section three of this act, the auditor-general shall expose to sale by public auction, at the capitol in Harrisburg, the telegraph line, franchises, property, stocks, and bonds so escheated, after notice of said sale by publication for four successive weeks in at least one newspaper in each county through which the escheated telegraph line passes, and at said sale the said telegraph line, franchises, property, stocks, and bonds shall be sold to the highest and best bidder for cash: Provided, That no such corporation, association, or company owning or operating a competing line of telegraph shall become a purchaser at said sale; and upon the payment of the price at which the same shall be thus sold, and the filing with the secretary of State of the certificate of the State treasurer that the money has been so paid, together with the certificate of the auditor-general setting forth the fact and terms of the sale, a deed for the telegraph line, franchises, property, stocks, and bonds so sold shall be executed in the name and under the seal of the Commonwealth to the purchaser or purchasers, signed by the governor and attested by the secretary of State, which deed shall vest in the purchaser or purchasers a valid and sufficient title thereto.

SEC. 5. The said court shall have power to summon the officers of any such corporations, associations, or companies, or either of them, by subpoena, citation, or otherwise, as the said court shall direct, to appear before said court and produce all of its or their books and papers, and to examine them upon oath to ascertain whether they are or any of them have violated the twelfth section of the sixteenth article of the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and shall have power to enforce their appearance by attachment as in case of other witnesses, or the said court may direct to be filed a bill of discovery in the said court against the officers, directors, or trustees of any such corporations, associations, or companies, or either of them, which the defendants therein shall answer under the compulsion usual in such cases, and the evidence so taken and their answers may be used in the said proceedings to assert the rights of the Commonwealth.

SEC. 6. The purchaser or purchasers for or on whose account any telegraph line, franchises, or property shall be pur

chased from the Commonwealth, as authorized by this act where an organization is effected and a certificate filed as required in the proviso hereto, shall be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, and shall be vested with all the right, title, interest, property, claim, and demand in law and equity of, in, and to such telegraph line, with its appurtenances, and with all the rights, powers, immunities, privileges, and franchises of the said corporation, association, or company owning the said telegraph line, property, and franchises at and immediately before the forfeiture thereof under sections one and two of this act; and the person or persons for or on whose account any such telegraph line, property, and franchises shall be purchased, shall meet within thirty days after the delivery of the deed from the Commonwealth, public notice of the time and place of such meeting having been given at least once a week for two weeks in at least one newspaper published in the city of Harrisburg, and organize said new corporation by electing a president and board of six directors (to continue in office until the first Monday of May succeeding such meeting when and annually thereafter on the said day a like election for a president and six directors shall be held to serve for one year), and shall adopt a corporate name and common seal, determine the amount of the capital stock thereof, and shall have power and authority to make and issue certificates therefor to the purchaser or purchasers aforesaid to the amount of their respective interests therein in shares of fifty dollars each; and may then or at any time thereafter create and issue preferred stock to such an amount and on such terms as they may deem necessary; and from time to time issue bonds at a rate of interest not exceeding seven per centum to any amount not exceeding their capital stock, and to secure the same by one or more mortgages upon the telegraph line, property, and franchises or on any part or parts thereof: Provided, That the person or persons for or on whose account the purchase is made shall organize by the election of a president and a board of directors as above provided within three calendar months after the delivery of the deed from the Commonwealth, and within one calendar month after such organization make a certificate thereof under its common seal,

attested by the signature of its president, specifying the date of such organization, the corporate name adopted, the amount of capital stock, and the names of the president and directors, and transmit the said certificate to the secretary of State at Harrisburg to be filed in his office and there remain of record, and a certified copy of such certificate so filed shall be evidence of the corporate existence of said new corporation.

INDEX.

ABANDONMENT.-Petitioners for lateral railroad may abandon, after report of viewers or
after verdict of jury, on payment of costs, 5; if disused, &c., for two years right of way to
cease and to revert to owners, 11; may abandon before ground broken and within two
years of confirmation of right of way, on payment of costs, 175.

Under general railroad law of February 19th, 1849, if railroad suffered to go into decay, be
impassable for two years, charter void, 52; and under act of April 4th, 1868, see section
5, page 157, and section 2, page 242.

Roads, canals, &c., decayed, out of repair, and unused for more than five years shall be
deemed to be abandoned, 192.

(See "Commencement.")

ACCEPTANCE of Constitution of 1874. (See "Constitution.")

ACCOUNTS.-Settlement of accounts. (See " Taxation.")

ACKNOWLEDGMENT or execution, prior to April 22d, 1863, of deed, mortgage, or other
instrument, by officers of corporations, if informal, made valid, 117; act extended to cover
instruments executed from April 22d, 1863, to April 17th, 1869, 179; general act, approved
June 8th, 1881, providing that informality in execution or acknowledgment of conveyance,
mortgage, or other instrument not to invalidate unless defect of substance, 304.
ACTIONS. (See " Removal of Actions," "Service of Process,'
,""Damages to Land," "In-
"Limitation,' 9966
juries,"
Penalty," "Attachment," "Death," 'Commonwealth," "Fran-
chises, Forfeiture of.")

In actions against corporations proceedings to be as in similar cases, 4.

By attachment and scire facias and levy, to secure stock deposits and debts, extended to
corporations, 28; and see 14 and 186.

Act of limitation of 27th March, 1713, not to extend to any suit against corporations sus-
pended, made assignment, or ceased operations, 69.

To compel payment of subscriptions to stock after charter revoked-no judgment or decree
to be entered against defendant, 116.

To recover interest on bonds the validity of which has been established-defendant to pay
counsel fees, 141, 192; Allegheny county exempted, 150.

For damages for injury to persons lawfully engaged or employed on or about railroad to be
same as for employee, 153.

For damages for injury or loss of life to be only for pecuniary compensation-$5000 death,
$3000 injury, 154.

ADJUSTMENT of taxation accounts. (See "Auditor-General,” “

ADMINISTRATORS.-(See "Executors.")

AFFIDAVIT of defendant on appeals. (See "Appeal.")

AGENTS. (See "Officer," "Tickets.")

Taxation.")

AGREEMENTS.-(See "Contract," "Lease," 'Merger," "Sale," "Organization.")

AID TO LATERAL RAILROADS, COAL COMPANIES, &c.-Any incorporated com-
pany may aid in the construction of lateral railroads from their line, in labor, money, or
materials, 107.

Railroad companies may aid companies to develop coal, iron, lumber, or other material
interest, by purchase of capital stock and bonds, 179.

ALIENS. (See "Foreign Corporation.")

ALLEGHENY COUNTY.-Provisions of lateral railroad law and supplement extended to
Allegheny and other counties, and to roads under or over surface of land, 38.

Proprietors of lateral railroads in Allegheny county authorized to charge same tolls as
charged by railroads throughout Commonwealth, in addition to the tolls now empowered
to receive, 73.