Chapter XLIX. *incorporate the Union Gaslight Company of the District of Columbia.* April 8, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * That Sayles J
1,662 words·~8 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-13/chapter-xlixA research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Chap. XLIX.— An Act *incorporate the Union Gaslight Company of the District of Columbia.* April 8, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * That Sayles J. Bowen, WilliamUnion Gas-light Company incorporated. Elmer, William Bates, Robert W. Milbank, Andrew M. Kinney, William H. Baldwin, Z. D. Gilman, D. C. Forney, S. P. Brown, John Green, and Gamaliel Gay, and their associates and assigns, be, and theyName; authority. are hereby, created a body corporate, under the name of “The Union Gas-light Company of the District of Columbia,” with authority to manufacture and sell gas, to be made of coal, zinc, oil, tar, pitch, peat, turpentine, or other material, and to be used in lighting the city of Washington and the streets thereof, and any buildings, manufactories, or houses therein situated, and to lay mains and pipes for the purpose of conducting gas in any of the avenues, streets, lanes, or alleys of the said city: *Provided, however,* That the said company shall so conduct the manufacture, andNot to create a nuisance. lay said mains and pipes, as not to create a nuisance or injure either private or public property: *And provided, further,* That the said mainsTo be under direction of city authorities. and pipes shall be laid subject to such conditions and in compliance with such regulations as may be prescribed by the municipal authorities of the city of Washington; and the right to erect and establish any buildings, apparatus, or machinery for the manufacture of gas, shall be subject to such regulations and restrictions as may be from time to time prescribed by the said municipal authorities of Washington.
Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted,* That the capital stock of the saidCapital stock.Number of shares. company shall not be less than five hundred thousand, nor more than one million dollars, and that the said stock shall be divided into shares of one hundred dollars each, and shall be deemed personal property and 42How transferable.be transferable in such manner as the by-laws of said company may direct. Sec. 3. Subscription books to be opened. *And be it further enacted,* That within six days after this act is approved by the President of the United States, the corporators named in the first section, or a majority of them, or, if any refuse or neglect to act, then a majority of the others, shall cause books of subscription to the capital stock of said company to be opened and kept open in some convenient place in the city of Washington, from nine o’clock to the forenoon till three o’clock in the afternoon, for a period of not less than three days, and as much longer as the said corporators shall prescribe, and the said corporators shall give public notice of the time and place of opening said books of subscription, by advertisement thereof in the daily papers published in the city of Washington, and subscribers to the capital stock of said company shall be held to be stockholders: *Provided,* That every Payment at time of subscription.subscriber shall pay at the time of subscribing twenty-five per centum of the amount subscribed by him to the treasurer, who shall be appointed by the said corporators to receive the same, or his subscription shall be null and void.
Sec. 4. *And be it further enacted,* That when the minimum amount First meeting.of the capital stock of said company, as prescribed in the second section, shall have been subscribed, and twenty-five per centum thereof paid as aforesaid, the said corporators, or a majority of them, and in case any refuse to act, then a majority of the others, shall, within fifteen days thereafter, call the first meeting of the stockholders of said company, to be held at some convenient place in the city of Washington, for the election Notice.of directors, of the time and place whereof notice shall be given for at least five days in at least two daily newspapers published in the city of Washington, or by written notice thereof, signed by one or more of said corporators, and personally served on each stockholder; and in all meetings Voting.of the stockholders each share shall entitle the holder to one vote, to be given either in person or by proxy.
Sec. 5. President and directors. *And be it further enacted,* That the government and direction of the affairs of the company shall be vested in the board of directors, composed of seven members, who shall be stockholders, and who shall hold their office for the term of One year, and until others are duly elected and qualified to take their places as directors; and the said directors shall elect one of their number to be president of the board, who shall also be president of the company, and a majority of the board shall constitute a Quorum.Treasurer.quorum to do business; and they shall choose a treasurer, who shall give bond with sufficient surety to said company, in such sum as the said directors may require, for the faithful discharge of his trust.
