722 THIRITIETH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 96 1848. Hill for a steam- Florida, in the month of April, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight, while
- >°¤P¤“"k ,2** ‘£° in the service of the United States, as represented by them, by reason
05,,,:,,; of her bottom being eaten through by the worms which infest those
&c. waters, and which was prevented from being repaired after she had been ascertained to have been seriously injured, and application had been made for her relief to the officer under whose command she was, in consequence of the exigency of the public service; and that the said Secretary, on finding the facts aforesaid to be true, pay the said Stalker and Hill whatever damage they may have sustained by the loss of the steamboat aforesaid, estimating the value of the said steamboat not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars, and deducting therefrom what, in his judgment, it would have cost to overhaul and repair the said steamboat at the time application was made to take her to Charleston for repairs, including the expense of taking her there, and the value of the engine saved from the wreck of said steamboat; and that the said Secretary be authorized to take additional evidence upon any or all of the points arising in the case, if deemed necessary. Arvaovnn, July 5, 1848. jujy gl 1g4g_ CHAP. XCVI. —- An Act to incorporate the Washington Gas Light Company. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives af the Vvashington United States of America in Congress assembled, That John F. Callan, §;:yI]'§§;r;)‘;;: Jacob Bigelow, B. B. French, W. H. Harover, M. P. Callan, W. A. ed. Bradley, and W. H. English, and their present and future associates, are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of the “Washington Gas Light Company," and by the same name shall have perpetual succession, and shall be able to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, in all courts of law and equity in the District of Columbia and elsewhere; and to make and have a common seal, and the same to break, alter, and renew at pleasure; to ordain and establish such by-laws, ordinances, and regulations, and generally to do every act and thing necessary to carry into elfect this act, or to promote the objects and design of this corporation. €¤pi¢¤I stock Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, 'I`hat the capital stock of this
°x°°°d corporation shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars; that a share in tho
i same shall be twenty dollars; and books of subscription to the said capital stock, or to such portions thereof as from time to time may, by the directors for the time being, be deemed proper and necessary, shall be opened by the appointment or under the direction of the directors hereinafter named, subject to such rules, limitations, and conditions, as by them shall be prescribed; and the stock of the said corporation shall be deemed personal property. g\ff¤irs, &c-,_¤f Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the stock, property, and affairs
- g’€c,$]°;‘;]pg;‘,§‘[,;; of the said corporation shall be managed and conducted by or under
tive directors- the direction of Five directors, being stockholders; that the said gg2h;?;; are *0 directors shall hold their offices for one year from the second Monday, °and shall be elected on the first Monday in January, in each year, at such time and place in the city of Washington as a majority of the directors for the time being shall appoint; and that notice of such election shall be published in at least two of the public newspapers printed in the city of Washington, at least fourteen days previous to the time of holding such election; and every such election shall be by ballot, and by such of the stockholders who shall attend for that purpose, either in person or by proxy; and each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of the stock which he or she may have held in his or her own name for at least fourteen days before the time of voting; and the persons having the greatest number of votes
