Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-23
THE RAILROAD LAW.
THIRTEENTH SECTION OUT.
Cammisis. First Resolve 20 Report tho Ban
with the Thirteenth section In, but Recon
sid'r and Vote ~ Down.

| yesterday morning and amended Mr..
Muniord's railroad commissioners bill
in several particulars rs-in the 18th
section IS TO some verbisge-and re-
solved to report it as follows:
/ A Biz TO SUBSTITUTE A BOARD or RAIL
| HoAp COMMISSIONERS FOR THE FRI sSr
! RAILnOAD COMMISSIONER OF THE STATE.
/ ANp bEfINiNG THE DUTIES ANp Powers
| 90 Such BOARD. AND REPEALTNG THE
! A,T OF MARCH 81. 1877. N REFERENCE
| TUTHE SAID CoWWissIoNER.
! Whereas railroads created under the au-
! ihoriiy Of the state are IN the nature or
| public highways and sbOud be- operated
/ for The interest and convenience Of The Peo-
/ pie as well as for the purposes OF private
| gain. and whereas 10 is the duty OF the Le-
1 gislature TO supervise the operati Ons OF such
/ railroads. ana prevent any unjust or dis
! eliminating charges on the one hand and
/ allow fair and reasonable profit on the
| other therefore.
l. b. v enacted 5U the General Assembly ~
] IvgBfd. That there shall be for this state
/ Hoard ~ i.allrOad Comm issiOners, con
! f'sUug O-Inree competent persons, one oi
/ u hpui shall be a man Of xperirnce IN rail-
/ road maifefs WHO shall be elected by the
! Joint vote nf the two houses OF the Gene raj
| ASS mbly. and whose term of Office shal
! commence or the lst day ~ March, 1855
/ Their regular term of Office shall be six
! years. b.. u those first elected under ihis
/ act one sisiil no Office two years one four
/ years. and one six years so Rs 70 have an
| election OF one Of said commission every
| two yearA.
2 said Board shall have q clerk. to be ap-
I pointed by themselves. who snail keep a
| faithful record of the proceedings Of said
| Hoard, serve notices. and perfOrN such
/ other oiilcal dut ies as may he required OF
| him by the BORrd.
/ B.. No person snail hold the Office OF COM
I missioner or clerk VINO is IN the employ
mcnt, directly or indirectly. OF q rRilroal
/ corpora lion or who OWNS or Is Interested
! directly o. indirectly in any stock. bonds,
] or other securities Of any such corporation.
end each 81 81 4 officers shall take an oatn
I 20 that effect. in addition 20 tine usual oath
Of Office before entering upon the discharge
I OF his duties and sucn paths including the
usual Oa IA OF office. Eual De taken and sub
scribed before aud filed Ia the o.iice OF the
/ secretary a. lie Commonwealth
4 one % the members OF the said Road
. 90 he designated by the General Assem- bly,.
shall be the president thereof and shall az
i tend regular $ ct the Office OF the said Board
. during bus ness hOuiE. when not elsewhere
engaged upon bis Official business and shall
' be esp, c'ally charged with the business and
duties OF the Hoard, inc ud ing tue col election
. of statistics and information attention 10
correspondence. investigation, aud other
. Ike matters.
3. Regular sess .ons o. the said Board shall
/ be had az Their Office a. least once every
I lUNNNis commencing ar hNHi ldFS as the
I Board shai. FIX. and special session. may be-
I had r. any time on cal o. the pres dent or
any two members. upon notice bv mail aud
such sessions shall occupy AT least sixty
/ DAYS iu each wear. and { shall be the dlty
. Of al the members 10 attend upon such ses-
slOL- PROV idei. however. tust for PURPOSES
~ invest cation Or hearing evidence the
Board may meet elsewhere than al their
said Office. Tie records of the said Board
slaI be- kept .u sucu Office winch shall be
iu the city ~ Richmond.
o. TIE board may employ temporarily an
accountant skilled n the methods Of r,,ll-
road accom-. <. who shall under T. @ .rrc-
. tou. tAurilie ile methods by winch the
account, Of Corporations opera ING "a roads
are btIt so Tar as 20 may D- necessary tD
GO p 'rt f-r Dh. Gets ~ fhiH bin. ana ma
a',pcn p.oy sIl utuerexperf wuOse services
'ney may deem 20 %" MppUriiy of M
:. Tie Hoard shall have general super,i.
on OF al Do roads iu THIS -tate opera ..I
bS steam aHi snail exam u- the sa me and
+ Keep tIeMssIfrs Informed as % the con lie
ton ~ al such ra roads and tsp-r. aIiv as
7 Osurh matters a. are specified iu the tenth
/ section OF This act.
