CHAP. 91.—An ACT to incorporate the Richmond, Gayton and
Southside railroad company.

Approved January 26, 1892.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That Ware B. Gay, H. W. Cunningham, J. H. Freeland,
A. R. Winslow, of Boston; H. C. Skinner, E. B. Arnold,
of New York; Julius Baker, M. M. Gilliam, H. Lee Lor-
raine, Edward H. Gay, W. W. Palmer, of Richmond, Va. ;
John T. Jones, of Gayton, Va.; or such of them as may
accept the provisions of this act, their associates, succes-
sors and assigns, be, and the same are hereby, incorporated
a body politic and corporate under the name and style of
the Richmond, Gayton and Southside railroad company ;
and as such are empowered to locate, construct, equip and
operate a line of railway between any points in the coun-
ties of Henrico, Chesterfield, Powhatan and Goochland,
and from any such points, to a point on the James river, at
or near Warwick, passing through or near the cities of
Manchester or Richmond, with power to use the streets
and alleys of either or both of said cities: provided, the
consent of the council of such city or cities be first obtain-
ed, the route to be such as may be determined by the stock-
holders of the Richmond, Gayton and Southside railroad
company.

2. The said company shall have the right to acquire
lands along the route of said railway, by donation, pur-
chase, or in any other legal manner, not to exceed two
thousand (2000) acres, to use, sell, or hold the same; and
shall have the further right, with the consent of the board
of supervisors of Chesterfield county, to use as a road-bed
for said railway, a portion or side of the road known as

the Manchester and Petersburg turnpike, which portion of
3aid turnpike shall be selected by the board of super-
visors, or to select any other route as to the stockholders
and directors of said company may seem advisable, and
which may hereafter be selected: provided, that under
the power to condemn for right of way, hereinafter given,
the said company shall not condemn a strip parallel with
the James river front, nearer than one-half a mile thereof,
between Whitby and Warwick wharf.

8. The company may acquire by condemnation, accord-
ing to the laws of Virginia, the lands required for the
necessary stations, depots and power plants for its opera-
tion, not to exceed two acres at any one point, and should
it not use the turnpike as a road-bed, the right of way of
not exceeding one hundred feet in width for its railway,
subject to the provisions mentioned in the preceding sec
tion. |

4, Said company shall have the right to build bridges at
Mayo’s island over James river, and such streams as may
be. necessary for its railway, and may acquire by condem-
nation or purchase, the lands necessary therefor, or to
contract with corporations or managers of bridges span-
ning said streams, for the use of such bridges, and with
the consent of the city councils of Richmond and Man-
chester, may use such streets as may be agreed upon by
said councils.

5. The said company shall have the right to use steam,
compressed air, electric, or other motive power, as the
directors may deem necessary or advisable.

6. The said company shall have perpetual succession,
and have power to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded,
defend and be defended in all courts, whether in Jaw or in
equity, and may make and have a common seal, and alter
and renew the same at pleasure, and shall have, possess
and enjoy all the rights and privileges of a corporation or
body politic in the law, and necessary for the purposes of
this act.

7. The capital stock of said company shall not be less
than fifty thousand dollars, and may, from time to time,
be increased to any amount not exceeding one million
dollars, by issue and sale of shares, preferred or common
stock, or both, upon such terms and conditions, and under
such regulations as the board of directors shall prescribe,
the par value of which shall be one hundred dollars; and
the directors may receive cash, labor, material, bonds,
stocks, real or personal property, in payment of subscrip-
tions to the capital stock, at such valuation as may be
agreed upon between the directors and subscribers, and
may make such subscriptions payable in such manner and
amounts, and at such times as may be agreed upon with
the subscribers; and whenever five hundred shares shall
have beeen subscribed, and the sum of ten thousand dol-
lars paid in cash, the subscribers, under the direction of
any five of the incorporators hereinbefore named, who
shall be subscribers, may organize said company by elect-
ing a president and board of directors and providing for the
selection of such other officers as may be necessary for the
control and management of the business and affairs of
the company; and shall have and exercise all the powers
and functions of a corporation under their charter and
the laws of the state.

8. The said company may borrow money and issue and
sell its bonds, from time to time, for such sums. and on
such terms as its board of directors may deem expedient
and proper for any of the purposes of the company, and
may secure the payment of said bonds by mortgages or
deeds of trust upon all or any portion of its property,
real, personal or mixed, its contracts and privileges, in-
cluding its franchise to be a corporation, and it may, as
the business of the company shall require, sell, lease,
convey, and encumber the same.

9. The said company may subscribe to and hold shares
in the capital stock of any other corporation, and may
sell and dispose of its own stock or any other stock owned
by it in any other corporation.

10. The company is authorized and empowered to lo-
cate, construct, equip and operate any lateral or branch
roads or tramways, not exceeding fifteen miles in length,
which a majority of its stockholders may determine upon,
and by such route or routes as may be selected by its
board of directors; and such company may unite or con-
nect its road with that of any other company or compa-
nies, or consolidate, absorb, or merge its stock, property
and franchises with and into any other company or com-
panies operating or authorized to operate a connecting
railway or railways, upon such terms and under such
name as may be agreed upon between the companies so
uniting, or connecting, merging, or consolidating; and for
that purpose, power is hereby given to it, and to such
other company or companies, to make and carry out such
contracts as will facilitate and consummate such connec-
tion, merger, or consolidation, or any lease of sale: pro-
vided that acopy of every such contract of consolidation
and merger be filed in the office of the board of public
works.

11. The said company shall be required to commence
the construction of its railway within two years from the
passage of this act, and to complete not less than fifteen
miles of the same, including any branches authorized by
law, within five years thereafter; otherwise, the powers,
privileges and franchises hereby granted shall be void.
12. The principal office of said company shall be in
Richmond or Manchester.

13. Each stockholder in the company shall, at all meet-
ings or elections, be entitled to one vote for each share of
stock registered in his name; and the president and board
of directors of said company may enact such by-laws,
rules and regulations for the management of the affairs
of said company as they may deem proper and expedient.

14. The board of directors shall be stockholders of said
company, and shall consist of such number as the stock-
holders may determine upon, and shall be elected at the
stockholders’ annual meeting, to be held on such days as
may be named in the by-laws of the company, and shall
continue in office for the term of one year from and af-
ter the date of their election, and until their successors
shall have been elected and accepted the duties of their
office, and they shall elect one of their number president;
and in case of the death, resignation, or incapacity of
any member of the board of directors during his term of
office, the said board shall elect his successor for the un-
expired term.

15. Any county, town or city along the line or at the
termini of said railway, may, pursuant to the general
laws of Virginia, subscribe to the capital stock of said
railway company, and the company is authorized to ac-
cept the same.

16. Whenever the corporation shall exercise any of the
privileges conferred upon them by this act, it shall be lia-
ble to the same taxes as may be imposed by the law upon
other corporations or persons exercising like privileges;
and all taxes due the commonwealth by said company,
shall be paid in lawful money of the United States, and
not in coupons.

17. No stockholder in said company shall be held lia-
ble or made responsible for its debts and liabilities in a
larger or further sum than the amount of any unpaid
balance due to said company for stock subscribed for by
said stockholder.

18. This act shall be in force from its passage, but the
general assembly of the state of Virginia reserves to it-
self the right to alter or repeal this act at any time here-
after.