Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/328

 276 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Cas. 782,783. 1900. T°“· Sec. 3. That said South Saint Paul Railroad Companr shall have the j , right to charge and collect a reasonable rate of toll fbri the passage across said bridge of all railroad and other vehicles, animals, and foot p {,°',g,;°-0, mumds passengers, subject to approval of Secretary of War: Provided, That cause. all railroad companies desiring the use-of said bridge shall have and . be. entitled to equal rights and (privileges relative to the passage of trains or cars over the same an over the approaches thereto upon the payment of a reasonable compensation for such use; and in case the owner or owners of such bridge and the several companies, or any one of them, desiring such use shall fail to agree upon the sum or sums to be paid, and upon the rules and conditions to which each shall conform in using said bridge, all matters at issue between them shall be decided by the Secretary of War upon a hearing of the allegations and proofs of the parties; and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies. ,,,,(§°c'('},,‘§,§’,§,‘f,f,j"°“° Sec. 4. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction ‘, of the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within one year and completed within three years of the date of approval thereof. ,u}`§§§"d1,’§(`}[,{“,l0,‘§$,f,‘}°‘ Sec. 5. That the bridge built under this Act and subject to its limitations shall be a lawful structure, and shall be known and recognized as a post route upon which also no hi her charge shall be made for the transportation over the same of tie mail, the troops and munitions of war of the United States than the rates per mile paid for transportation over railroads or public highways leading to the said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the V United States. e · ·‘¤¤°¤d¤>¤¤*- Sec. 6. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. i i V _ Approved, June 6,,1900. J“¤0 @1900- CHAP. 783.-An Act To authorize the Alexandria and Pineville Bridge Company `Yto build and maintain a traffic bridge across Red River at the town of Alexandria, in the parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rqoresentatives of the [/Zzited P,—g;‘§1F,*}€¤B*;;g **8 301;} States of Amervba in Congress assembled, That the Alexandria and Pinegany may bridge neu ville Bridge Company, a corporation duly incorporated and existing LQYH “° ‘u°‘““°"‘“· under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Louisiana, be, and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain a traffic bridge across Red River at a point suitable to the interest of navigation, within the corporate limits of the town of Alexandria, in the parish of Rapides, T’“”“i°· State of Louisiana. Said bridge shall be constructed to provide for the passage of vehicles, street- railway cars, foot passengers, stock, and T°“· such other trafHc as may be desired, at such legal rates of toll as may be iixed by said company, and approved by the Secretary of War. ,u'f§,,l},€dl,§(§[,{‘§0,§§,{,‘f°‘ Sec. 2. That said bridge built under this Act, and subject to its limitations, shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and known as a post route, upon which also no higher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate paid for the transmission over the public highways leading to the said bridge,_and shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the United ,,0°,Q,‘;,j,$,§,,;f‘*Ph~ ""°·· States; and equal privileges in the use of said brid e shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies; and the Tlnited States shall _ have the right of way across Said brid e and its a proaches for postal- Z§g?{‘§·,,,,,,g,,,0,,_ telegraph puigposesz Provided, That tie bridge iierein authorized to be construcfe shall be so kept and managed by the company owning or operating it as to adord proper ways and means for the passage through or under it of vessels, barges, or rafts at all times, both by