SEC. 9. That said lands so granted shall vest in said company as each section of ten miles of said railway is graded, crosstied and ironed. 1897. When lands shall vest to company. Time allowed SEC. 10. That said company shall be required to complete at least twenty miles of the main line between Tallahassee and Archer, within two years from the passage of this act, to complete and the whole of the line between said points within four years from its passage. SEC. 11. This act shall go into effect immediately upon its passage and approval by the Governor. Approved June 5, 1897. line. CHAPTER 4614.-[No. 100.] AN ACT to Amend an Act Entitled "An Act to Grant Certain Lands to Aid in the Construction of the Fernandina Western Railway." Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: That Section 5 of an act entitled "An act to grant certain lands to aid in the construction of the Fernandina Western Railway," approved June 1, 1895, be amended so as to read as follows: Section 5. No rights shall vest under this act unless the construction of said railway shall be commenced by the first day of June, 1898, and completed by the first day of June, 1900. Approved May 24, 1897. Amendment. CHAPTER 4615-[No. 101.] AN ACT to Amend Section 2251. of the Revised Statutes of the Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: SECTION 1. That Section 2251, of the Revised Statutes of the State of Florida, be amended so as to read as follows: 2251. Companies incorporated by other States may construct or own lines in this State.-Any railroad or canal company already organized or hereafter to be organized under or 1897. Amendment. by virtue of the laws of any other State or Territory, desiring to extend or construct any part of the whole of its line or lines of railroad or canal in this State shall, upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State a copy of its charter or charters, be entitled to all the powers and the privileges, and be subject to all the liabilities enjoyed by and imposed upon domestic companies of the same nature. Whenever a railroad company organized under and by virtue of the laws of another State becomes the owner of a line of road already completed in this State, said railroad company, upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State a copy of its charter or reorganization, either before or after the passage of this act, shall be entitled to the said powers and privileges and subject to the said liabilities enjoyed by and imposed upon domestic companies of the same nature. Approved June 5, 1897. License tax on express companies. Penalty for violation of this act CHAPTER 4616-[No. 102.] AN ACT Requiring a Special License Tax to be Paid by Express Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: SECTION 1. That all express companies doing business in this State shall pay a license tax of $2,500.00 in lieu of all other license tax, either State, county or city. Any express company violating this provision, and any person that knowingly acts as agent for any express company before it has paid the above tax, payable by such company, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00, or confined in the county jail not less than six months. SEC. 2. That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act be and the same are hereby repealed. Approved June 4, 1897. CHAPTER 4617-[No. 103.] AN ACT to Extend the Time for the Completion of the Entire Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: SECTION 1. The time for the completion of the entire 1897. main line of the South American and International Railroad Time extended. is hereby extended to June 1, A. D. 1900. SEC. 2. All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. AN ACT to Give Unto The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Company the Power of Eminent Domain and the Right to Condemn Property Between Plant City, in Hillsborough County, Florida, and the City of Tampa, and the Waters of Hillsborough River and Hillsborough Bay, in Said County and State. Whereas, In 1888 The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Company was incorporated and organized as a corporation, under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Florida, for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and Preamble. operating a railroad for public use, in the conveyance of persons and property, and of maintaining certain other railroads, at that time constructed for like public use, through certain of the counties of the State of Florida, and extending into other States; and Whereas, In accordance with its articles of association and certain amendments thereto, it was intended to construct and maintain its railroad from Plant City, in the county of Hillsborough, State of Florida, to the city of Tampa, and the waters of Hillsborough river and Hillsborough bay in said County; and Preamble. Whereas, In accordance with such intentions, said line was constructed in the latter part of 1889, and during the early part of 1890 from said Plant City to the city of Tampa, Preamble. and the waters of Hillsborough river and Hillsborough bay, a distance of about twenty-three miles, which said line has ever since been maintained and in operation by said Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Company; and 1897. Power given to Whereas, Some doubt exists as to the right of said company to condemn property along its present route; therefore, Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: SECTION 1. That the Florida Central and Penisular Railroad Company is hereby given the power of eminent domain and the right to condemn property for its right of way from Plant City to the city of Tampa, and Hillsborough river and Hillsborough bay, in the county of Hillsborough, and State of Florida, said right of way to have a width not exceeding sixty feet, and said route and lands to be condemned to ex-: tend along its present location. SEC. 2. That this act shall take effect immediately upon its passage and approval by the Governor. Approved June 4, 1897. CHAPTER 4619-[No. 105.] AN ACT to Incorporate the Alafia, Manatee and Gulf Coast Railway Company. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: SECTION 1. That F. M. Loomis, G. T. Dickie and M. B. Harrison, of Florida, B. F. Myers, of Pennsylvania, and Augustus Shammo, of New York, their associates, successors and assigns, are hereby made a body corporate under the name of the Alafia, Manatee and Gulf Coast Railway Company with perpetual succession, for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad for the transportation of passengers, produce, goods and all other articles of freight, from a point at or near the town of Plant City, Florida, thence through portions of Hillsboro, Manatee, DeSoto and Lee counties, to a point on Charlotte Harbor in Lee county, a distance of one hundred and ten miles more or less, with such number of branches leading from said main line to other points in this State as the said railway company may desire to build, and by and under that name shall hold and enjoy such real and personal property as may be necessary and proper for the use and purposes of said company, and shall have the power to sue and be sued, and to have and use a corporate seal, and to make such by-laws as they may deem necessary for the government of said corporation, and by such name shall have and enjoy all the rights, privileges, immunities and franchises conferred upon railroad corporations by the act of the Legislature of the State of Florida entitled an act to provide a general law for the incorporation of railroads and canals, approved February 19, 1874, and by acts amendatory thereof. SEC. 2. 1897. The capital stock of said company shall be one million dollars ($1,000,000), to be divided into shares of one hundred dollars ($1.00) each, and each share of stock shall Capital stock. entitle the owner thereof to one vote. The capital stock of this corporation may be increased at any time by a majority vote of the stockholders of the company. Books for sub SEC. 3. The said corporators herein named may open books for subscription of stock of this company at such places in or out of this State as they may determine upon, and until their successors are elected and qualified they shall constitute stock. a board of directors of said company or corporation. scription of Election of SEC. 4. The stockholders of this company shall meet annually to elect a board of directors, on the first Monday in May, said board to consist of not less than three nor more directors. than seven. The board of directors shall elect a president from their number and appoint and employ such number of officers, agents and servants as may be required properly to conduct the business of said corporation. Powers of SEC. 5. Said company shall have power to receive land and other property in part payment of the subscription to the capital stock, at such valuation as may be agreed upon company. under the rules, regulations, and by-laws of said company, said payments not to exceed fifty per cent. of the subscription to the capital stock of the corporation. SEC. 6. To enable said company to build and equip the said line of road, the State of Florida hereby grants to the said Alafia, Manatee and Gulf Coast Railway Company the alternate sections of land granted (or to be granted) to the Land grant. the State of Florida by the United States Government, excepting such lands as may have been set aside for special purposes by acts of the Legislature as may be applicable to such purposes, lying on each side and within six miles of the said line of railway to be constructed by said company. SEC. 7. The State of Florida hereby grants to the said Alafia, Manatee and Gulf Coast Railway Company six thousand (6,000) acres of land for each mile of road it may Ibid. construct in this State, out of any lands granted or to be granted to the State under any acts of Congress applicable to such purposes, said lands to be of those which may |