of such meeting must be entered on the minutes of the proceedings of the company, and thereupon the capital stock of the company may be increased to the amount sanctioned by a vote of two-thirds in amount of all the stockholders of the company as aforesaid.

§ 10. Each stockholder of any company formed under this act, shall be individually liable to the creditors of such company, to an amount equal to the amount unpaid on the stock held by him, for all the debts and liabilities of such company, until the whole amount of the capital stock so held by him shall have been paid to the company; and all the stockholders of every such company shall be jointly and severally liable for all the debts due or owing to any of its laborers and servants, for services performed for such corporation; but shall not be liable to an action therefor, before an execution shall be returned unsatisfied in whole, or in part, against the corporation; and then the amount due on such execution shall be the amount recoverable, with costs, against such stockholders.

§ 11. No person holding stock in any such company, as executor, administrator, guardian or trustee, and no person holding such stock as collateral security, shall be personally subject to any liability as stockholders of such company; but the person pledging such stock shall be considered as holding the same, and shall be liable as a stockholder accordingly; and the estates and funds in the hands of such executor, administrator, guardian or trustee, shall be liable in like manner, and to the same extent as the testator, or intestate, or the ward or person interested in such trust fund would have been, if he had been living and competent to act, and held the same stock in his

own name.

§ 12. As often as any contractor for the construction of any part of a railroad, which is in progress of construction, shall be indebted to any laborer, for thirty or any less number of days' labor performed in constructing said road, such laborer may give notice of such indebtedness to said company in the manner herein provided; and said company shall thereupon become liable to pay such laborer the amount so due him for such labor, and an action may be maintained against said company therefor. Such notice shall be given by said laborer to said company, within twenty days after the performance of the number of days' labor for which the claim is made. Such notice shall be in writing, and shall state the amount and number of days' labor, and the time when the same was performed, for which the claim is made, and the name of the contractor from whom due, and shall be signed by such laborer, or his attorney; and shall be served on an engineer, agent or superintendent employed by said company, having charge

of the section of the road on which such labor was performed, personally, or by leaving the same at the office or usual place of business of such engineer, agent or superintendent, with some person of suitable age. But no action shall be maintained against any company under the provisions of this section, unless the same is commenced within thirty days after notice is given to the company by such laborer as above provided.

§ 13. In case any company formed under this act is unable to agree for the purchase of any real estate required for the purposes of its incorporation, it shall have the right to acquire title to the same, in the manner and by the special proceedings prescribed in this act.

§ 14. For the purpose of acquiring such title, the said company may present a petition, praying for the appointment of commissioners of appraisal, to the supreme court, at any general or special term thereof held in the district in which the real estate described in the petition is situated. Such petition shall be signed and verified according to the rules and practice of such court. It must contain a description of the real estate which the company seeks to acquire; and it must, in effect, state that the company is duly incorporated, and that it is the intention of the company, in good faith, to construct and finish a railroad from and to the places named for that purpose in its articles of association; that the whole capital stock of the company has been in good faith subscribed as required by this act; that the company has surveyed the line or route of its proposed road, and made a map or survey thereof, by which such route or line is designated, and that they have located their said road according to such survey, and filed certificates of such location, signed by a majority of the directors of the company, in the clerks' office of the several counties through or into which the said road is to be constructed; that the land described in the petition is required for the purpose of constructing or operating the proposed road; and that the company has not been able to acquire title thereto, and the reason of such inability. The petition must also state the names and places of residence of the parties, so far as the same can by reasonable diligence be ascertained, who own or have, or claim to own or have estates or interests in the said real estate; and if any such persons are infants, their ages as near as may be, must be stated; and if any of such persons are idiots or persons of unsound mind, or are unknown, that fact must be stated, together with such other allegations and statements of liens or incumbrances on said real estate as the company may see fit to make. A copy of such petition; with a notice of the time and place the same will be presented to the supreme court, must be served on all persons whose interests are to be

affected by the proceedings, at least ten days prior to the presentation of the same to the said court.

1. If the person on whom such service is to be made, resides in this state, and is not an infant, idiot or person of unsound mind, service of a copy of such petition and notice must be made on him or his agent or attorney, authorized to contract for the sale of the real estate described in the petition, personally, or by leaving the same at the usual place of residence of the person on whom service must be made as aforesaid, with some person of suitable age.

2. If the person on whom such service is to be made resides out of the state, and has an agent residing in this state, authorized to contract for the sale of the real estate described in the petition, such service may be made on such agent, or on such person personally out of the state; or it may be made by publishing the notice, stating briefly the object of the application, and giving a description of the land to be taken, in the state paper, and in a paper printed in the county in which the land to be taken is situated, once in each week for one month next previous to the presentation of the petition. And if the residence of such person residing out of this state, but in any of the United States, or any of the British colonies in North America, is known, or can by reasonable diligence be ascertained, the company must, in addition to such publication as aforesaid, deposit a copy of the petition and notice in the post-office, properly folded and directed to such person at the post-office, nearest his place of residence, at least thirty days before presenting such petition to the court, and pay the postage chargeable thereon in the United States.

