and directors, or by the stockholders owning one-fourth of the whole stock of the company, by giving notice of the time and place of holding the same, as herein before directed with regard to the annual meeting, which said notice shall specify the particular object of the meeting; but that no business of the company shall be transacted at such special meetings, unless a majority in value of the stockholders attend and concur therein, who may require the books, accounts, and all other papers and proceedings of the company to be exhibited to them by the president and directors. 10. And be it enacted, That if, from any cause, any election Charter not herein before named, shall not be had at the time specified by this act, the same may be made at any other time on scribed. notice as aforesaid; and that until such election be had, the officers of the preceding year shall continue to hold their respective offices until others be elected in their stead; and that this charter shall not be defeated or avoided by reason of the irregularity or want of such election. void for failure to elect on day pre authorized road. 11. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for Company the said company to construct and make a turnpike road to make either three or four rods wide, from the town of Freehold, in the county of Monmouth, to the village of Smithville, in said county, which turnpike road shall be constructed. on and along the public highway leading from the said town of Freehold to the said village of Smithville; and that the width of said turnpike road shall be governed by the width of the public road upon which it may be made; provided, that before the said company shall construct the Proviso. said turnpike road aforesaid, along the highway aforesaid, they shall pay to the respective owners of the lands over which the said highway selected for constructing said turnpike upon, now passes, all damages which the said owners. will sustain by reason of the construction of said turnpike road; and in case the said company and any of said owners cannot agree upon the amount of said damages, then the said damages shall be ascertained and determined, as nearly as may be, in the manner hereinafter provided for, for ascertaining and determining the damage which any land Proviso. Description of road. Proceedings in case company and owners can not agree. owner or owners shall sustain by the taking of stone, gravel, or other material from his or her lands, for the constructing or maintaining of said turnpike road; provided also, that the said company shall have power to take only the right of way over the lands whereon the said road is to be constructed paying damages which the owners will sustain thereby, and the commissioners hereafter named if appointed, shall have power to assess damages for the right of way only. 12. And be it enacted, That the said turnpike road shall be constructed at least thirty-two feet in breadth along the middle, as near as may be, of the said highway, and shall be sufficiently arched and drained to make and keep the same dry, and at least sixteen feet six inches thereof shall be sufficiently bedded and faced with stone or gravel, to make a solid, firm, and even road, at all seasons of the year; and it shall be so graded that in its progress no part of said road shall rise above an angle of four degrees with the plane of the horizon; and the said company shall make good and sufficient bridges along the line of said road, not less than twenty feet in breadth; and whenever the said road, in passing over low ground, shall be raised so much at the margin or side, as to render carriages passing thereon liable to overset, the said company shall cause good and sufficient railings to be erected and maintained on the sides, so as to prevent horses and carriages from running off. 13. And be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said company, their officers, superintendents, engineers, and workmen, with carts, wagons, and other carriages, and with beasts of burden and draught, and all necessary materials, tools, and implements, to enter upon all lands contiguous or near to the route of said road, doing as little damage thereto as possible, repairing any breach they may make in the enclosures thereof, and to make all ditches and underdrains across and through such lands necessary for properly draining said road; and that when the said company or its agents cannot agree with the owner or owners of such required lands or materials, for the use or purchase thereof, or when, by reason of the legal incapacity or absence of such owner or owners, no such agreement can be made, a particular description of the land or materials so required for the use of the said company in the construction of said road, shall be given in writing, under the oath or affirmation of some engineer or proper agent of the company, and also the name or names of the occupant or occupants, if any there be, and of the owner or owners, if known, and their residence, if the same can be ascertained, to one of the justices of the supreme court of this state, or to one of the judges of the court of common pleas of the county of Monmouth, who shall cause the said company to give notice thereof to the persons interested, if known, and in this state, or if unknown or out of this state, to make publication thereof as he shall direct, for any term not less than twenty days, and to assign a particular