Regulation of Railways Act 1868

35 Meeting preliminary to Application for Act or Certificate.

When a Bill is introduced into either House of Parliament conferring on an incorporated Company additional Powers, or when an incorporated Company applies to the Board of Trade for a Certificate conferring on it additional Powers, the following Provisions shall have Effect; namely,

• 1st. Before the Bill is read a Second Time in the House of Parliament into which it is first introduced, or before the Application is made to the Board of Trade (as the Case may be), the Bill or Draft Certificate (as the Case may be) shall be submitted to a Meeting of the Proprietors of such Company at a Meeting held specially for that Purpose :

• 2d. Such Meeting shall be called by Advertisement inserted once in each of Two consecutive Weeks in a Morning Newspaper published in London, Edinburgh, or Dublin, as the Case may be, and in a Newspaper of the County or Counties in which the principal Office or Offices of the Company is or are situate, and also by a Circular addressed to each Proprietor at his registered or last known or usual Address, and sent by Post or delivered at such Address not less than Ten Days before the holding of such Meeting enclosing a Blank Form of Proxy, with proper Instructions for the Use of the same; and the same Form of Proxy and, the same Instructions shall be sent to every such Proprietor, and shall be addressed to each Proprietor on the Back of the Form of Proxy ; but no such Form of Proxy shall be stamped before it is sent out, nor shall the Funds of the Company be used for the stamping of any Proxies, nor shall any Intimation be sent as to any Person to whom the Proxy may be given or addressed; and no other Circular or Form of Proxy relating to such Meeting shall be sent to any Proprietor from the Office of the Company, or by any Director or Officer of the Company so describing himself :

• 3d. Such Meeting shall be held on a Day not earlier than Seven Days after the last Insertion of such Advertisement, and may be held on the same Day as an ordinary General Meeting of the Company :

• 4th. At such Meeting the Bill or Draft Certificate shall be submitted to the Proprietors, and shall not be proceeded with unless approved of by Proprietors present in Person or by proxy, holding at least Three Fourths of the paid-up Capital of the Company represented at such Meeting, such Proprietors being qualified to vote at all ordinary Meetings of the Company in right of such Capital; the Votes of Proprietors of any paid-up Shares or Stock, other than Debenture Stock, not qualified to vote at ordinary Meetings, whose Interests may be affected by the proposed Act or Certificate, if tendered at the Meeting, shall be recorded separately :

• 5th. There shall be laid before Parliament or the Board of Trade (as the Case may require) a Statement of the Number of Votes if a Poll was taken, and the Number of Votes recorded separately.