In case of Vacancies.a vacancy in the board of directors by death, resignation, removal, refusal to act, or otherwise, the vacancy occasioned thereby shall be filled by the other directors. Sec. 6. Annual meeting. *And be it further enacted,* That there shall be an annual meeting of the stockholders, for the election of directors, to be held at such time and place, and under such rules and regulations as the said company in their by-laws shall prescribe, and the directors shall make an annual report in writing of their proceedings to the stockholders.
Sec. 7. *And be it further enacted,* That the directors shall have full By-laws.power to make all such by-laws as they shall deem necessary for the regulation, management, and disposition of the Stock, effects, and property of the said company, and for the proper execution of the business of the company, so as the same shall not he contrary to this charter, to the laws of the United States, or to the ordinances of the city of Washington. Sec. 8. Notes, &c., not to be issued as currency. *And be it further enacted,* That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to authorize the said company to issue any note, token, device, scrip, or other evidence of debt to be used as a currency.
Sec. 9. *And be it further enacted,* That if any person or persons shall THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 50. 1864.43wilfully destroy, or in anywise injure the mains, pipes, apparatus, orWilful destruction or injury to pipes, &c., how punished. other works, property, or appurtenances belonging to and used by said company in manufacturing gas or in furnishing the same to consumers thereof, the person or persons so offending shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay to the said company the sum of five dollars, and shall, in addition to said penalty, remain liable to said company for any loss or damage occasioned by the offence.
Sec. 10. *And be it further enacted,* That the said company is hereby incorporated upon the express conditions that it shall furnish gas to allQuality and price of gas. the consumers thereof containing fifty per centum more illuminating power than that which is now furnished by the “Washington Gas-light Company,” and at. a cost not exceeding two dollars and fifty cents per thousand cubic feet; and a failure to comply with these conditions shallForfeiture. operate as a forfeiture of this charter.
Sec. 11. *And be it further enacted,* That the said company shall notCompany not to sell gas until, &c. be authorized to sell gas until it shall have produced to the mayor of the city of Washington and to the Secretary of the Interior satisfactory evidence that it has laid down, in a proper and workmanlike manner, in the avenues and streets of the said city, gas mains of an average diameter of at least six inches and a total length of not less than twenty-five miles; nor shall the said company connect its gas mains with the pipes supplying the capital and other public buildings belonging to the United States, or sell gas, until it shall have produced to the Secretary of the Interior satisfactory evidence that it has erected and in operation good and substantial works and holders capable of manufacturing and storing a quantity of gas, of the quality aforesaid, sufficient to supply the Consumption at all times required in the Capitol and public buildings aforesaid.
And unlessPipes to be laid and works completed in two years.Proviso. the said company shall have compiled with the requirements and conditions in this section prescribed within two years from the passage of this act, the said act shall be mill and void: *Provided, however,* That said company shall have the privilege, at any time within the said two years, of lighting with the gas manufactured by it some one street a distance not exceeding one mile. Sec. 12. *And be it further enacted,* That each of the stockholders inStockholders individually liable. the “Union Gas-light Company” of the District of Columbia shall be held liable in his or her individual capacity for all the debts and liabilities of the said company, however contracted or incurred, to be recovered by suit as other debts or liabilities, before the court or tribunal having jurisdiction of the case.
Sec. 13. *And be it further enacted,* That this act may at any time beAct may be altered or repealed. altered, amended, or repealed by the Congress of the United States. Approved, April 8, 1864. Chapter L: to incorporate Providence Hospital of the City of Washington, District of Columbia. 13 Stat. 43 1864-04-08 Chapter L Little, Brown and Company text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
Digitization Vendor 2026-01-27 38 2 public
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
Citation graph
cites case law
Chapter XLIX
*incorporate the Union Gaslight Company of the District of Columbia.* April 8, 1864. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * That Sayles J
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources