Chap. 68.—An ACT to Incorporate the Amherst and Lynchburg Bridge
Company.

In force February 7, 1871.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That it shall be
lawful to open books of subscription in the city of Lynchburg,
under the direction of Charles Statham, Van Taliaferro, S. C.
Hurt, Robert W. Snead, and James Franklin; in the county
of Amherst, at Magruder’s shop, under the direction of John
T. Edwards, W. D. Dow, H. W. Mountcastle, William Kent,
and Valentine Rucker; at Amherst courthouse, under the di-
rection of Thomas Whitehead, B. P. Morriss, William Richer-
son, and Henley Drumond; at Milner’s store, under the direc-
tion of John D. Davis, H. E. Smith, J. W. Jennings, and Edwin
M. Ware; at Temperance, under the direction of Henry Lov-
ing, John 8. Tucker, Robert L. Coleman, and Alfred Pettit,
or any three of them, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions
to an amount not exceeding thirty thousand dollars, in shares
of fifty dollars each, to constitute a joint capital stock, for the
erection of a bridge across James river, at any point that may
be selected between the county of Amherst and the city of
Lynchburg, except that it shall not be lawful for the company
which may be organized under this act, to appropriate to its
use Or in any way to interfere with the property or chartered
rights of the Lynchburg toll-bridge company.

2. Whenever five thousand dollars of said capital stock shall
have been subscribed by solvent parties, the subscribers, their
executors, administrators, and assigns, shall be and they are
hereby declared a body politic and corporate, under the name
and style of The Amherst and Lynchburg Bridge Company;
and shall be entitled to all the rights conferred, and subject to
all the restrictions imposed by the Code of Virginia, and the
acts amendatory thereof, and all general laws of the state in
relation to joint stock companies, so far as the same are appli-
cable to and not inconsistent with this act.

3. The first meeting of the subscribers to the stock for the
organization of said company, shall be held at such time and
place as may be determined by a majority of the persons
who shall act as commissioners for receiving subscriptions of
stock under the provisions of this act; of which time and place,
a notice of at least ten days shall be given in one or more news-
papers published in the city of Lynchburg. At such meeting
of the subscribers to the stock, the books of subscription shall
be collected together and a count made by the commissioners,
and if it shall appear that the minimum amount of stock has
been subscribed according to law, then it shall be lawful for
such subscribers, a majority being present, to proceed to or-
ganize by the election of a president and eight directors, any
five of whom to constitute a quorum.

4. The president and directors shall have power to provide
for additional subscriptions to the stock of the company after
its organization, and direct in what manner the same may be
made. They may select the place at which the bridge shall be
built, plan, let, and superintend the construction of the same,
provide for its safety and the keeping of the same in good re-
pair, fix and regulate the tolls to be collected: provided, that
the same shall not exceed for a foot passenger, horse, mule, or
work ox, two cents; for any carriage, three cents per wheel ;
for every head of cattle, sheep, hog, goat, or lamb, one cent;
and may make such rules, regulations, and by-laws for the go-
vernment of the company and management of the bridge as
shall not conflict with the laws of this state or of the United
States.
5. The county of Amherst and the city of Lynchburg may
each subscribe to the stock of the said company an amount
not exceeding ten thousand dollars: provided, that the ques-
tion of such subscription shall be first submitted to the voters
of the said county and city, and three-fifths of those voting
shall be in favor of such subscriptions. The judge of the
county or corporation court for the said county or city is
hereby authorized and directed, upon the application of the
board of supervisors or city council of his county or city, to
make an order requiring an election to be held upon a day to
be specified in such order, to take the sense of the qualified
voters of his county or city upon the question of subscribing
to the stock of the Amherst and Lynchburg bridge company,
an amount designated by the board of supervisors and city
council. Such election, when ordered, shall be published, held,
and returns made in accordance with the provisions of the
general election law. ,

6. It may be lawful for any railroad or joint stock company
to subscribe to the stock of the Amherst and Lynchburg bridge
company.

7. Every stockholder shall be entitled to certificates of stock
owned by him, and at any meeting of the stockholders shall
cast one vote for each share of stock.

8. The subscription and payment of one share of stock by
any person, shall entitle such person, his wife, and infant child-
ren to pass over the bridge when constructed, on foot, free of
all tolls: provided, such person shall enter upon the books of
the company a surrender of all claim to participate in the pro-
fits which may arise from such bridge. When such statement
shall be so entered, the fact shall be endorsed upon his certiti-
cate of stock by the proper officer of the company. Any per-
son who shall subscribe and pay two shares of stock, and make
and subscribe such an endorsement as is mentioned in the be-
ginning of*this section, shall be entitled to pass over and use
the said bridge free of all tolls for and during his life: pro-
vided, that such exemption shall extend to his wife during her
life, and to his children during their minority.

9. The president and directors may, at any time after the
bridge shall be constructed and paid for, call a meeting of the
stockholders to take into consideration the propriety of abol-
ishing all tolls on said bridge, and making the same free to the
public. Notice of any such meeting shall be given by publi-
cation in two newspapers of the city of Tynchburg for thirty
days previous to the time for holding the same. If at such
meeting three-fourths of all the stockholders of said company
shall vote to abolish all tolls and make the bridge free, upon
condition that the county of Amherst and city of Lynchburg
shall take charge of and keep the same in order, as the joint
property of said county and city, the said bridge shall be sur-
rendered to the free use of the public, by an order entered
upon the books of the company: provided, that if such bridge
company be in debt, no such surrender shall be made to the
injury of any creditor thereof: and provided further, that the
board of supervisors and city council of said county and city
shall have first agreed to accept of and receive the said bridge
as the joint property of the said county and city.

10. The board of supervisors for the county of Amherst and
the city council for the city of Lynchburg, may issue bonds
for the amount of subscriptions made to the Amherst and
Lynchburg bridge company under the provisions of this act,
and provide for the payment of the interest and principal
thereof. Such bonds not to run over twenty nor be redeemed
within less than five years.

11. This act shall be in force from its passage.

a