Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-05-06
Communications.
Unpublished by Request.l
The Washington city and Point
Lookout Railroad.

Having noticed that this Company. in the
advertisements Of its bonds and other wise
claimed - right to enter the National Capital
and HAVING more recent, seen the statement
that it had contracted with PARTIES from
Massachusetts to grade the road rom brandy
vine to Washington, aud our suspicious b.
ing excited that the latter, at this time, very
preposterous proceeding WAS intended simply
to bull the bonds Of said Company, we asked
a professional friend in Washington in whom
we had every confidence, 10 obtain and give
us correct information on this point, aud have
received from him the following communica-
tiou. which we lay before our readers without
further comment, than to suF gest 10 ANY one
Z contemplating an Investment Ira the bonds OF
this Company to look into the matter for
/ themselves and not rely too much upon pros
pcctuses and advertisements.
Mr.. Ehtor .-Touching the right Of the
Washington city and Point Lookout Railroad
Company 20 connect its road with the Nation
al Capital have Investigated the scope of its
corporate powers in this particular Theonlv
grants that ] have been able 10 discover arc
contained in two acts UfCongress. One Of
these is to be found at page 4i3 Of the 18th
statues at large; the other, at page pa Of Tie
18th. The first was approved January 22u1.
1873. and is entitled can act TO authorize thr
Washington City and Point Lookout Railroad
Company to extend u railroad into and with
in the District of Columbia This act. after
prescribing the route for the main line and
the general direction for branch uses the
following language 1T being expressly UNDER
stood that the said Washington City and
Point Lookout Railroad Company shall have
power to construct only one railroad within
the said District and also the said branch
road. By the seventh section it is provided
that unless the said company shall commence
the construction ofsaid road with two years
and complete the same, with at least one set
of tracks, within four years from the passing
of this act then this act and all rights and
privileges hereby granted shall cease and deter
mine.
The last was an act supplemental to the
above and conferred the right to euter the ii +
OF Georgetown, provided that Fall rights and
privileges herein conveyed to said conpany
shall cease aud determine, unless the SAID
I company complete its road hereby authorized
( 10 Georgetown, with at least one track within
three years from the passage of this act The
lutter was passed June oath 1874
1t IS claimed that this road, carly in the
present decade, actually constructed a line
which is l. s.d t. Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad
TO-, through the eastern part Of the District
II this be So. has it not exhausted the grant
which confined It 70 the h'ildng Of one ro7d
aud its hrlncn2 H. on the other hand This
was not the construction orall. which the COM
pdny Was empowered, by lis grants. tc build
aud il has never in fact completed the work
therein provided los. Tie conclusion is una
voidable that il hts no authority, now. to
proceed, since the charters expired by their
twn express limitation in 1917