CHAP. 23.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 3 and 8 of an
act approved January 1], 1877, enlarging the powers of the Royal
Land Company so as to secure a connection for its railroad with the
city of Richmond and otherwise to enlarge its powers.

Approved February 2, 1880.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That sections
three and eight of an act approved January eleventh, eighteen
hundred and seventy-seven, entitled an act to amend the char-
ter of the Royal Land Company of Virginia, and to enlarze
the corporate powers and franchises so as to enable it to pur-
chase, construct and operate a ralroad from its lands to the
Potomac river, and ship from the terminus thereof minerals
and merchandise, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as
follows :

§3. That it shall and may be lawful for the Royal Land
Company of Virginia to purchase and hold the rights, fran-
chises and privileges of the Shenandoah Valley and Ohio rail-
road company, heretofore incorporated by the general assem-
bly, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed on by
and between the stockholders of the said railroad company
and the Royal Land Company of Virginia; and upon the com-
pletion of such purchases, all the rights, franchises, privileges,
property and things of the said Shenandoah Valley and Ohio
railroad company shall pass to and shall be absolutely vested
and incorporated in the Royal Land Company of Virginia;
and it shall be lawful for the Royal Land Company of Virginia,
in the construction of the said Shenandoah Valley and Ohio
railroad, to diverge and deviate from the prospected route
named in the act of incorporation of the said railroad, and to
construct its railroad along or near the following route: that
is to say, beginning at such point or points at or near the
western boundary of this state, in the counties of Rockingham
or Augusta, Virginia, on the West Virginia line ; running thence
to Harrisonburg, in Rockingham county; thence through the
Blue Ridge by Swift Run gap, or some other gap in said ridge,
if they should find one better suited to their purposes, through
the counties of Orange, Greene or Madison at, to or near Oranve
Courthouse, at the points designated in section first of said
chapter, and through the other counties in said section; and
that it shall be lawful for the Royal Land Company of Vir-
ginia to construct, purchase, own or operate a branch from any
point on its line of railroad to a point on the James river at
or near the city of Richmond, or to a point of convenient cone
nection with any other railroad having a terminus at said city ;
and that it shall be lawful for said Royal Land Company to
extend its line to such point or points at or near the western
boundary of this state as it may find necessary or convenient
in order to connect its road and interchange its business with
the railroads which now exist, or which may hereafter exist,
beyond the limits of this state; and that it shall be lawful for
said company to construct, purchase, own or operate any rail-
road with which its lines may connect or with which it may
desire to interchange business, either within the limits of this
state or at or beyond the boundaries thereof, and to unite with
the company owning such railroad, either by purchase, sale or
consolidation, upon such terms as may be agreed upon between
the parties, and such united or consolidated company may take
the name of the Potomac and Western railway company, or
such other name as they see fit, and under such name transact
its business; and such united or consolidated company may
have and exercise within the limits of this state all and singu-
lar the powers, rights, privileges, franchises and immunities
hereby or heretofore granted to said Royal Land Company, or
to the company or companies with which it may so unite, under
or by virtue of the laws of this state, and may have and exer-
cise, beyond the limits of this state, all such powers, rights,
privileges, franchises and immunities as may have been granted
to the company or companies with which it shall so unite or
consolidate, or whose railroads it shall construct, purchase, own
or operate under or by virtue of the laws of the state or states
in which the same shall exist.

§ 8. That it shall be lawful for such united or consolidated
company to create and issue its capital stock to such amount
as may be fixed and determined by the stockholders of, said
land company, at a meeting duly called for that purpose, not
less than three-fifths of such stockholders voting therefor ; and
also to make, execute and at its discretion to sell and dispose
of its bonds, secured upon the property and franchises of the
corporation, bearing such rate of interest as it may deem ex-
pedient, not exceeding eight per centum per annum, and to an
amount not exceeding the amount of its authorized capital
stock.

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