Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-07-30
plank roads alleged not to be in proper orde

plank roads alleged not to be in proper order
and repair.
Sec. 127. And be it enacted, That corpora
tions for owning, constructing or operating, or
of owning, leasing, constructing and operating
a line or lines of telegraph through this State,
or from or to any point or points within this
State, or upon the boundaries thereof, may be
formed as hereinbefore provided.
Sec. 1913. And be it enacted, That such cor
poration may, with the consent of majority
of its stockholders, given in general meeting,
become the purchaser, assignee or lessee ofany
property within this State, of any telegraph
company or companies now existing, or which
may hereafter be incorporated, or may be doing
business within this State.
Sec. 129. And be it enacted, That it may
construct a line or lines of telegraph through
this State, or from or to any point or points
within this State, or upon the boundaries there
of, and along and upon any postal road or pos
tai routes, roads, streets and highways, or a
cross any Of the bridges or waters within the
limits of this State by the erection of the neces-
sary fixtures, including posts, piers or abut-
ments, for sustaining the cords or wires of such
lines without their being deemed public nui-
sance, or subject to be abated by any private
party; provided, the same shall not be construct
of said postal roads or postal routes, roads,
highways and bridges, or I'M juriously interrupt
the navigation of said waters, or as to interfere
with the convenience of any land owner more
than is unavoidable, and that this section shall
not be so construed as to authorize the construt-
ton of any bridge across any of the navigable
waters of this State but the said corporation
shall be responsible for any damages which any
person or corporation may sustain by the erec-
fiv1Io and Of cI1nl frxyf,r md
in any action brought for the recovery thereof
by the owner or possessor of any lands, the
damages to be awarded, may at the election OF
such corporation include the damages of allow
ing the said fixtures permanently to continue,
on payment of which damages, the right of the
corporation to continue such fixtures shall be
confirmed, as if granted by the parties to the
suit, provided that no person or body polite,
shall be entitled to sue for or recover damages
as aforesaid, until the said corporation, after
due notice, shall have failed or refused to re-
move, in reasonable time, the fixtures COM
planned of, or the president and directors of the
said corporation may apply to justice of the
peace of the county or city where such lnnds
are, who shall thereupon issue his warrant, di-
rected to the sheriff of said county or city, COM
manding him to summon twelve disinterested
persons, qualified to serve as jurors, to meet at
the proper place, as directed by said justice
and the sheriff shall qualify the said persons,
by oath or affirmation, faithfully to perform
the duties required Of them by the next sue
ceeding section.
Sec. 13O. And be it enacted, That the said
jury shall make just and equitable appraise-
ment of all the loss or damage that may be sus-
tafned by any person or corporation ON or over
whose lands or bridges said posts, piers or a
butments are intended to be placed, and shall
make true return and inquisition thereof in
writing under their hands and seals
Sec. 13l. And be itfenacted, That the sher-
if shall make return of the inquisition SO found,
to the clerk of the circuit court of the county,
who shall file the same and lay it before the
said court at its next session, and such inqui-
sition shall be confirmed by said court unless
good cause be shown to the contrary, and when
confirmed, shall be recorded by the clerk at the
expense of the corporation, but if set aside, the
said court may direct another inquisition to be
taken in the manner above prescribed; the val
uation of such loss or damage when paid or
rendered to the owner or owners of the proper
ty or his, her or their legal representatives,
shall entitle the said corporation to the ease
ment thus valued, as fully as if it had been con-
veyed to the said corporation by the owner or
owners of the same, and the valuation if not re-
ceived when rendered, may at any time there
after be received from the company without
costs, by the said owner or owners or his, her
or their legal representative or representatives.
Sec. I32. And be it enacted, That any such
corporation, formed as aforesaid, may after its
capital stock has been fully paid up, with the
consent Of the majority Of the owners of the
capital stock Of such corporation, given in gen.
eral meeting; extend their lines Of telegraph OF
may construct branch lines to connect with
their main line or may form new corporation
by uniting with another Incorporated telegraph
corporotion or corporations, with such name
and capital stock and upon such terms as may
be agreed upon between the said corporations,
and whenever such union as aforesaid is made,
a certificate of the said union and the particu-
lars thereof, shall be executed and acknowledge
ed by the president or other principal officers
OF said corporations so uniting, which said GER
tiicate shall be recorded in the Clerks office OF
the Superior Court of Baltimore city, if the
principal office of the said consolidated corpo-
rations is therein located, or in the Office of the
clerk of the circuit court of that county in
which said principal office is located, and when
said consolidated company is formed, it shall
be subject to the provisions of this article, SO
far as the same are applicable.
Sec. l33.. And be it enacted, That any per-
son, association or corporation owning any
telegraph line doing business within the State,
shall receive dispatches from and for other tel
from and for any individual, and shall trans
NIT such dispatches in the manner established
by the rules and regulations of such telegraph
lines, and in the order in which they are re-
eeived, with impartiality and good faith under
the penalty of one hundred dollars for every
neglect or refusal SO to do, to be recovered with
costs of suit, in the name and for the benefit OF
the person or persons sending or desiring to
send such despatch; provided, however, that
arrangements may be made with the proprie-
tors or publishers of newspapers for transmits
sion of intelligence of general and public inter-
est, for the purpose of publication, out Of its
order. ~, 9
Sec. l34. And be it enacted, That any per-
son who shall unlawfully and Intentionally in
jure, modest or destroy any of said lines, posts,
piers or abutmen.s, or the materials or proper
ty connected with the working of any telegraph
line, shall on conviction thereof be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by
fine not exceeding five hundred dollars. or
imprisonment in. the county or city Jail not ex-
ceeding one year, or both at the discretion of
the court before which the conviction shall be
had *"
Sec. l35. And be it enacted, That any per
son connected with any such corporation in this
State, either as clerk, operator, messenger, OF
in any other capacity, who shall wilfnlly di-
vulge the contents or the nature of the contents
of any private communication entrusted to him
for transmission or delivery, or who shall viii
fully refuse or neglect to transmit or deliver the
same, shall on conviction before any court, be
adjudged guilty Of a misdcmeanor, and shall
suffer imprisonment in the Jail in the county or