A BILL To Incorporate the Cincinnati fy Charles- ton Rail Road Company. Sec. 1. Be it enacted &c. that for the purpose of establishing a communication by rail road between the cities of Cincinnati in the state of Ohio and Char- leston in the state of South Carolina, through the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, the formation of a company to be called. "The Cincinnati and Charleston Rail Road Company'' is hereby authorized, which when formed shall have corporate existence in perpetuity in each of the states aforesaid. Sec. 2. Books for subscriptions for sixty thou- sand shares of the capital stock of the said company, of one hundred dollars each, shall be opened on the third Monday in October next, and shall be kept open for six days between the hours of ten o'clock in the morning and four o'clock in the evening of each of those days, at the following places and by the follow- ing commissioners, viz : at Charleston and Columbia and such other places in the state of South Carolina, and by three such commissioners at each of the said places as the Legislature or Governor of the said State shall designate and appoint : At Ashville, Lincolnton, and Rutherford, and such other places in the state of North Carolina, and by three such commissioners at each of the said places as the Legislature or Governor of the said last men- tioned State shall designate and appoint: At Knoxville, Jonesborough and Newport, and 600331 2 such other places in the State of Tennessee, and by three such commissioners in each of the said places as the Legislature or Governor of the said last men- tioned state shall designate and appoint: At Lexington, Frankfort, Louisville, Maysville, Paris and Richmond, and such other places in the state of Kentucky, and by three such commissioners at each of the said places as the Legislature or Governor of the said last mentioned state shall designate and appoint: At Cincinnati in the State of Ohio, by Daniel Drake* E. D. Mansfield and John S. Williams, and at such other places and by three such commissioners at each of said places as the Governor of the said last men- tioned state may designate and appoint. At Lawreticeburgh and such other places in the state of Indiana, and by three such commissioners in each of said places as the Governor of the last men- tioned state may direct and appoint. Sec. 3. That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, at each of the places aforesaid or so as afore- said to be designated, shall receive subscriptions for stock in the said rail road company during the times the said books are directed to be kept open, and on each share so subscribed, shall demand and receive the sum of five dollars, without which the subscrip- tion shall be void. Sec. 4. That as soon as the time for receiving sub- scriptions so as aforesaid shall have expired, the said commissioners shall respectively deposit all the money so received by them in some incorporated Bank redeeming its notes in specie, in the state where the money shall have been received, to the credit of The Cincinnati and Charleston Rail Road Company; aud shall also forward a correct list of all the sub- scribers to the said stock, with the number of shares each subscriber has taken, to a central commission to be composed of the following persons, David L. Swain, of Ashville, Wade Hampton of Columbia, John Wil- liams of Knoxville, William Dickon of Greeneville, Tennessee, and of Kcntuckv,who or a majority of Southern Pamphlet? Rare Book Collection UNC-Chapel Hill s whom, shall meet at Knoxviile on the first Monday in November next, ascertain the whole number of shares taken in the said company, and publish the same in some newspaper, in each of the cities or towns of Cincinnati, Frankfort, Lawrenceburgh, Knoxviile, Raliegh, Columbia and Charleston, on or before the third Monday in November next ; and if the number of forty thousand shares shall have been subscribed, on each of whieh there shall have been paid the sum of five dollars, The Cincinnati and Charleston Rail Road Company shall be regarded as formed, and the said cen- tral commission or a majority of them shall sign and seal four duplicate declarations to that effect, with the names of all the subscribers appended, and cause one of the said duplicates to be deposited in the office of the secretary of state in each of the states of Kentuc- ky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, and thenceforth and from the day of the closing of the books of subscriptions as aforesaid, the said subscri- bers to the stock shall form one body politic and cor- porate, in deed and in law, in all the states aforesaid, by the name and for the purposes aforesaid. Sec. 5. That in case any of the persons forming the said central commission should not attend at Knoxviile on the said first Monday in November next, or atten- ding should refuse or be unable to act, the remaining member or members of the said central commission shall forthwith fill the vacancy, and the person or persons so appointed shall constitute a part of the said commission. Sec. 6. But if on closing the books aforesaid the number of forty thousand shares shall not have been subscribed, then and in that case the said central commission, by themselves or their agents, may re- ceive subscriptions from any of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, and also from individuals, or bodies corporate, till the number of sixty thousand shares shall have been subscribed ; provided the same shall be done on or before the first dav of Januarv