CHAP. 339.—An ACT to incorporate the Consolidated Abattoir com-
pany of Alexandria, Washington and Georgetown.

Approved March 1, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
Francis Carter, Thomas Adams, C. H. Snow, L. A. Marsteller,
Louis E. Tavener, M. E. Clark, George L. Watkins, their as-
sociates, successors and assigns, be and are hereby created a
body politic and corporate, by the name of the Consolidated
Abattoir company of Alexandria, Washington and Georgetown;
and by that name and style shall sue and be sued, purchase,
hold, sell, contract, lease and release, grant and transfer real
estate intended for its business, buy and sell personal property,
and manufacture the products of animals slaughtered at its

lace of business, do all things necessary for the purposes here-
inafter mentioned, and perform all other acts and exercise and
enjoy all other privileges incident to corporations, adopt and
use a common seal, make, publish and alter by-laws, rules and
regulations to govern the corporation and carry on its business;
shall determine and appoint its officers, and fix their compen-
sation and term of office.

2. That the said company may purchase, establish and erect
at its own cost and expense, at any point on the line of railway
between the city of Alexandria and the District of Columbia,
or upon the Potomac river, at any point within the county of
Alexandria, of proper access to the butchers of Alexandria city
and the District of Columbia, the location to be approved by
the county court of Alexandria county before said business shall
be begun, stables, sheds, yards, pens, scales, a building or
buildings sufficient to accommodate and shelter all animals
which may be brought to its piace of business for inspection,
sale or slaughter, and such other buildings as may be necessary;
and said company shall feed and care for all of such animals in
a proper manner, for which said company shall be entitled to a
fair compensation from the owner or owners of said animals.

_ 3. That the said company shall be allowed to detain and keep
all such animals until compensated or paid for charges aforesaid:
and if such charges are not paid within ten days from the time
said animals are left on the premises of the company, then the
said company shall have power, without resorting to judicial
proceedings, to advertise and sell such animals at public sale,
the advertisement to be inserted in a daily newspaper, either
published in the city of Washington or the city of Alexandria,
at least three times; the proceeds of said sale to pay—first, said
expenses, cost of advertising and sale, as well as any other
necessary expenses, and the residue, if any, to be paid to the
owner or owners of said animal or animals so sold.

4. Thesaid company shall erect and establish slaughter-house
or houses on their premises, for the purpose of slaughtering
animals, the meat of which is intended for food, and for the
accommodation of butchers, where all butchers shall be per-
mitted to kill and slaughter their animals, the meat of which is
intended for sale in market, or to be consumed in the city of
Alexandria or the district of Columbia, and to have the use of
said slaughter-house or houses, the cooling rooms or ice-closets,
and conveniences generally necessary to conduct their business,
upon the terms as prescribed in section eight of this act, sub-
ject to the sanitary laws of the state of Virginia. ,

5. That butchers or others who may desire to have thei: ani-
mals slaughtered, stored, or any other work, labor or other ser-
vice done, or any products of their business manufactured, this
company be authorized to perform the same, upon such terms,
and for such compensation as may be agreed upon by the paity
or parties desiring such service or services of the company. -

6. That the said company shall construct and keep platform
scale or scales for the weighing of live stock, where all animals,
bought or sold, shall be weighed, for which weighing this com-
pany shall furnish, both buver and seller, a proper voucher or
certificate, stating number of animals, their weight, certified by
the company’s agent or weigher, keep a record thereof for fu-
ture reference, for which the owner or owners, or seller of said
animals, shall pay into the company an amount not exceeding
three cents per one hundred pounds weight, whether sold by
weight or per head, for all cattle, ten cents per head for all
hogs, and five cents per head for all sheep, Jambs or calves, to
be paid for and collected as all other charges of the company;
said scales to be subject to the inspection and approval of the
inspector of weights and measures of the county of Alexandria.

7, That said campany shall keep their yards, stables, pens,
and slaughter houses open every day and at all hours for the
transaction of business; and on refusal to accommodate the
butchers and drovers desiring the use of the premises of this
company, then the said company shall be subject to a fine of
not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars
for such offence.

8. The prices to be charged .butchers by this company, for
the use of their premises for slaughtering animals, shall not
exceed the following: During the months of November, De-
cember, January, February, and March, cattle, one dollar per
head; hogs, fifteen cents per head; sheep and lambs, twenty
cents per head; calves, twenty-five cents per head. During the
months of April, May, June, July, August, September, and
October, for the use of ice-closets, the charges shall'be: cattle,
one dollar and twenty-five cents per head; hogs, twenty-five
cents per head; sheep and lambs, thirty cents per head; ‘calves,
thirty-five cents per head. Said charges to be paid for and
collected as the other charges of this company.

g. That the governor shall appoint a competent person as
inspector of all live stock and meats, slaughtered by this com-
pany, which is intended for sale and consumption; said inspec-
tor to be empowered to condemn all live stock or slaughtered
animals the meat of which is unfit for food; said inspector to
be required to give bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars
for the faithful and impartial discharge of his duties, and to be
subject to the rules and regulations governing inspectors in the
state of Virginia. All meats condemned under this act shall be-
come the property of the company, to be by said company
manufactured; the owners of all condemned meats to be com-
pensated at the rate of a half cent per pound.

10. That the fees of said inspector shall be ten cents per head
for all cattle, and five cents per head for all other animals, to
be paid by the owner or owners of said animals. That said
inspector may appoint as many deputies as may be necessary ;
that for dereliction of duty on the part of said inspector, or of
his deputies, a fine of fifty dollars for each neglect shall be im-
posed on said inspector, to be collected as all other fines are for
the benefit of the state.

11. That the said company may build and erect a wharf or
wharves upon its land, and collect such wharfage as is allowed
by the laws of the state; and the said company may build the
necessary switches or turnouts, connecting its place of business
with any or all railroads, in the county of Alexandria, which
may be necessary for the purpose of carrying on its business.

12. That the capital stock of said company shall not be less
than fifty thousand dollars nor more than three hundred thou-
sand dollars, and divided into shares of fifty dollars each; and
when stock to the amount of the first named sum shall have
been subscribed, the stockholders shall be authorized to meet
and organize said company: provided, that the laws of the
state regulating the formation of similar corporations shall have
been complied with.

13. That a majority of the stockholders sitall have power to
issue mortgages, bonds, and contract such other indebtedness,
and pledge the capital stock and all its property as security for
the same: provided, that such indebtedness shall not exceed
the sum of three hundred thousand dollars.

14. That the work contemplated under the provisions of this
act shall be begun within two years, and ready for use within
three years, after the date of the passage of this act.

15. This act shall take effect from the date of its passage,
and shall be subject to all provisions of the Code of Virginia,
edition of ‘eighteen hundred and seventy- -three, in relation to
incorporated g¢ompanies.