Chap. 168.—An ACT to incorporate the Charlotte and Prince Edward electric
railway and improvement company.

Approved February 15, 1901.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That B. P.
Eggleston, EK. F. Daniel, F. C. Thornton, J. R. Martin, W. G. Williams
and such other persons as may hereafter be associated with them, their
successors and associates, be, and they are, hereby constituted a body,
politic and corporate, to be known as the Charlotte and Prince Edward
electric railway and improvement company, and by that name shall have
perpetual succession, may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded in
all the courts of law and equity of this state, and may have, make and
use a common seal, and the same break, alter and renew or change at their
pleasure, and may make, ordain, establish, alter or amend by-laws, ordi-
nances and regulations concerning all matters of organization or busi-
ness herein specically provided for, as they may think proper, and gen-
erally may do other acts and things necessary to carry this act into effect,
or to promote the objects or welfare of this corporation: provided, that
such by-laws, ordinances and regulations be not inconsistent with the
laws of this state or the United States.

2. The said company is hereby empowered to promote, establish and
maintain the business of a general electric railway and internal improve-
ment company, and to erect, establish, maintain and operate and pur-
chase, Jease or sell a plant or plants in the towns of Smithville, Hamp-
den-Sidney and Farmville, and the counties of Charlotte and Prince
Edward, or in any other of the cities and towns of the state of Virginia,
and in the counties and villages of the said state, for the generation of
electricity and the supply of electric current for its own use, and for sale
to persons, natural or artificial, desiring to use the same for light, heat
or power, or for any and all other uses to which the electric current is
now, or may be at any time hereafter applied or applicable; and may
manufacture, use and sell, distribute and furnish the same for all said
purposes to any and all persons, parties and corporations desiring to
use the same, upon such terms as may be agreed upon between the con-
tracting parties; and to purchase, manufacture and sell all apparatus
and appliances used in connection therewith.

3. Tt may build, purchase, rent or otherwise acquire and maintain, and
operate in the streets, alleys, avenues and public highways of the said
towns of Smithville, Tampden-Sidney and Farmville, and the counties
of Charlotte and Prince Edward, or of any of the other cities, towns,
villages or counties in the said state, and in, over or under any of the
public waters of the state, subject, however, to the consent to or author-
ization of the location thereof by the municipal authorities of said cities
and towns, and to such restrictions, conditions and limitations as may
be imposed by such cities or towns when such location is authorized, and
subject to the consent to or authorization of the location thereof by the
county judges of the county courts of the several counties of the state
and the boards of supervisors thereof. who are hereby vested with the
power to grant such consent and authorization, within and through
which the poles, wires, sub-ways, underground conduits and submarine
cables and other electrical conductors of the said company may be con-
structed ; such or any line or lines of poles and wires and of underground
conduits or sub-ways, and submarine cables, or other conductors or con-
duits, for the carriage or support of electric wires, with the necessary
fixtures, stations, terminals, or other facilities connected therewith, as
may be necessary and suitable for the proper, free and convenient carry-
ing on of the business of the company; and the same may sell, lease and
otherwise dispose of, as the company may decm best; and said company
may take and acquire by purchase, lease or condemnation, according to
law, and may hold such real estate, not exceeding the amount hereinafter
limited and provided for, as may be found necessary and convenient for
the establishment, erection and maintenance of such lines of poles and
wires, and underground conduits and sub-ways and submarine cables, to-
gether with the necessary fixtures, stations, terminals or other facilities,
and for any other of the purposes and uses of the said company ; the mode
of condemning such real estate being the same, and the same powers being
hereby given to the officials and courts of this state, in such condemna-
tion, as are provided by the laws of Virginia for the condemnation of
lands by companies incorporated for works of internal improvement; but
the power to condemn is hereby limited to the acquisition of lands neces-
sary for the conveying of electricity to any corporate limits, and for the
right of way of its railway lines through the counties of the state; but no
power is hereby given to condemn land in any city.

4. The company may, for the purpose of generating electricity, utilize
steam and water-power, and any other available power, and in order sv
to do, may purchase, erect, maintain and operate, lease, sell and otherwise
dispose of, all the buildings, structures, factories, machine shops and’
machinery that may be necessary, convenient and suitable for the general
business of the company.