ei«;hteeu hundred and thirty seven ; and when the said number of sixty thousand shares shall have been subscribed, if the same shall be done on or before the day last aforesaid, or on that day if a less number but amoun- ting to forty thousand shares or more shall have then been subscribed, the said subscriptions shall be closed,the subscribers shall thenceforth form a body corporate as aforesaid, and the declaration thereof shall be made and deposited in the offices of the secretaries of state in manner aforesaid. Subscrip- tions for stock received by the said central com- mission or their agents shall be accompanied with the certificate of some specie paying bank in some of the said states, that an amount equal to five dollars on each share subscribed has been deposited therein by the subscriber to the credit of the said company. Sec. 7. In case more than sixty thousand shares shall have been subscribed on closing the books when they are first opened, the shares shall be reduced to that number, by deducting the surplus shares from the higher subscribers, placing them on an equality of numbers, as far as can be done — and after such reduction the holders of the remaining shares shall form the Company, and be interested therein in proportion to the number of shares which they may then respectively hold. Sec. 8. If, on closing the books on the first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, the number of forty thousand shares shall not have been subscribed, the money paid by each subscriber shall be returned to him, by one or more of the commissioners who re- ceived it, endorsing on the receipt given for it a check on the bank where it has been deposited, which the bank shall be bound to pay only in case the cen- tral commission, or a majority of them, shall have published a declaration that the formation of the Company has failed for want of forty thousand shares being subscribed. Sec. 9. The said Cincinnati and Charleston rail road company so ibrmcd as aforesaid, shall have perpetual succession of members, may have a common seal, may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, in any court of law or equity in the states of Ken- tucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Caroli- na ; and may make all such regulations, rules, and by-laws, as are necessary for the government of the corporation or effecting the object for which it is cre- ated ; provided, such regulations, rules and by-laws shall not be repugnant to the laws and constitutions of the said States or of the United States. Sec. 10. The affairs of the said company shall be man- aged and directed by a general board, to consist of twenty four directors, of whom three shall be elected from stockholders residing in each of the said States of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, and the remaining nine shall be elected from among all the stockholders, without regard to their place of residence. Sec. 11. The President of the company shall be elected by the Directors, from among their own members, in such manner as the regulations of the corporation shall prescribe. Sec. 12. As soon as the number of forty thou- sand shares shall have been subscribed in manner aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the commissioners appointed to declare the same, to appoint a time for the stockholders to meet at Knoxville in the state of Tennessee, which they shall cause to be published in one or more newspapers published in each of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina; at which time and place the said stockholders, in person or by proxy, shall proceed to elect the directors of the company, and to enact all such regulations, rules and by-laws, as may be necessary for the government of the corpo- ration, and the the transaction of its business. The persons elected directors at this meeting shall serve for such period, not exceeding one year, as the stockholders may direct ; and at this meeting the stockholders shall fix on the day and place, or places, where the subsequent elections of directors shall be held ; and such elections shall thenceforth be annually made. But if the day of annual elec- tion should pass without any election of directors, the corporation shall not be thereby dissolved, but it shall be lawful on any other day to hold and make such election, in such manner as may be prescribed by a by-law of the corporation. Sec. 13. The Board of Directors may fill up all vacancies which may occur in it during the period for which their board shall have been elected ; and in the absence of the president may fill his place by electing a president pro tempore. Sec. 14. The general board of directors may estab- lish under them a local Board in each of the said States of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, to be composed of a President and eight members, and may entrust to such local Board so much of the business and affairs of the company as by the rules and regulations of the company may be prescribed. Sec. 15. All contracts and agreements authenticated by the President and Secretary of the general or of a local Board, shall be binding on the Company with- out seal,or such other mode of authentication may be used as the company by their bye laws may adopt. Sec. 16. The Board of Directors shall not exceed in their contracts the amount of the capital of the cor- poration, and of the funds which the company may have borrowed and placed at the disposal of the board; and in case they should do so, the President and Di- rectors who may