| AN ACT |
| |
| To provide for the more effectual and speedy
transportation of freight and travel through the cities of Richmond
and Petersburg |
| |
| Passed February 1st, 1862 |
| |
| Be it enacted by the General
Assembly, that the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac railroad
company and the Richmond & Petersburg railroad company, or either
of them, is hereby authorized to extend their roads, or either of
them, through the city of Richmond, so as to connect with each other,
and that the Richmond & Petersburg railroad company and the
Petersburg railroad company, or either of them, is hereby authorized
to extend their roads, or either of them, through the city of
Petersburg so as to connect with each other, and to use such
connections for all their purposes of transportation in like manner as
the rest of their road; Provided, however, that in making said
connections, or either of them, they shall not interfere with or use
the line of the connections heretofore made by authority of the
Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate forces in this State, without
his consent thereto: And provided further, that the government of the
Confederate States and the State of Virginia shall be authorized to
use said connection, made by said companies, in the transportation of
troops, munitions of war, and all military supplies, in the same
manner and upon the terms prescribed for the use of the railroads of
said companies or either of them, as no established, or may be
hereafter prescribed by law. |
| Be it further enacted, that
in order to enable the said companies to make the extensions of their
roads herein provided for, it shall not be necessary to obtain the
assents of either of the cities herein mentioned to carry out the
objects and provisions of this act, but they are hereby authorized
immediately to enter upon and occupy any real property, public or
private, which may be needed to make said extensions, any law
heretofore passed to the contrary, notwithstanding, and to have the
same condemned: The amount of any damages for entering upon and
occupying any real property, to be ascertained as now provided for by
law, with regard to corporations generally: Provided, however, that
now dwelling house shall be taken for the purposes aforesaid, without
the consent of the owner thereof. As soon as a route is located for
either of the connections authorized by this act, through either of
the said cities, notice thereof shall be given by the company making
it to the Common Council of such city, who, if they object to such
location, may apply within ten days thereafter to the Board of Public
Works to change the same, and said Board, if requested by the Common
Council, shall cause surveys to be made to ascertain the
practicability of making said connection by a route outside the limits
of said city; and if, upon such surveys and other evidence, the Board
shall be of opinion that a suitable connection can be made without
passing through the city, then said connection shall be made outside
the limits thereof, but if the Board shall be of opinion that said
connection ought to be made through the city, they shall cause the
same to be located by such route as, in their judgment, will answer
the purpose and cause the least injury to said city: Provided, that
before said connection shall be made through the city of Petersburg,
the company proposing to make it, shall obtain the consent of the
Confederate government to abandon the connection now existing through
said city as soon as the one herby authorized is completed, and when
completed such existing connection shall be no longer used: Provided
further, that the connections through the said cities of Richmond and
Petersburg shall be located with a grade sufficient for the
transportation by steam of freight and passengers, and be opened for
trade and travel simultaneously; and a failure to use or operate one
of said connections shall render it illegal to use or operate the
other. |
| The ordinances of the
Convention passed on the 24th and 26th days of June, 1861, so far as
the same revoke the right of either of said companies to connect the
said roads, and as far as the same are in conflict with this act shall
be, and the same are hereby repealed. |
| This act shall be in force
from its passage. |
| A copy from the Rolls. |
| Teste, Wm. F. Gordon, Jr., C. H. D. and K.
of R. |
|