, 1864-05-30
OFFICIAL.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES
Passed At the First session Of the Thirty
Eighth Congress.

An Acr to incorporate the Union Gaslight Com
pany Of the District Of Columbia.
Be Il enacted BY tie Senate and House Of Rep.
resentdtIres Of tie United States Of Ameried in
Congress assembled, That Sayles J. Bowen, Will
liam Elmer, William Bates, Robert W. Mibank,
Andrew N. Kinney, William II. Baldwin, z. d.
Gilman, d. Y. Forney, $. P. Brown, John Green,
and Gamaliel Gay, and their associates and as
signs, be and they are hereby created body
corporate, under the name Of "The Union Cas-
light Company Of the District Of Columbia,
with authority to manufacture and sell gas, tO
be made Of coal, ziT c, OIL tar, pitch, peat, tur.
pc. tine, or other material, and TO be used in
lighting the city Of Washington and the streets
tuersoi, and any buildings, manufactures, or
houses therein situated, and to lay mains and
pipes Tor tile purpose Of conducting gas IN any
VI the avenues, streets, lanes, or alleys Of the
sad city: PROVIDED, hOsrerer, That the said
company snail 80 conduct the manufacture. and
lay said mains aud pipes, as not 70 CRATE q
nuisance or Injure either private or public pro.
pertv: And provided, further. That the said
mains and pipes shall be laid subject to such
conditions and 10 compliance with such regula
tons as may he prescribed BY the municipal
authorities u the city Of Washington; aud the
tikub w VItCb oho gntoOuni auy OuHAIISSO ap-
parAtus, or machinery loW the manufacture Oi
gas, saRi be subject to such regulations aud
rGslr'ctIOns Is may be froia Il ne to time PIE
scrbed Oy the said municipal authorities oi
Washington.
Sec. !. And be 10 further enacted, hat th,
capital stock Of the said company snal not bs
less tnan nvI hundred thousand uOr more than
one mi,llon dollars, aud tnat the said stuck shall
.IsvtA..k inR., .f. k,,uIn..,l
each, and shall bs deemed personal property
aud DO lransie able in such manner rs the by.
laws VI "a company may direct.
See. 3. dad BE- IL further enacted, That with
in six days after this act is approved by the
President OF the United States, the corporators
named in the tirst section, or majority Of them,
or, IL any refuse or neglect To act, then q ina
jortY Of tho others, shall cause books Oi sub
scription 10 the capital stock Of said company
to os opened aud kept open in some convenient
place in the city Of Washington, from nine
O'Clock 10 the forenoon to three o'clock in the
aiter'"r Or period Of not less than three
days. aud as much longer as the said corpora.
tors shall prescribe, aud the said corpOrators
shall give public nouce Of tho time aud place
Of opening said books u subscription, by advsr.
tisement thereof 10 the daily papers published
in the city Of Washington, aud subscribers to
the capital stock Of said company shall b. held
TO be stockholders: ProvideSi, That every sub.
scrIbcr shall pay, at the time OF subscribing,
twenty Eve per centum Of the amount subscribed
by hun 10 the treasurer who shall b. appointed
by the sail corpurators To receive the samr, OF
his subscription shall BE- null and v'id.
Sec. 4. And be n further enacted, That when
tie minimum amount OF Tie capital stock oil
said company, as prescribed In the second Sec
ton, shall have been sul,scr bed, and twenty.
i've per centnm thereof paid as aforesaid, the
said eorporainrs, or q majority Of them, and in
case any refuse TO act, then q majority Of the
others shall, within llllsen days thereafter, call
tho trst meeting Of the stockholders Of said
company, to DO held at some convenient place
Ia the city Of Washington, for the election oI
directors, Of the time and place whereof notice
shall be given TOR at least Eve days In at least
two daily newspapers published 10 the city oi
Washington, or by written notice thereof, sign d
BY one or more Of said corporators, and per.
sonally served on each stockholder; and In all
meetings Of the stockholders each. share shall
entitle the holder TO one vote. to be given either
To person or BY proxy.
Sec. 5. And be IL further enacted, That The
government and direction OF the Affairs Of the
company shall be vested 10 the board Of diiec.
tors, composed Of seven members, who shall be
stockholders, and who shall hold their oflca ioi
the term Of one year, and until others are duly
elected and qualified TO take their places a
directors; and the said directors shall elect one
Of their number TO be president Of the beard,
who shall also DO president Of the company,
and q majority Of the board shall const tutO q
quorum 70 do business; and they shall chooss
a treasurer, who shall give bond with sufficient
surety 70 said company, In such sum as the said
directors may require, for the faithful discharge
Of his trust In case Of Q vacancy In the board
Of directors BY death, resignation, rrmoval,
refusal to act, Or otherwise, the vacancy occa
stoned thereby shall be illled BY the other
directors
Sec. 9. ARd Dc L further enacted, That there
shall be an annual meeting Of the Stockholders,
for the election Of directors, 10 be held at such
tune and place, aud under such rules and reeu.
lations. as the Eaid enmIany IN their bylaws
snail prescribe. and the dir ctors shall make an
annual report In writing Of their proceedings 10
the storkhulders.
Sec. Z. Aad b it further saaeisd, That the
directors shall have fun power 10 make al sueh
bylaws as they shall deem necessary for the
regulation, management, and disposition Of the
stuck, enects and property Of the said CON.
pany, and ior the proper execution Of the busi-
nes- Of the company, 70 as the same shall NIT
B contrary 70 this charter, 70 the hws of tht
Uail d StS 6, or 70 the ordinances Of the city
o Wasiingtm.
Sc. =. And Do it further sRacted, That no.
thug IN thin act shall be 70 construed as TO au.
thar'ze the said company 10 issue any note,
oxen, device, scrip. or other evidence Of debt
10 b. used ~ Q currency.
Sec. 0. dad Be it further enacted That u
any person or prrsnns shall wiliully destroy or
10 anywisc iljuFe the mains, pipes, apparatus,
o. otter works. property, or anpurIennures be-
longing TO and used By aald company IN manu-.
iactnrine gas Or 10 furnishing the sims TO con-
sumers iheruof the person Or persons % Offend
lag shall for every such offence, forfeit and pay
70 the said company the sum Of live dollars and
shall, Ia addition 70 said penalty, remain liable
% said company for any loss or damage occa
stoned By the offence.
SIC. 10. And BE- Il further enacted, That The
said company Is hereby incorporated upon the
express conditions that Il shall furnish gas to
aL the consumers thereof containing fifty per
eentum more Illuminating power than that
which is now furnished BY the Washington
Gaslght Company and At cost not exceed.
ing two dollars aud tiliy cents per thousand
cubic feet; and failure 10 comply with these
conditions shall operate as fgfsi,ure Of this
charter. ~ - :,
See. II. And b IL further snaasd, That the
said company shall not be authorizsd to sell eas
until i shall have produced y the N .yor Of the