362 THIB.TY—EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 216. 1864. sonable compensation for their time actually employed as the board of directors may decide. Npxt election Sec. 14. And be it further enacted, That the next election for directors °f d"°°t°“‘ of said railroad shall be held on the first Wednesday of October next, at the office of said company in the city of New York, between the hours' of ten o’clock a. m. and four o’clock p. m. of said day; and all subsequent _ R€€¤l¤¤ elw- regular elections shall be held annually thereafter at the same place; and mus' the directors shall hold their offices for one year, and until their successors are qualified. Sec. 15. And be itfurt/ter enacted, That the several companies autho- Roads and rlzed to construct the aforesaid roads are hereby required to operate and
- °1°g“*Ph *° l’° use said roads and televraph for all purposes of communication, travel,
used as one con- . ° . 5,,,,,,,,, ;,,,,,_ and transportation, so far as the public and the government are concerned, as one continuous line ; and, in such operation and use, to afford and sccure to each equal advantages and facilities as to rates, time, and transportation, without any discrimination of any kind in favor of the road or business of any or either of said companies, or adverse to the road or business of any or either of the others, and it shall not be lawful for the proprietors of any line of telegraph, authorized by this act, or the act amended by this act to refuse, or fail to convey for all persons requiring the transmission of news and messages of like character, on pain of forfeiting to the person injured for each offence, the sum of one hundred dollars, and such other damage as he may have suffered on account of said refusal or failure, to be sued for and recovered in any court of the United States, or of any state or territory of competent jurisdiction. Companies _ Src. 16. And be it further enacted, That any two or more of the comg§g£° °°"s°h' panics authorized to participate in the benefits of this act, are hereby authorized at any time to unite and consolidate their organizations, as the Mods or pro- same may or shall be, upon such terms and conditions, and in such man- °°‘lu'€- ner as they may agree upon, and as shall not be incompatible with this act, or the laws of the state or states in which the roads of such companies may be, and to assume and adopt such corporate name and style as they may agree upon, with a capital stock not to exceed the actual cost of the roads so to be consolidated, and shall tile a copy of such consolidation in the Department of the Interior; and thereupon such organization, so formed and consolidated, shall succeed to, possess, and be entitled to receive from the government of the United States, all and singular the grants, benefits, immunities, guarantees, acts, and things to be done and performed, and be subject to the same terms, conditions, restrictions, and requirements which said companies respectively, at the time of such consolidation, are or may be entitled or subject to under this act, in place and substitution of said companies so consolidated respectively. And all other provisions of this act, so far as applicable, relating or in any manner appertaining to the companies so consolidated, or either thereof; shall apply and be of force as to such consolidated organization. And in case upon the completion by such consolidated organization of the roads, or either of them, of the companies so consolidated, any other of the road or roads of either of the other companies authorized as aforesaid, (and forming, or intended or D€CBSS31'y to form, a portion of a continuous line from each of the several points on the Missouri River, hereinbefore designated, to the Pacific coast,) shall not have constructed the number of miles of its maid road within the time herein required, such consolidated organization is hereby authorized to continue the construction of its road and telegraph in the general direction and route upon which such incomplete or unconstructed road is hereinbefore authorized to be built, until such continuation of the road of such consolidated organization shall reach the constructed road and telegraph of said other company, and at such point to connect and unite therewith; and for and in aid thereof the said consolidated organization may do and. perform, in reference to such portion of road and
