RAILROAD COMMISSION LAW.

A BILL to be entitled An Act to provide for the regulation of railroad companies, and persons operating railroads in this State; to prevent discrimination upon railroads in this State; and to provide for the punishment for the same; and to appoint a Railroad Commission.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the main track and all the branches of every railroad in this State is a public highway, over which all persons have equal rights of transportation for passengers and freights, on the payment of just and reasonable compensation to the owner of the railroad for such transportation; and any person or corporation engaged in the business of transporting passengers or freights over any railroad in this State who shall exact and receive for any such transportation more than just and reasonable compensation for the services rendered, or demand more than the rates specified in any bill of lading issued by such person or corporation, or who for his or its advantage, or for the advantage of any connecting line, or of any person or locality, shall make any unjust and unreasonable discrimination in transportation against any individual, locality or corporation, shall be guilty of extortion, and in every case it shall be for the jury to determine from all the evidence whether more than just and reasonable compensation was exacted and received, or whether any such discrimination in transportation which may be established by the evidence against the individual, locality or corporation, as the case may be, was made for the benefit or advantage of the person or corporation operating such railroad, or of any person or locality: Provided, that nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent contracts for special rates for the purpose of developing any industrial enterprise, or to prevent the execution of any contract now existing.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the party injured may recover of the person or corporation guilty of extortion, as defined in this Act, ten times the amount of damages sustained by the over