be present at the meeting at which such contractor contracts so exceeding the amount aforesaid, shall be made, shall be jointly and severally liable for the excess both to the contractor or contrac- tors and the corporation ; provided, that any one may discharge himself from such liability by voting against such contract or contracts, and causing such vote to be recorded in the minutes of the Board, and giving notice thereof to the next general meeting of the stockholders. Sec. 17. That the said company shall have pow- er and may proceed to construct as speedily as their means will permit,a rail road, with one or more tracts, to he used with steam, animal, or any other power, which shall pass through the states of Kentucky, Ten- nessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, so as to form a continuous line of rail road between the cities of Cincinnati and Charleston, the line of which road shall be established by the general board of Direc- tors, subject to the controulof the Stockholders at a general meeting. The said company may use any section of the said rail road before the whole shall be completed, subject to the rates hereinafter men- tioned. Sec. 18. Neither of the said States of South Caroli- na, North Carolina, Tennessee nor Kentucky, shall within the period of thirty-six years, from the first day of January in the year one thousand eight hun- dred and thirty-six, authorize the construction of any rail road within twenty miles of the rail road so to be constructed by the Cincinnati and Charleston rail road company, which shall connect any points or places on their rail road, or which shall run in the ge- neral direction thereof, without the consent of the said company. Sec. 19. The said company may construct branches of theirroad,provided such branches shall not conflict with any chartered rights existing at the time of their construction, and provided that they shall be attend- ed with no exclusive privileges, except the exclusive right of transportation of goods, wares, merchan- dize, produce and persons thereon, subject to the rates hereinafter mentioned. Sec. 20. That the said company shall have the ex- clusive right of transportation or conveyance of per- sons, goods, merchandize and produce, over the said rail road and its branches, by them to he constructed, ]n*ovided that the charge of transportation or convey-- ance shali not exceed thirty-five cents per hundred pounds on heavy articles, and ten cents per cubic foot on articles of measurement, for every hundred miles, and five cents a mile for every passenger ; and provided also, that the said company may, when they see fit, farm out their right of transportation on the said road, or any of its branches, subject to the rates above mentioned. Sec 21. The said company and every person who may have received from them the right of transportation of goods, wares and produce on the said road, shall be deemed and taken to be a common carrier, as respects all goods, wares, merchandize and produce entrusted to them for transportation. Sec. 22. The general board of directors may call for the payment of ninety-five dollars on each share of the stock in sums not exceeding five dollars in every sixty days, except that after eighty dollars have been paid on each share; the remaining twenty dollars may be called for in two instalments, which shall be at least sixty days apart, or the payments may be called for in smaller sums, and at more distant periods. The call for each instalment shall be advertised in one or more newspapers inCincinnati,Lawrenceburgh, Lexington, Frankfort, Knoxville, Ashville, Columbia, and Charleston, where newspapers shall be publish- ed, and such other places as may be directed by the rules of the company, at least one month before the time the same is to be paid, and failure to pay or secure to be paid, according to the rules of the com- pany, any of the instalments so called for as afore- said, shall induce a forfeiture of the share or shares on which default shall be so made, and all payments thereon, and the same shall vest in and belong to the company, and may be appropriated as they shall see fit. Sec. 23. The stock of the said company may be transferred in such manner and form as may be di- rected by the by laws of the company. S?c.24. The said company may at any time increase 9 its capital to a sum sufficient to complete the said road or its branches and stock it with every thing ne- cessary to give it full operation and effect, cither by opening books for new stock, or by selling such new stock, or by borrowing money on the credit of the company, on the mortgage of its charter and works; and the manner in which the same shall be done in either case, shall be prescribed by the stock- holders at a general meeting. Sec. 25. It shall be lawful for the said company from time to time to vest so much or such parts of their capital or of their profits as may not be requir- ed for immediate use, until it may be so required, in the public stocks of any of the states of Ohio. India- na, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina or South Carolina, or of any incorporated bank in the said states, provided the sum so invested shall at no one time exceed one million of dollars. Sec. 26. The Board of directors shall once in every year at least make a full report on the state of the company and its affairs, to a general meeting of the stock holders,and oftener, if directed by a by law; and shall have power to call a general meeting of the stock holders when the board may deem