Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1867-03-13
The Free Railroad Law.

The Free Railroad law came up rol
consideration ard final passage. The 20.
sition of this bill has been as fo!lows:-
Various Senators from the western and
central part of the State have for ;wo
years past urged the passage OF law al
lowing any person willing to furnish The
money to build railroads anywhere in
Pennsylvania Under the auspices Of
these gentlemen q bill was prepared. The
friends of this bill being in the minori,y
a new act vas presented, with the sane
title, by the majority, This new act vas
rejected and opposed by the western md
central Senators as not being sufficiently
liberal, but was passed by vote of The
majority, as below. The bill as passe. is
in substance as follows: &
The frs. section authorizes any numOcr
of citizens, not less than nine, to clu-
struct and operate steam railway, villa u
capital stock net less than $4,000 per
mile, and not less than six nor more than
twelve directors The preliminary agree
ments must be acknowledged before al
alderman, and filed in the Office OF the
Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the
company shall have power to hold such
estate, make such by-aws, &c, as are in
cident to the business Of corporation.
The second section prohibits the See
retary of the Commonwealth from filing
the agreements until $4,000 Of stock for
every mile of road has been subscribed,
and ten per cent. thereon paid in cash,
and three of the directors have testified
that it is intended to construct the road
in good faith. The stockholders Of the
company shall be individually liable to the
amount of their stock for the payment Of
wages of labor, materials, right of way,
and damages,
The remaining thirteen sections pro-
vide in substance that the articles Of as
sociation shall be evidence of the exist
ence OF the company, that the directors
may keep open books and fill up the cap
ital stock that the corporation shall he
liable to the provisions of the general
Railroad Law of 1913; that ID charge
shall be made for transporting coal, iron.
metal, timber, or agricultural products ex-
ceeding two cents per mile in private cars,
or two and a half cents per ten per mile
in the cars of the company; that no pub.
lie highway shall be used without the
authority of the local government; that
the corporation must file map of its
route in the Office Of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, and proceed with the
construction within reasonable time or
forfeit the location; that the stockholders
may increase the capital stock that the
directors may borrow not exceeding $780,
600 per mile and issue per cent. bonds
secured by mortgage that tine company
may build any branch roads deemed ne
cessary; that the Legislature may impose
taxes upon the corporation from time to
time, and may amend, repeal or modify
the charter; and that nothing herein con-
tanned shall authorize the construction Of
any city passenger railroads.
The vote on the fnal passage of the
above was--aves, q nays, 4.
sThosc voting aye we're, Messrs. Killing.
fed, Brown Mercy, Barnett, Coleman,
Council, Cow!es, Davis, Donovan, 6latz,
Haines, Jackson, James, Landon, McCan
dless, McConaughy, Randall, Ridgway,
Rover, Schall, Shoemaker, Stutzman,
TAYLOR, Wallace, Walls, White, Worth
NJ gton and Hall (Speaker).
Those voting nay were, Messrs, Bigham
and Graham (Allegheny), Lowry (Erie),
and Brown CLawrence).
Absent Fisher and Searlght.