Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Isaac Prickett, Benjamin Godfrey, Nathaniel Buckmaster, and William Martin, their associates, heirs and assigns, be, and they are hereby authorized to establish a ferry on the waters of the Mississippi river, in the city of Alton, in this State, and to run the same from the public landing in the city of Alton, or from such other point or points within the present limits of the city of Alton, as may be agreed upon by the owners of the ferry and the owners of the land within said limits: Provided, That they shall not use any boat or water craft except such as shall be propelled or urged through the water by steam or horse power, except in cases of emergency when smaller vessels may be temporarily employed for crossing.

Sec. 2. That no person or persons, except those who have ferries now established within the present limits of the city of Alton, shall establish any ferry of the description afore-

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said, within said limits, and if any person or persons shall, contrary to the provisions of this act, run any boat or boats of the description aforesaid, he, she, or they shall forfeit every such boat with its furniture and apparel to the said owners of said ferry, their heirs or assigns, which may be attached and recovered before any court having competent jurisdiction.

Sec. 3. That it shall be lawful for the said owners of said ferry, their associates, heirs and assigns, to demand and receive the same rate of ferriage as is now of right demandable at either of the two ferries now crossing the said Mississippi river, nearest to the ferry authorized to be established by this act.

Sec. 4. That the ferry hereby established, shall be subject to the same taxes as are now or hereafter may be imposed on the other ferries within this State, and under the same regulations and forfeitures.

Sec. 5. That if the company incorporated by this act shall, for the space of six months, neglect to carry out the provisions hereof, the said privileges hereby granted shall cease and determine; and if it shall hereafter appear that facilities for crossing said river shall not be provided, for a space of one month, a suit may be instituted against said company by any person desiring the same, and this charter declared to be forfeited: Provided, Said person instituting said suit, shall enter into bond and security to indemnify said company for any injury sustained by reason of bringing said suit.

Sec. 6. This act shall be in force for the term of ten years and no longer: Provided, That if the Alton ferry company, incorporated by an act approved, July twenty-first, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, shall, before the first day of July next, place upon said ferry a good and sufficient ferry boat, propelled by steam or animal power, (the sufficiency of the same to be judged of by the common council of the city of Alton,) and shall thereafter continue to keep in use at said ferry the same or some other sufficient boat, then and in such case, the preceding sections of this act shall not take effect. 2

Approved, February 27, 1841.