R O Y A L

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An Act to enable the Government to secure

Telegraphic Communication. [Passed April 19, 1869.]

E it enacted by the Administrator of the Government, Council and Assembly, as follows :—-

I. If the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company shall, on or before the First day of July next, lay down, in pro- per working order, a new submarine Telegra- phic Cable across the St'aits of Northumber- land, so as to connect this Island with the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the continent of America generally, that is to say, at or near Capes Traverse and Tormen- tine, respectively, or at some convenient points on each side of the said Straits, and shall open offices and provide operators at Capes Traverse and Tormentine, or some other convenient point on each side of the Straits, to the satis- faction and approval of the Government of this Island, then so long after the completion of such Telegraphic communication and connection as before mentioned as the said New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company shall maintain a regular telegraphic communi- cation be ween this Island and the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the continent of America generally, and shall, likewise, during the same period, at the costs and charges of the said Company, build, erect and maintain telegraph offices and stations at either end of the electric cable connecting this Island with the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the continent of America generally, that is to say, at Capes Traverse and Tormentine, reapectively, and shall, like- wise, maintain and provide preperly qualified ope ‘ators at the said stations for the purpose of transmitting intelligence from and to this Island, and to the Post Offices in Charlottetown and Summerside, respectively, at the same rates and charges, as regards the transmission of inland messages between one office and another in Prince Edward Island, as heretofore charged by the Company, and at a rate not ex- ceeding fifty cents additional on former charges on messages passing out and into this Island through the submarine cable, and in the ordi- nary proportiim for any additional number of words in each message, and, also, in the event of any of the people or the Government of this Island erecting good and sufficient posts, free of costs to the said Company, for an extension

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of the land line to Cascumpec or Alberton, the

said Company do furnish the wires and insula- tors therefor and perfect telegraphic com- munication to Cascumpec or Alberton, as the case may be, and maintain said lines in preper Working order, and also keep up and maintain telegraphic offices and stations and operators at Charlottetown, Summerside and Cascumpec or Alberton for the transmission of messages, there shall be paid to the said Company, from the public Treasury of this Island, the sum of six hundred pounds of lawful current money of the said Island, in lieu of any former contract, by half-yearly payments, and for such sum the Lieutenant Governor, or other Administrator of the Government of this Island,

'for the time being, shall draw Warrants in favor of the Company on the Treasurer of this

IIsland in the usual manner.

II. All the rights, privileges, profits and monopolies, with respect to extending, erect— ing, maintaining and building the said lines of telegraphic communication within this Island, or in connection with it externally, or of erecting, maintaining and building any other telegraphic line or communication in any other part of Island, or between any two or more points therein, or between any point or points therein and any other point outside of this Island, and all other rights, privileges, profits and monopolies given to or conferred upon the said Company, by the Act of the General As- sembly of this Island, of the seventeenth Vic- toria, Chapter four, are hereby confirmed, restored and given to the said Company.

III. Any other person or persons, besides the said Company,‘who, under the sanction ofthe Lieu- tenant Governor, or other Administrator of the Government of this Island, in Council, shall un— dertake or be employed or engaged in the erecting

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mentioned, for an extension ofthe land telegraphic lines or communication to Alberton or Cascum- ,pec, or to any other point or points in this

telegraphic posts, asin aformersection of this Act

Island, shall, in so doing, have all the rights,

protections and privileges given to and enjoyed

by the said Company under the provisions of the said Act of the seventeenth Victoria, Chapter four.

IV. In'case of the failure of the said Com- pany to perform, keep up and maintain the telegraphic communications aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the Lieutenant Governor, or other Administrator of the Government, for the time

being, in Council, to contract with any person