill dam at said town—and for this purpose said Company are authorised to construct said road, and for the purpose of embankments, cuttings stone, wood, & gravel, may take as much more land as ^may be^ neccessary for the proper construction & security of said Rail Road Provided.

Sec. 2 The capital stock of said company shall consist of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars in shares of one Hundred Dollars each and the immediate government ^and direction^ of said company shall be invested in a board ^of not less than^ five directors, who shall be chosen by the members of the Corporation in a manner herin after provided & shall hold their office until others shall be duly elected & qualified to take their place as directors, and the said directors a1 majority of whom shall form a quoram for the transaction of business shall elect one of their number to be president of the board who shall also be president of the company and have authority to choose a “secretary & Treasurer” who shall give bond ^& security^ to the corporation for the faithfull discharge of his duties in the sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars.

Sec. 3. The president and directors for the time being are hereby authorised and empowered by themselves or their agents, to execute all powers herin granted to the Company & all such other powers & authority for the management of the affairs of saidcompany not heretofore granted, as may be proper & neccessary to carry into effect the object of this act, and to make such equal assesments from time to time, on all shares of the Company as ^they ^ may deem ^expedient &^ neccessary, Provided that no assesment upon such shares shall be made of a greater am’t.[amount] in the whole than One Hundred Doll[Dollars] per^on a^ share

Sec. 4 The president & directors of said company shall have power to issue the bonds & obligations ^of^ siad company to the amount of ^half^ of the Capital Stock of said Company & negociate the sale of said bonds paying through their ^agent or^ agents duly appointed for that purpose either in the United States or Europe not paying a rate of interest upon such amounts

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so borrowed upon said bonds exceeding six percent per annum.

Sec^t 5. The said company shall have power to make[,] ordain[,] & establish, all such rules, by laws[,] ^ordinances^[,] & regulations as they may deem expedient & neccessary to accomplish the designs & purposes and to carry into effect the provisions of this act and for the transfer & asignment of the stock, the payment of assessments & the conveyance of property & the well ordering, regulating, & securing of the interests & affairs of said company, provided the same shall not be repugnant to the laws of this State & the United States.

Sec^t 5 A toll is hereby granted & established for the sole benefit of said company, upon all passengers & property of all descriptions which may be conveyed or transported on saidroad , at such rates that maybe agreed upon & established from time to time, by the directors of said company.

Sec^t 6 The annual meeting of the members of said Company shall be holden on the first Monday of each year at such a time, place[,] & under such regulations that the directors for the time being may appoint, at which meeting the directors shall be chosen by ballot each proprietor shall be entitled to one vote for each share and shall have power to vote when absent from the place of election to vote by proxy, such proxy ^being^ certified by to before some ^a^ Notary public[,] justice of the peace[,] or other competent authority, naming therein

Sec^t 7 The said company shall commence the said road within three years & complete it with the next ten years. [...?]

Sec^t 8 Any two members named in this act shall ^are^ hereby authorised to call ^the^ a ^first^ meeting by giving

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notice ten days previous in at least one newspaper published in ShawneeTown Ill^s giving notice of time[,] place[,] & purpose of said meeting [...?] [?]

Sec^t 92 This act shall be deemed & taken as a public act and, as such ^shall^ be taken notice of by all courts of justice in this state, without the neccessity of pleading the same.

to elect directors to serve until the coming [...?] a [...?]annual election of said company.

Sec 10. The state may at any time purchase the said road by paying cost if it shall hereafter be deemed proper to do so

After the period of thirty years this corporation shall cease to exist