Chap. 168.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act to incorporate
the Manchester Railway Improvement Company, and to change
the name thereof to the Richmond and Manchester Railway Com-
pany.

Approved F ebruary Ig, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the first, second, fourth, eighth and ninth sections, of the act
passed April twenty-first, eighteen hundred and eighty-two, Acts
of eighteen hundred and eighty-one and eighty-two, chapter
eighty-six, page four hundred and fifty-three, as amended by
act passed March sixteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
Acts of eighteen hundred and eighty-three and eighty-four,
chapter three hundred and fifty-four, page four hundred and
sixty-seven, entitled an act to incorporate the Manchester Rail.
way and Improvement company, be amended and re-enacted
to read as follows :

§ 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
Thomas B. Brooks, A. S. Buford, E. S.Hamblin, C. C. McRae,
John P. Branch, Legh R. Page, Joseph Walker, William G.
Taylor, William I. Clopton, Charles W. Turner, C. T. Jones,
William F. Giddings, James F. Bradley, James L. Robertson,
James T. Gray, and their associates, successors and assigns, be
and they are hereby declared to be a body corporate and poli-
tic, by the name of the Richmond and Manchester railway
company;. and the said company, by that name, shall thereupon
be invested with all the rights, powers and privileges conferred
upon the Manchester Railway and Improvement company by
the act passed March tenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
amending an act passed April twenty-first, eighteen hundred
and eighty-two, entitled an act to incorporate the Manchester
Railway and Improvement company; and by the name and
Style of the Richmond and Manchester railway company are
hereby invested with all the rights, powers and privileges con-
ferred, and made subject to all the rules, regulations and re-
strictions imposed by the Code of Virginia, and all general
laws applicable to such institution, that are not inconsistent
with this act, and shall thereupon own, possess and enjoy all
the rights, privileges and powers, and assume all the acts and
contracts of the said Manchester Railway and Improvement
company.

§ 2. The capital stock of said corporation shall not be less
than fifteen thousand dollars, nor more than seven hundred
thousand dollars, to be divided into shares of twenty-five dol-
lars each. And at all meetings of the stockholders of said
company, each share of stock shall be entitled to one vote,
which may be cast by the holder thereof in person or by proxy.
Five dollars per share shall be paid in on each share subscribed
before the company shall commence business; the remaining
instalments may be called in, frem time to time, as may be re-
quired by the board of directors; and the before-named corpo-
rators, or a majority of them, are hereby authorized and created
a commission to receive subscriptions for stock, and for this
purpose they may open books of subscription in such manner
as they may deem necessary, and keep the same open until
they or other persons shall have subscribed the minimum
amount of capital stock named, and thereafter, within their dis-
cretion, they may call a meeting of stockholders, who may pro-
ceed fully to organize the company. The capital stock may be
increased, from time to time, until the maximum sum named in
this act is reached. The city of Manchester is hereby author-
ized to subscribe to the capital stock of the said company, a
sum not exceeding ten thousand dollars. The council of said
city is hereby authorized to borrow money to make good such
subscriptions, and is further authorized to borrow so much
money as may be necessary to improve any street or streets in
said city which may be selected by said company for the route
or routes of its railroad; but before the council of the city of
Manchester shall subscribe stock or issue bonds as aforesaid,
they shall be authorized so to do by a vote of the qualified
voters of the city of Manchester, according to the provisions
of chapter sixty-one, of the Code of. Virginia, edition of eigh-
teen hundred and seventy-three; but nothing herein contained
shall be construed as to modify or repeal any provision of the
charter of said city, except to the extent, and for the special
purposes herein mentioned. No stockholder shall be liable for
more than the stock held by him, and any unpaid quota thereon.

§ 3. The stockholders shall prescribe, from time to time, the
number of directors of said company, to be not less than five
nor more than fifteen in number, who shall. manage and control
all the business and affairs of said company, shall choose a
president and vice-president out of their own number, and shall
appoint such other officers or agents as may be required; and
said directors, or a majority of them, shall have power to fill.
vacancies in their number for the unexpired term.