3. If any person on whom such service is to be made is under the age of twenty-one years, and resides in this state, such service shall be made as aforesaid on his general guardian; or if he has no such guardian, then on such infant personally, if he is over the age of fourteen years; and if under that age, then on the person who has the care of, or with whom such infant resides.

4. If the person on whom such service is to be made is an idiot, or of unsound mind, and resides in this state, such service may be made on the committee of his person or estate; or if he has no such committee, then on the person who has the care and charge of such idiot or person of unsound mind.

5. If the person on whom such service is to be made is unknown, or his residence is unknown, and can not by reasonable diligence be ascertained, then such service may be made, under the direction of the court, by publishing a notice, stating the time and place the petition will be presented, the object thercof, with a description of the land to

be affected by the proceedings, in the state paper, and in a paper printed in the county where the land is situated, once in each week for one month previous to the presentation of such petition.

6. In case any party to be affected by the proceedings is an infant, idiot, or of unsound mind, and has no general guardian or committee, the court shall appoint a special guardian or committee to attend to the interests of such person in the proceedings; bat if a general guardian or committee has been appointed for such person in this state, it shall be the duty of such general guardian or committee to attend to the interests of such infant, idiot or person of unsound mind; and the court may require such security to be given by such general or special guardian or committee, as it may deem necessary to protect the rights of such infant, idiot or person of unsound mind; and all notices required to be served in the progress of the proceedings, may be served on such general or special guardian or committee.

7. In all cases not herein otherwise provided for, service of orders, notices, and other papers in the special proceedings authorized by this act, may be made as the supreme court shall direct.

§ 15. On presenting such petition to the supreme court as aforesaid, with proof of service of a copy thereof and notice as aforesaid, all persons whose estates or interests are to be affected by the proceedings may show cause against granting the prayer of the petition, and may disprove any of the facts alleged in it. The court shall hear the proofs and allegations of the parties, and if no sufficient cause is shown against granting the prayer of the petition, it shall make an order for the appointment of five disinterested and competent persons who reside in the county where the premises to be appraised are situated, commissioners to ascertain and appraise the compensation to be made to the owners or persons interested in the real estate proposed to be taken in such county for the purposes of the company, and to fix the time and place for the first meeting of such commissioners. The parties whose lands are to be appraised, or their attorneys, may, in case they appear, name six such persons, and the company a like number, provided they do so, and the court shall appoint two of the commissioners from each of the six so named, in case there is no legal objection to such appointment, and the other commissioner shall be appointed by the court in its discretion.

§ 16. The commissioners shall take and subscribe the oath prescribed by the twelfth article of the constitution. Any one of them may issue subpoenas, administer oaths to witnesses, and any three of them may adjourn the proceedings before them from time to time, in their discretion. Whenever they meet, except by the appointment of

the court or pursuant to adjournment, they shall cause reasonable notice of such meetings to be given to the parties who are to be affected by their proceedings, or their attorney or agent. They shall view the premises described in the petition, and hear the proofs and allegations of the parties, and reduce the testimony, if any is taken by them, to writing; and after the testimony is closed in each case, and without any unnecessary delay, and before proceeding to the examination of any other claim, a majority of them, all being present and acting, shall ascertain and determine the compensation, which ought justly to be made by the company to the party or parties owning or interested in the real estate appraised by them; and in determining the amount of such compensation they shall not make an allowance or deduction on account of any real or supposed benefits which the parties in interest may derive from the construction of the proposed railroad. They, or a majority of them, shall also determine and certify what sum ought to be paid to a general or special guardian or committee of an infant, idiot or person of unsound mind, or to an attorney appointed by the court to attend to the interest of any unknown owner or party in interest, not personally served with notice of the proceedings, and who has not appeared, for costs, expenses and counsel fees. They shall make a report to the supreme court, signed by them or a majority of them, of the proceedings before them, with the minutes of the testimony taken by them, if any. Said commissioners shall be entitled to three dollars for their expenses and services for each day they are engaged in the performance of their duties, to be paid by the company.

§ 17. On such report being made by said commissioners, the company shall give notice to the parties or their attorneys to be affected by the proceedings, according to the rules and practice of said court, at a general or special term thereof, for the confirmation of such report, and the court shall thereupon confirm such report and shall make an order, containing a recital of the substance of the proceedings in the matter of the appraisal, and a description of the real estate appraised for which compensation is to be made; and shall also direct to whom the money is to be paid, or in what bank, and in what manner it shall be deposited by the company.

shall

§ 18. A certified copy of the order so to be made as aforesaid, be recorded at full length in the clerk's office of the county in which the land described in it is situated; and thereupon, and on the payment or deposit by the company of the sums to be paid as compensation for the land, and for costs, expenses, and counsel fees as aforesaid, and as directed by said order, the company shall be entitled to enter