it expedient, and the company may provide in their by laws for occasional meetings being called, and prescribe the mode thereof, and the company may provide by a by lawfor the votes of stockholders for directors being taken at more than one place, as also for taking their votes on any question relative to the repeal, altera- tion or amendment of or addition to any of the rules, regulations or by laws of the company proposed by the general board of directors. Sec. 27. No person but a citizen of the United States, and being a bona fide stockholder in his own right of at least fifty shares which he shall have held at least three months previous to his election, (except at the first election) shall be president or a director of the General Board ; nor shall any stockholder vote, in person or by proxy, at any general or other election, (except the first) who shall not have held in his own right the share on which he offers to vote at least three months previous to such election. S«r. 29. The stockholders may provide, by a by- 10 law, as to the number of stockholders and the amount of stock to be held by them, which shall constitute a quorum for transacting business at any regular or occasional meeting of stockholders or directors. Sec. 29. No member of the general or local Boards of Directors, or officers or agents of the Company, shall be directly or indirectly interested in any con- contract for work ; nor shall any director vote on the passing of any bill for materials, in which he is directly or indirectly concerned ; nor shall any di- rector, officer, or agent, be interested directly or indirectly in the purchase of any lands, buildings, or other property, immediately on the line of rail road or any branches thereof, without first having offered to the board of directors, in writing, the right of preemption to all or any part of such lands, buildings, or other property, which the said board may think proper to purchase for the use of the Company : and every director, officer, or agent, violating this provision, may be removed from the board, his office or employment, by vote of the directors ; and every purchase made in violation of this rule shall enure to the benefit of the Company, if the board of direc- tors choose to avail themselves thereof. Sec. 30. Any stockholder in the company may vote by proxy, who must be a resident citizen of the Uni- ted States ; and before he votes he maybe required by a stockholder to swear,that to his belief the stock bona fide belongs to the person whom he represents. Before any stockholder votes in his own right, or for an estate, he may be required by any stockholder to swear that he is the bona fide owner of the said stock in his own right, or as the legal representative of the testator or intestate whom he represents, and that no other person but himself or the estate is directly or indirectly interested therein, to his belief. Any State holding stock may vote by such person as the Legislature or Governor thereof may appoint, or as may be appointed in any other way pursuant to the laws of the State made for that purpose. Sec. 31. That in the election of directors, and in voting on all questions which may come before a meeting of the stockholders, or which mav be sub- (1 untied to the decision ot' the stockholders in any other manner, the votes shall be taken according to the following scale. The owner of one or two shares shall be entitled to one vote; the owner of not less than three nor more than four shares shall be entitled to two votes ; the owner of not less than five nor more than six shares shall be entitled to three votes; the owner of not less than seven nor mere than eight shares, to four votes ; the owner of not less than nine nor more than eleven shares, to five votes ; the owner of not less than twelve nor more than fifteen shares, to six votes ; the owner of not less than sixteen nor more than twenty shares, to seven votes ; the owner of not less than twenty-one nor more than twenty-six shares, to eight votes ; the owner of not less than twenty-seven shares nor more than thirty-three shares, to nine votes; the owner of not less than thirty-four shares nor more than forty shares, to ten votes ; and the owner of every ten shares above forty, shall be entitled there- for to one vote. Provided that no individual, corpora- tion nor state holding stock in the said company shall be entitled to more than five hundred votes, and one vote for every fifty shares over five thousand shares. Any person being a subscriber or stockholder, who may offer to vote as a proxy, may be required by any subscriber or stockholder to swear that he has no interest, directly or indirectly, in the stock on which he so offers to vote as proxy. A trustee of stock shall not vote on shares held by him in trust expressed or declared, where the cestui que trust holds other shares, either in his own name or in the name of another trustee. But the cestui que trust may vote on all shares owned by him, whether legally or equitably, according to the scale aforesaid. See. 32. The said company may purchase, have and hold, in fee or for a term of years, any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, which may be necessary for the said road or any branch or appurtenance thereof, or for the erection of depositories, store houses, houses for the officers, servants, or agents of the company, or for workshops or founderies, to be used for the said company, or for procuring timber, stone, or other materials necessary to the construe- tion of the road, its