5. The said company may construct, own, lease, purchase, maintain
and operate, or sell electric railways in the said towns of Smithville,
Hampden-Sidney and Farmville, and the counties of Charlotte and
Prince Edward, or in any other of the towns, cities and counties of the
state of Virginia, and may take reasonable tolls for the transportation
of persons or property, and may construct, maintain, lease, own and
operate or sell bridges, viaducts, aqueducts of wood, stone, iron or other
suitable material for its uses or for the use of the public, and may take
tolls from persons or corporations using the same: provided, however,
that the municipal authorities of Smithville and Farmville, and of any
other incorporated city or town where those rights are to be exercised,
and the judges of the county courts and the boards of supervisors of
the counties, who are hereby vested with the authority so to do, shall first
consent to the location of the said railways to be constructed on the streets
and highways of the cities and through the counties within their re-
spective jurisdictions; and all lines of railway built by the said company,
or owned, controlled and operated by it, shall be at all times subject to
all restrictions, conditions and limitations of whatsoever nature which
may be imposed respectively by the municipal authorities of said cities
and towns, or by the judges of the county courts of said counties and
the boards of supervisors thereof, when such location is authorized, as
to so much of said railway as may be within the limits or jurisdiction of
said cities, towns and counties, respectively.

6. The capital stock of said company shall be not less than one hun-
dred thousand dollars, divided into shares of one hundred dollars each.
Subscriptions to the capital stock may be received by the corporators
herein named, or any three of them, at such time and place as they
may appoint, with or without public notice, as they may deem best, and
as soon as the minimum capital stock has been subscribed, the said sub-
seribers may organize as a corporation and proceed to the election of a
president and board of directors and such other officers as they may see
fit, and may adopt such by-laws and regulations as may be proper for
the management of the affairs of the company, and thereafter the said
company shall have power from time to time to increase its capital stock
by a majority vote of said stockholders, when it shall have lodged in
the office of the secretary of the commonwealth a certified copy of the
resolution authorizing such increase, and shall have paid into the treasury
of the state the tax upon such increase, as required by law. Subscrip-
tions to such increase in the capital stock of the said company may, from
time to time, be taken and received by the board of directors of said
company in such amounts as they may determine, with or without public
notice, as they may deem best. The entire capital stock of the said com-
pany may be issued as common or preferred stock, or part thereof com-
mon and part preferred, as the directors may determine. Subscriptions
to the capital stock of the company may be payable in money, land, labor,
services, materials, rights or other property, or in the capital stock of
other corporations of a like character, upon such terms and conditions
as may be agreed upon between said company and the subscribers.

%. The company hereby incorporated may acquire, by lease or purchase,
subscription to or purchase of its capital stock or otherwise, and use
and operate the works, property franchises, rights, privileges and immu-
nities of any other electric railroad company or companies or of any
company or companies incorporated for the purpose of manufacturing
or furnishing electricity to the public, having such power so to do in its
charter, and the company hereby incorporated may unite and consolidate
with such other company or companies upon such terms as may be agreed
upon between them, under its own name or the name of such other com-
pany, or any other name that the companies so consolidated may agree
upon. And power is hereby conferred upon such company or companies
to transfer, by sale or lease, their works, properties, franchises, rights,
privileges and immunities to the company hereby incorporated, or to
unite and consolidate with it upon such terms as may be agreed upon
between them. The consolidation and merger of such companies and the
organization of such consolidated company shall be deemed and taken as
final and complete, so soon as the agreement of such consolidation fixing
the name. terms and conditions thereof shall be lodged in the clerk’s
offices of the county courts of Charlotte and Prince Edward counties, and
the said consolidated company, under whatever name may be so agreed
upon, shal] thereupon be invested and clothed with all the power, rights,
privileges, franchises and properties of all of the companies so consoli-
dated. The company hereby incorporated shall have power to acquire
the stock, bonds and other securities of any company incorporated for
any one or more of the purposes for which this compdny is incorporated,
or engaged in conducting any business to be carried on by this company
or for which it is incorporated.

8. The.amount of real estate to be owned and held by the said com-
pany exclusive of its road-beds, canals and other rights of way shall not
exceed ten acres in each incorporated city or town, nor two hundred
acres in each county in the state of Virginia in or through which it may
operate.

9. The principal office of the company shall be in the town of Smith-
ville.

10. The company may dispose of the whole or any part of its property,
however acquired, by sale, lease or otherwise, may borrow money, may
issue bonds, either registered or coupon, and may secure the payment of
the same by mortgage or deed of trust upon the whole or any part of its
property, works, rights, franchises and privileges: provided, however,
that nothing in this act shall be construed as allowing or authorizing the
construction of a line of railway between the cities of Richmond and
Washington: and provided further, that nothing in this act shall be so
construed as to entitle said company to construct any street railway or
works on any street within the limits of the city of Norfolk, or the city
of Newport News, the town of Hampton, or the counties of Elizabeth
City, Warwick, or Norfolk.

11. Said corporation shall pay all taxes due to the state of Virginia
in lawful money of the United States and not in coupons.

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