=. livery uiroad corporation shall a. all
times ON res uest. furnish o. the board any
information r.Iu u.red by lt concerning the
cOud ton operation. and management of
such corporation. and part lcu'ar.y copies OF
all leases. contracts and agreements with
telegraph ana express or OtLer ira uspOrta-
tl0I COM pan f- 100 " LtI'tI pr IIlAN Tee DANfN
q. livery such corporation shall. at least
once every year, and at on other time.
when ft.urs 81 by the Board furnish such
Board with Ne schedules sud tme-ta bIcs
and al Iis rates o. charges for transport
iIL freight and Passengers. inc I'd NJ IL
thrOul h-rates for terminaI points with q o.
beyond the jim Is Of the state and us Local
rates for all points within tine state. and iu-
clud Ig also statement % all rebates or
discounts allowed upDu Su"n rates as 10
any ffDIrff O. class ff.fgFfA ira fte rprf eN
over IFS me or part thereof aud also iu-
cludiug tie terms upon which - prOHtrs
with all connecting lines ot railroad iu
charges for iie.g.t and passengers trans
ported by 10 and such other line OF lines Of
IairOad.
10. The sad hoard shall. by an examina.
ton made nT one or more Of Us members.
OF hy sucu other Information a. 10 may be
u their power tO obtain as rertain and keen
themselt es informed as tO the following
matters,
Inst The phys. s.cai condition ofevery such
railroad including rs rOad.hei. track.
Dr dges. and other structures with refer
enCe tn tie saIety and convenience of the
public using the same.
second. The condition and amount Of It's
foIIinE-stOck and equipments and whether
tl e same p sufficient. and ~ such a charac-
teT a. Too AFFORD reasona bic and safe accom-
mOdatpus 20 the public aud people along
.is line IN Tie matter D! frcigut and passcn.
gei traffic.
lE4ftls flf ttAfA4ihl J fOAQa' n nNi rfHf=
actcr - IL stations aud depOts, their lis
taBce from each other and whether they
are 30 located. cOustructed and managed
~ 20 afford reasonable and convenient ec-
commodatiOus 90 the public and peOpie
along Is .ine.
Fourth Whether or uot any u the rates
charged by such corporation, In any OF rs
freight or passenger business upon Us line.
OF any part thereof. are une luai, uu ust.
discru- mating unreasonable, or eXtOrtiOn-
ate.
Flrn. Whether or not two ra a.lroads
which rom their IOcatiOn might convent
emily &c uneot with each other. DO SO con
meet and whether connecting lines Of rail-
road are SO arranged and managed a. 20
properly promote the interest and convent
eucv OF the public, either a. 10 time tables
or otherwise.
sixth. Whether any such corporation
'Oes pf does not transport Wltn reasonable
pTOmptne-s freight entrusted 90 10.
seventh. Vine hex scts uuIeasonab y or
Url Justly towards TIE public or 'Owards pep-
pc a.oug ts lile IN amy Of its transactions
or operations.
Fghth. Whether 90 does or does not "a 70
proper precautions 100 the running II Jos
ira ns for Tie safety and convenience Of tl-
public or ~ the people alOn- It's line. OF ~
The protection % ineir property.
Ninth. Whether or not every such cor
uuraflOn comp ies or has compiled " tu 'he
VrOFls ous a. .fs charter and with the gene
raj laws Of th- lOWuOnW "a tu applicable
% sLcn corporations.
II me Board slal. b.. o. opinion that there
il any cause o. cumpla m against such cor.
pUratOu or corporations which should be
Investigated. ~ that any change. aitera-
ton or Improvement should be- had n re-
ference to any o. the matters above spec.-
led. they snail make speria. examination
Of the same. after having nrst given notice,
IN writing, such corporation or cOrpOra-
tons.
II. The mayor or council or trustees Of
any town or city, or the Iudge or board OF
and frechOlderA Of any county, or city. Ger
tined 10 be sucl by the clerk or udge Of the
county or corporation court thereof may
make complaint snd application IN writing
10 sad Board 10 reference 20 any Of the
matters specified in the preced ing SECT iOn,
and thereupOu the said Board shah ma k q
special examination, a. aforesaid. u the
matters complained OF, after giving notice
as Aforesaid,
u. lIupOu any special eNaminatlOn men,
toned IN the two preceding sections the
Board is OF opinion that any cause Of com.
Tlaint exists against any such corporation
or corporations, they snal 30 adj udge, and
shall give notice thereof 20 such corpora
ton or corporations, together with any
changes alterations. notifications, i'm
pTovements, or precautions recon mend
ed by them. II sucn corporation or cOrpO-
TatiOns shall "a or neglect 20 comply with
any such ad Indication or recommendation
OF the hoard within sixty days after notice
thereof shall have been given, the hoard
shall report such al udication or recon-
mendatiOu. with their reasons therefor. 70 |
the next meeting OF the General Asse moly,
and with such report also recon mend sucn
legislation II any may be needed, % corr
rect the cause of complaint; OF II the cause
% complaint be such matters as may De
"a sd Tgupu and corrected bv the courts OF |