branches or appurtunanoes, or for effecting transportation thereon; and for no other purpose whatever. Sec. 38, The said Company shall have the right, when necessary, to conduct the said rail road or any branch thereof, across or along any public road or watercourse, provided that the said road and the navigation of such watercourse shall not be thereby obstucted. Sec. 34. The said Company may purchase, have and hold any bridge or turnpike road, over which it may be necessary to carry the said rail road; and when such purchase is made, to hold the said bridge or turnpike road on the same terms and with all the rights which belonged to the indi- vidual, individuals, or corporation, from which such purchase may be made ; provided, that the said company shall not obstruct any public road without constructing another as convenient as may be. Sec. 35. That where any lands, or right of way may be required by the said company for the purpose of constructing their road, and for want of agreement as to the value thereof, or from any other cause, the same cannot be purchased from the owner or owners, the same may be taken at a valuation to be made by five commissioners, or a majority of them, to be ap- pointed by any court of record, having common law jurisdiction in the county or district where some part of the land or right of way is situated — and the said commissioners before they act shall severally take an oath before some justice of the peace, faithfully and impartially to discharge the duty assigned them. In making the said valuation, the commissioners shall take into consideration the loss or damage which may occur to the owner or owners in consequenee of the land being taken, or the right of way surrendered, and also the benefit and advantage he, she or they, may receive from the erection or establishment of the rail road or works ; and shall state particularly the nature and amount of each ; and the excess of loss and damage over and above the benefit and advan- tage, shall form the measure of valuation of the said land or right of way. The proceedings of the said commissioners, accompanied with a full description of the said land, or risrht of way, shall be re- 13 turned under the hands and seals of a majority of the commissioners, to the court from which the commis- sion issued, there to remain of record. In case ei- ther party to the proceedings shall appeal from the said valuation to the next session of the court grant- ing the commission, and give reasonable notice to the opposite party of such appeal, the court upon satisfactory proof that the appellant has been injur- ed by the said valuation, shall order a new valuation to be made by a jury, who shall be charged therewith in the same term, or as soon as practicable, and their verdict shall be final and conclusive between the parties, unless a new trial shall be granted ; and the lands or right of way so valued by the commissioners or jury, shall vest in the said company in fee simple, so soon as the valuation may be paid, or when re- fused may be tendered. Where there shall be an appeal as aforesaid, from the valuation of com- missioners, by either of the parties, the same shall not prevent the works intended to be constructed, from proceeding; but where the appeal is made by the company requiring the surrender, they shall be at liberty to proceed in their work, only on condition of giving to the opposite party a bond with good security, to be approved of by the clerk of the court where the valuation is returned, in a penalty equal to double the said valuation, conditioned for the pay- ment of the said valuation and interest, in case the same be sustained ; and in case it be reversed, for the payment of the valuation thereafter to be made by the jury, and confirmed by the court. Sec. 36. In the absence of any contract or con- tracts with the said company in relation to lands through which the said road or its branches may pass, signed by the owner thereof or by his agent, or any claimant or person in possession thereof, which may be confirmed by the owner thereof, it shall be presumed that the land upon which the said road or any ofits branches may be constructed, together with a space of one hundred feet on each side of the centre of the said road, has been granted to the company by the owner or owners thereof: and the said company shall have good right and title thereto, and shall have, hold and eniov the same, so lorn? as the same may be used only for the purposes of the said road, and no longer; unless the person or persons owning the said land at the time that part of the said road which may be on the said land was finished, or those claiming under him, her, or them, shall apply for an assess- ment of the value of the said lands, as herein before directed, within five years next alter that part of the said road was finished : and in case the said owner or owners or those claiming under him, her or them, shall not apply for such assessment within five years next after the said part was finished, he, she or they, shall be forever barred from recovering the said, land, or having any assessment or compensation therefor : provided, nothing herein contained shall effect the rights of feme coverts or infants, until two years after the removal of theirrespective disabilities. Sec. 37. All lands not heretofore granted to any person, nor appropriated by law to the use of the State, within one hundred feet of the centre of the said road or its branches, which may be constructed by the said company, shall vestin the