§ 4. The said company shall have power in its corporate
nature to buy, contract for, hold, sue, mortgage, encumber or
convey, real estate in or within eight miles of the city of Man-
chester, to erect thereon dwellings or other improvements, and
to rent or sell the same upon such terms as may be agreed
upon; and may have the power to borrow money to such ex-
tent and amount, as it may deem necessary for said company;
and may issue its obligations or bonds, and secure the same by
mortgage or deed of trust, conveying their property, real and
personal, their franchises, rights, privileges and every kind of
property: they may own, or so much thereofas they may see fit
to include in such conveyance. ‘The real estate to be held shall
not at any time exceed ten thousand acres, to be situated in and
within eight miles of the city of Manchester, and such other real
estates as may be bona fide mortgaged to the company by way
of security, or conveyed to it in satisfaction of debts previously
contracted, or purchased at sales made to pay such debts.
Said company may also lay off and beautify squares or parks,
to be open to visitors, upon such terms and under such regula-
tions as the company may prescribe; and said company is also
authorized to adopt suitable rules and regulations to enforce
the observance of good order at such parks or squares, and
may charge fees for admission to the same or any part thereof;
and it may nominate, from time to time, to the county court of
the county in which such square or park is situated, any num-
ber of persons it may deem proper, without regard to their
residence, as special police, who, when confirmed in appoint-
ment of said court, and after being qualified, to act in pur-
suance. of the seventeenth section, chapter one hundred and
ninety-six, Code of Virginia of eighteen hundred and seventy-
three, shall have the same powers, within the boundaries of said
parks or squares, and a half a mile therefrom, as are conferred
on special police officers by the aforesaid chapter, one hundred
and ninety-six, Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three.
Police officers of the cities of Richmond and Manchester vhall
also have the same powers within the aforesaid limits, and such
other powers as they have within their respective corporations.

§.5. A conservator of the peace may be appointed for any
such park or square, with jurisdiction over the same, and
within half-a-mile thereof,.in the manner, and with the qualifi-
cations and powers, prescribed by the aforesaid chapter one
hundred and ninety-six, Code of eighteen hundred and seven-
ty-three, in regard to conservators of the peace for watering
places, together with all the powers conferred by the twenty-
first section of said chapter, as amended by the act approved
April fifteenth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, entitled an
act to amend section twenty-one of chapter one hundred and
ninety-six of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three,
concerning conservators of the peace, contained in acts of eigh-
teen hundred and seventy-four, chapter two hundred and one,
page two hundred and twenty-two. Such conservator of the
peace shall have, in regard to all arrests made, or offences com-
mitted within his jurisdiction, such powers as a justice of the
peace would have in regard thereto. |

§ 6. The powers and duties of the aforesaid conservator of
the peace and police officers, shall be regulated by the provis-
ions of sections twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-
three, of chapter eleven, (being sub-division of chapter three
hundred and eleven), approved March fourteenth, eighteen
hundred and seventy-eight, Acts eighteen hundred and seventy-
seven and seventy-eight, page three hundred and twenty, so
far as said provisions are consistent with this act.

§ 7. Said company is authorized to construct and operate
street railways, torun overand through the streets.of Manchester,
Richmond, and the roads ef Henrico and Chesterfield, and over
the bridges connecting Richmond and Manchester, for a dis-
tance not exceeding eight miles from the city of Manchester,
either as the main line or any branch lines, which branch lines
the company is hereby authorized to construct: provided, the
proper authorities of the cities and counties aforesaid, respec-
tively, shall consent to the construction of such street railway
or branch lines over the streets and roads within their limits:
and provided, that the companies or owners of any of the afore-
said bridges shall consent to the construction of the said rail-
way over their respective bridges, the consent of the commis-
sioners of the James river bridge company being sufficient in
the case of that company.

§ 8. Said company may connect its street railway with other
street railways, within the limits aforesaid, now existing or here-
after incorporated, with the consent of the owners of such rail-
ways; and said company may also acquire and own, by lease
or purchase, or otherwise, any street railway, and the property
and franchises thereof, in or near Richmond and Manchester,
now incorporated or constructed; and may unite and consoli-
date said railway or railways with their railway company, and
may issue therefor the bonds and stock of said company, as
may be agreed upon.

§ 9. Said company is authorized to transport over its line or
lines of railway, at such rate as it may adopt, passengers, ex-
press matter, packages, or other freight; but if it shall deem it
proper to transpert freight or other commodities, it shall be
at liberty to refuse to receive such express matter, packages or
other freight, at its pleasure.

§ 10. The said company may adopt such motive power to
propel its cars or carriages as the proper authorities of the cities,
counties and bridges, through or over which its track may be
laid, as said authorities may permit.

§ 11. The said act of March tenth, eighteen hundred and
eighty-four, amending ‘said act of April twenty-first, eighteen
hundred and eighty-two, to incorporate the Manchester railway
and improvement company, and all parts thereof not in conflict
with this amendatory act, are hereby re-enacted.

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