CHAP. 171.—An ACT to incorporate the Metropolitan Western
. railroad of Virginia.

Approved February 4, 1890.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That General W. W. Mackall, William 8S. Smoot, T. D.
Moncure, Mathew J. Laughlin and D.S. Mackall, of the
state of Virginia, and L. D. Whitaker and H. F. Lofland,
of the state of Maryland, and their associates, successors
and assigns be and they are made and declared a body
politic and corporate by the name and style of the Metro-
politan Western railroad company.

2. The capital stock of said company shall be one mil-
lion of dollars; divided into shares of one hundred dol-
lars each, and may from time to time be increased by the
board of directors, with the consent of the majority of
stockholders, to any amount not exceeding five millions
of dollars.

3. The said Metropolitan Western railroad company is
authorized and empowered to locate, construct, equip, and
operate a railroad of standard gauge, with a single or
double track, commencing at a point it may select on the
Potomac river, in the county of Fairfax, and running
thence by the most practica!, eligible, and direct route
deemed advisable by the hoard of directors of said com-
pany, to such point as they may elect on the Potomac river,
in the county of Prince William; and it shall be lawful
for said company to construct and operate Jateral or
branch roads of standard gauge, not exceeding twenty
miles in length, which shall have all the rights and pow-
ers and be subjected to the same restrictions as the main
line.

4. The said company shall have power to purchase and
lease boats, barges, and vessels, either steam or sail, and
to operate the same in connection with its lines of rail-
road for the transportation of freight and passengers, and
otherwise to facilitate its trade and commerce,

5. The said company shall have power to borrow money
or issue and sell its bonds from time to time on such
terms as its board of directors mav deem proper and
necessary in the prosecution of any of its work, and to
secure the payment of said loan or loans, or bonds, the
said company may create one or more mortgages or deeds
of trust on the whole or any part of its property, char-
tered rights, and franchises.

6. The said company may receive subscriptions to its
capital stock in land, property, materials, and equipment,
at such valuation and upon such terms as may be agreed
upon between the said company and the subscribers, and
may exchange its bonds therefor, and may hold, improve,
sell, or convey at pleasure al] lands so acquired: provided,
that said company shall not hold land not needed for the
purposes of its incorporation.

7. Any county, city, or town on or near the line of rail-
road of said company, or any branch thereof, may sub-
scribe to its capital stock, in the mode prescribed by law,
to the amount of fifty thousand dollars.

8. The said company shall have power to cross at grade,
over or under any railroad now constructed, or which may
be hereafter constructed, within this state, at any point
on its route, subject to the provisions of the general law
of this state; to unite its road with any of the said roads,
and to enter upon the grounds of such railroad companies,
with the necessary turn-outs, sidings, switches, and con-
veniences in furtherance of the objects of its construction,
as well as to facilitate the economical exchange of pas-
sengers and traffic between the respective roads; pro-
vided, the acquisition of any of the real estate of another
company shall be in the mode prescribed by the law of
this state.

9. It shall be lawful for said company to consolidate
with or to lease or purchase the works, property, fran-
chises and privileges of any other railroad company, not
a competing line, heretofore incorporated or which shall
be hereafter incorporated in or out of the state of Vir-
ginia, whose line of railroad connects or will connect
with the railroad hereby authorized to be constructed;
and any railroad company heretofore incorporated in the
state of Virginia, whose line of road connects or will con-
nect with the railroad hereby authorized to be constructed,
or which lies along its route, so as to be used as a part of
its main line, or jin lieu of. such lateral or branch road as
this company is authorized to construct, is hereby author-
ized to consolidate with or sell to or lease its works, pro-
perty, franchises, and privileges to the said Metropolitan
Western railroad company; provided, that such consoli-
dation, lease, purchase or sale shall be made only upon
such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon by a
majority of the atockholders in each of the said com-
panies; and provided, further, that the company hereby
incorporated shall] never, by reason of consolidation with
any other company, lose its identity or cease to be a
domestic corporation, subject to the jurisdiction of the
courts of this state.

10. The corporators named in this act shall constitute
the hoard of directors for the first year, and shall con-
¢inue in office until their successors shal] be elected and
qualified. They shall bave the power and authority of a
president and board of directors for the purpose of organ-
ization, and for all other purposes incidental thereto.
They shall elect one of their number president of the
board, and may appoint such officers as they may deem
proper. They shall fill any vacancy that may occur In
the board or in the office of president, and may receive
subscriptions to the capital stock of the company. When-
ever one hundred thousand dollars of the capital stock
shall have been subscribed, the board of directors shall
proceed to organize the company by the election of a
president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and such
other officers and agents as may be required. Thereupon
the said company shall be considered legally organized,
and shall have all the general powers conferred upon cor-
porations and chartered companies by the Jaws of this
state, and shall be subject to all the provisions thereof,
except so far as the same are modified or are inconsistent
with this act.

11. The board of directors of said company is author-
ized, at any meeting when a majority of the directors are
present, if they deem it advisable, to change the name of
said company.

12. The said company is required to commence the con-
struction of its railroad within two years, and to complete
the construction of its main line within four years from
the date of the passage of this act.

13. All taxes which may be assessed against said com-
pany shall be paid in lawful money of the United States
and not in coupons.

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