time and place for the appointment of commissioners hereinafter named; at which time upon satisfactory evidence to him of the service or publication of such notice aforesaid, he shall appoint under his hand and seal, three disinterested, impartial, and judicious freeholders, commissioners, to examine and appraise the said land or materials, and to assess the damages, upon such notice to be given to the persons interested as shall be directed by the justice or judge making such appointment, to be expressed therein, not less than twenty days; and it shall be the duty of the said commissioners, having first taken and subscribed an oath or affirmation before some person duly authorized to administer an oath or affirmation, faithfully and impartially to examine the matter in question, and make a true report, according to the best of their skill and understanding, to meet at the time and place appointed, and proceed to view and examine the said lands or materials, and make a just and equitable estimate or appraisement of the value of the same and assessment of damages, to be paid by the said company for ⚫ such land or materials and damages aforesaid, and to make a report thereof, under the hands and seals of the said commissioners, or any two of them, and file the same within Rates of toll. ten days thereafter, together with the aforesaid description of the land or materials, and the appointment and oaths or affirmations aforesaid, in the clerk's office of the county of Monmouth, to remain of record therein, and shall be recorded by the said clerk; which report, or a copy thereof, certified by the clerk of said county, shall at all times be considered as plenary evidence of the right of said company, to have, hold, use, occupy, possess, and enjoy the said land or materials, after payment of the value and damages so assessed, and of the right of the said owner or owners to recover the amount of said valuation with interest and cost, in an action in any court of competent jurisdiction, in a suit to be instituted against the company, if they shall neglect or refuse to pay the same for twenty days after demand made of their treasurer, and shall constitute a lien upon the property of the company in the nature of a mortgage; and the said justice shall tax and allow such costs, fees, and expenses to the justice, commissioners, clerks, and other persons performing any of the duties prescribed in this section, as he shall think equitable and right, which shall in all cases be paid by the company. 14. And be it enacted, That as soon as the said company shall have constructed the said road in a workmanlike manner, according to the several directions in the twelfth section, and the true intent and meaning of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the said company to erect gates or turnpike across the said road, not exceeding three in number, and to demand and receive toll for travelling each mile and all fractions over half a mile of the said road, not exceeding the following rates, to wit: For every carriage, sleigh, or sled drawn by one beast, one cent. For every additional beast, one cent. For every horse and rider, or led horse or mule, five mills. calves, sheep, or hogs, or carriages of burden or pleasure, from passing through the said gates or turnpikes until they shall have paid the toll as above specified; provided, that Proviso. nothing in this act shall be construed so as to entitle the said company to demand or receive toll of or from any person passing to or from public worship on the Sabbath day, or to or from any mill to which he may usually resort for grinding of grain for his family's use; or horses, carriages, sleighs or sleds carrying persons to or from a funeral, or any person passing to or from his common business on his farm, or any militiaman passing to or from any training on a muster day appointed by law, or any other military officer or soldier, passing or repassing, when called to do duty by the laws of this state or of the United States. to be erect 15. And be it enacted, That before the said company shall Mile-stones receive toll for travelling said road, they shall cause mile- ed. stones or posts to be erected and maintained, one for each and every mile on said road: and on each stone or post shall be fairly and legibly marked the distance the said stone or post is from Freehold; and shall cause to be fixed and always kept up at the gates or turnpikes aforesaid, in some conspicuous place, a printed list of the rates of toll which may be lawfully demanded, and also a board, on which shall be printed in large letters, "Keep to the right, as the law directs." injuring 16. And be it enacted, That if any person shall wilfully Penalty for break, throw down, or deface any of the mile-stones or posts works." so erected on the said road, or wilfully tear down and deface any of the printed rates of toll or directions, or shall cut, break down, or destroy, or otherwise injure any gates, turnpikes, or bridges that shall be erected pursuant to this act, or shall forcibly pass the same without having paid the legal toll at such gates or turnpikes, such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty dollars, besides being subject to an action for damages for the same, to be recovered by the said company by action of debt or other proper action, in any court of competent jurisdiction, with costs of suit; and if any person, with his or her carriage, team, or 1 |