Chap. 259.—An ACT to Incorporate the Consolidated Abattoir Company
of Alexandria, Washington and Georgetown.

Approved March 29, 1876.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That Francis
Carter, Thomas Adams, F. R. Windsor, William R. Snow,
William E. Clarke, George L. Watkins, their associates, suc-
cessors and assignees, be and are hereby created a body poli-
tic 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 place
of business, do all things necessary for the purposes herein-
after mentioned, and perform all other acts, and exercise and
enjoy all other privileges incident to corporations; adopt and
use a cgmmon seal, make publish and alter by-laws, rules and
regulations to govern the corporation and carry on its busi-
ness; shall determine and appoint its officers, and fix their
compensation 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, stables,
sheds, yards, pens, scales, « building or buildings sufficient to
accommodate and shelter all animals which may be brought
to its place 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 man-
ner, for which said company shall be entitled to a fair com-
pensation 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, The said company shall erect and establish slaughter-
house or houses on their premises, for the purpose of slaugh-
tering animals, the meat of which is intended for food, and
tor the accommodation of butchers, where all butchers shall
be permitted to kill and slaughter their animals, the meat ot
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 sec-
tion eight of this act, subject to the sanitary laws of the state
of Virginia. ) :

5. That butchers or others who may desire to have their
animals slaughtered, stored, or any other work, labor, or
other service done, or any products of their business manu-
factured, this company be authorized to perform the same,
upon such terms and for such compensation as may be agreed
upon by the party or parties desiring such service or ser-
vices of the company. .

6. That the said company shall construct and keep plat-
form scale or scales for the weighing of live stock, where all
animals bought or sold shall be weighed, for which weighing
this company shall furnish, both buyer 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 future 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, lambs, or calves, to be paid-for and collected as alk
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 company 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
tbe 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.

9. That the governor shall appoint a competent person as
inspector of all live stock and meats slaughtered by this
company, which is intended for sale and consumption; said
inspector 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 become the property of the
company, to be by said company manufactured, the owners
of all condemned meats to be compensated 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 ani-
mals, 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 in-
spector, or of his deputies, a fine of fifty dollars for each
neglect shall be imposed 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 parpose of carry-
Ing on its business.

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

13. That a majority of the stock shall 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 indebtness 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 the provisions of the Code of: Vir-
ginia, edition of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, in re-
jJation to incorporated companies.