comany so soon as the line of the road is definitely laid out through it, and any grant thereafter shall be void. Sec. 38. That if any person or persons shall in- trude upon the said rail road or any branch thereof, or part thereof, by any manner of use thereof, or of the rights and privileges connected therewith, with- out the permission or contrary to the will of the said company, he, she or they shall forthwith forfeit to the said company all the vehicles that may be so in- truded on the said road, and the same may be seized by the company or its agents, or recovered by suit at law; and the person orpersons so intruding may be also indicted for a misdemeanor, and upon con- viction fined and imprisoned by any court of compe- tent jurisdiction. Sec. 39. If any person shall wilfully and malicious- ly destroy, or in any manner hurt, damage or ob- struct, or shall wilfully and maliciously cause or aid or aseist or counsel and advise any other person or perst n '. to destroy or in any manner to hurt, dam- age, injure or obstruct the said rail road, or any branch thereof, or any bridge or vehicle used for or in the transportation thereon, such person or per- 18 sons so offending shall be liable to be indicted there- for, and on conviction shall be imprisoned not more than six nor less than one month, and pay a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars nor less than twenty dollars, at the discretion of the court before which such conviction shall take place, and shall be further liable to pay all the expenses of repairing the same ; and it shall not be competent for any person so of- fending against the provisions of this clause, to de- fend himself by pleading or giving in evidence that he was the owner, or agent or servant of the owner, of the land where such destruction, hurt, damage, injury or obstruciion was done or caused, at the time the same was caused or done. Sec. 40. Every obstruction to the safe and free passage of vehicles on the said road or its branches, shall be deemed a public nuisance, and may be abated as such by any oflicer, agent, or servant of the company ; and the person causing such ob- struction may be indicted and punished for erecting a public nuisance. Sec. 41. That the said company shall have right to take, at the store houses they may establish on or annex to their rail road or the branches thereof, all goods, wares, merchandize and produce intended for transportation, prescribe the rules of priority, and charge andreceivesuch just and reasonable com- pensation for storage as they by rules may establish, (which they shall cause to be published,) or as may be fixed by agreement with the owner, which may be distinct from the rates of transportation. Sec, 42. The profits of the company, or so much thereof as the general board may deem advisable, shall, when the affairs of the company will permit, be semi- annually divided among the stockholders, in propor- tion to the stock each may hold. Sec. 43. That the capital .stock in the said company, the dividends thereon, and all the property and estates, real and persona], belonging to the said company, shall be forever exempt from taxation, in each and every of the said States of South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucy ; and it shall not be lawful for either of the said States, or any eorporate.mnnicipabpolicc, or other authority there- 16 of, or of any town, city, county or district thereof, to impose any tax on such stock or dividends, property, or estates; provided that the said stock or dividends, when the said dividends shall exceed the legal inter- est of the State, may be subject to taxation by the State, in common with other money at interest and interest thereon. Sec. 44. That the following officers and persons, in the actual service of the said company, be and hereby are exempted from the performance of .jury and ordinary militia duty, viz. the presidents of the general and local boards, the chief and assistant engineers, the secretaries, auditors, and accountants of the boards, keepers of the depositories, guards stationed on the road to protect it from injury (not exceeding one man to every five milesjand such per- sons as may be working the locomotive engines and travelling with cars for the purpose of attending to the transportation of goods or passengers on the road, not exceeding one engineer and his assistant to each locomotive engine, and one person to each pas- senger car and every five cars for transporting goods. Sec. 45. The said Company is hereby expressly prohibited from carrying on any banking operations, and from effecting any insurance on lives or property, except on goods transported on the said rail road or its branches, or in the company's custody for or in consequence of such transportation. Sec. 46. And the said company shall be entitled only to such powers and privileges as shall be granted to it by all the Legislatures incorporating it, and the powers necessary and proper to give them ef- fect,and shall be subject to all the restrictions and dis- abilities which may be imposed on it by any of the said Legislatures by the act of incorporation ; so that its powers, privileges and disabilities, may be similar in all the States of Kentucky, Tennessee,North Caro- lina and South Carolina. Sec. 47. This act shall be inoperative and void unless acts for a similar purpose are enacted by the Legislatures of the States of Sec. 48. This Act shall be re garded as a Public Act,and may be given in evidence as such , in all cases, without special pleading.