vert to his own use, any passenger railroad tickets, which have come to his hands or charge by virtue of his office or employment, he shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Prison not exceeding ten years, or by fine not exceeding three thousand dollars, or both, at the discretion of the Court. In any prosecution under this section, it shall be lawful to include in a charge, as one offense, all acts constiuting such offence committed between certain days set forth; and it shall be sufficient to set forth by their value, a general nature of the tickets alleged to have been unlawfully taken; and it shall be sufficient to maintain the charge, if it shall be proved upon the trial that any such tickets were, within the period set forth, embezzled, disposed of, or converted, as alleged.

SEC. 6. Any director or other officer of any incorporated railroad company, who shall make or issue any unauthorized, or a fraudulent certificate of stock, bond, or obligation of such company, or who shall aid, abet, procure or consent to any such making or issuing, knowing the same to be unauthorized and fraudulent, shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Prison not exceeding ten years, or by fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or both, at the discretion of the Court.

Approved April 5, 1869.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS.

Constitutional Provisions affecting Corporations.

ARTICLE

XV.

CORPORATIONS.

SEC. 1. Corporations may be formed under general laws; but shall not be created by special act, except for municipal purposes. All laws passed pursuant to this section may be altered, amended, or repealed.

SEC. 7. The stockholders of all corporations and joint stock associations shall be individually liable for all labor performed for such corporation or association.

SEC. 8. The Legislature shall pass no law altering or amending any act of incorporation heretofore granted, without the assent of two-thirds of the members of each house; nor shall' any such act be renewed or extended. This restriction shall not apply to municipal corporations.

SEC. 9. The property of no person shall be taken by any corporation for public use without compensation being first made or secured, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 10. No corporation, except for municipal purposes, or for the construction of railroads, plank roads and canals, shall be created for a longer time than thirty years.

SEC. 11. The term "corporation," as used in the pre

ceding sections of this article, shall be construed to include all associations and joint stock companies having any of the powers or privileges of corporations, not possessed by individuals or partnerships. All corporations shall have the right to sue, and be subject to be sued in all courts, in like cases as natural persons.

SEC. 12. No corporation shall hold any real estate hereafter acquired, for a longer period than ten years, except such real estate as shall be actually occupied by such corporation in the exercise of its franchises.

SEC. 13. The Legislature shall provide for the incorporation and organization of cities and villages, and shall restrict their powers of taxation, borrowing money, contracting debts and loaning their credit.

SEC. 15. Private property shall not be taken for public improvements in cities and villages without the consent of the owner, unless the compensation therefor shall first be determined by a jury of freeholders, and actually paid or secured in the manner provided by law.

SEC. 16. Previous notice of any application for an alteration of the charter of any corporation shall be given in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

General Provisions Relating to Corporations.

AN ACT for the preservation of Railroads and other works belonging to the State.

[Session Laws of 1838, page 10.]

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That if any person or persons shall willfully and maliciously burn, break, cut, throw down, or destroy the whole or any part of any water station, locomotive engine, stationary engine, engine-house or other building, machinery, rope,

sheave, sill, cross-tie, wooden or iron rail, chain, bolt, wedge, switch, turning platform, block, wall, bridge, culvert, drain or bank, belonging to any railroad constructed by the State, or stop up or obstruct any such railroad, or any engine, machinery, rope, sheave, switch, turning platform, culvert, drain, conduit pipe, water station or well, belonging to any railroad constructed as aforesaid, such person or persons shall, for every such offence, pay all the damages arising from such burning, breaking, cutting, throwing down, stopping, or destroying; and on conviction thereof, before any Circuit Court of this State, of the proper county, shall be sentenced to imprisonment at hard] labor, for any term not exceeding ten years, in the jail of the proper county, or in the penitentiary of the State, at the discretion of the court before whom the conviction may be had.

SEC. 2. If any person shall wantonly open or shut, or shall cause to be opened or shut, any part of a locomotive engine, stationary engine, switch, turning platform, or machinery, or put such engine, machinery or rope in motion, or shall kindle a fire for such purpose, or shall drive any nails, spikes, pins or wedges into a part of the railroad, or into any engine, machinery, switch, turning platform, or fixtures thereof, or shall take any other means to prevent the perfect and free use of the same, or shall wantonly or maliciously break, throw down or destroy any fence, wall or timber work, or bridge or place made for crossing the railroad or any of the railroads constructed by the State, such person or persons shall, for every offence, forfeit any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars, and pay all damages consequent upon such offence, and be imprisoned in the jail of the county where such offence may be committed, upon the warrant of the court before whom a conviction shall be had, for a term not exceeding six calendar months.