The ferry-men to give strict attention, &c. Proviso. The owners, &c. of ferries, entitled to the emoluments. Proviso. The fares stat er, for the safe and speedy transportation of passengers, their teams, cattle, horses or other creatures; and said boat, boats or scows, shall, at all times, be well furnished with suitable oars, and other implements necessary for the service, and also with men of sufficient number, strength, discretion and skill, to manage the same; and there shall be erected at each ferry, and at all times kept in good repair, all necessary wharves at the places of embarking and landing, that passengers, their teams, cattle, horses and other creatures, may be embarked and landed, without danger, or unnecessary delay. SECT. 3. The ferry-men employed to manage the ferry-boats and scows, and tend the ferry, shall, at the ferries, for which they are respectively employed, give constant and diligent attention to that business, from sunrise, until nine of the clock at night, from the first of April to the first of October, in each year, and until eight of the clock at night, from the first of October to the first of April; and shall not deny or delay, the speedy carrying over of any passenger, his team, cattle, horses or other creatures. Provided, that no ferry-man be compellable to put off from shore, or attempt to pass any ferry, when it manifestly appears to be hazardous so to do, by reason of any storm, tempest or ice. SECT. 4. The owner or owners, keeper or keepers of any ferry, authorized and established by law, and kept agreeably to this act, shall have the exclusive privilege of the transportation across the same, of all passengers, their teams, horses, cattle, and other property, from the place where such ferry is established, to every other ferry-place, or usual place of landing, and be entitled to all the fare by law arising therefrom. Provided, that nothing herein contained, shall be construed, to prevent any person from passing such ferry, in his own, or his neighbors' boats, or canoes, on his or their own business. SECT. 5. The fares that are, or may be stated and ed by the gen- fixed, by the general assembly, for each ferry, and no eral assembly, other, may be demanded and received, for the transmay be received, and no oth-portation of any persons, their teams, cattle, horses and other property over the same; and every ferry-man, or other person employed at a ferry, that shall demand and take more than the fare so stated and fixed, shall forfeit the sum of three dollars, to any informer, who shall sue for and recover the same; in the trial whereof no appeal shall be allowed. on penalty. A post with the are thereon be kept to at each ierry, SECT. 6. On each side of every river, or body of water, where a ferry is, or may be authorised, and established, there shall be fixed a post, with the several fares, allowed by law for such ferry, written thereon in large letters, so near the place, where passengers enter the the fare. boat, used for such ferry, that the same, with the writing on forfeiture of thereon, shall be open and legible to such passengers: and if, at any time, any ferry-place shall be deficient in such post, no fare shall be receivable thereat, during such deficiency. commissioners may order reselect-men of pairs &c. by towns, in a limited time. SECT. 7. The senate shall annually appoint two com- The senate to missioners on each and every of the ferries, in this state, appoint two except on the Middletown ferry, who shall be denomin- for each ferry; ated commissioners of ferries; whose duty it shall be, as their duty: often as, in their opinion, the public good shall require it, carefully to inquire into the management of the ferry, over which they shall respectively be appointed; to inspect the boats, scows and oars, used at said ferry; and the wharves, causeways and landing-places, appurtenant thereto; and to see whether said ferry be kept and attended, by suitable ferry-men, and according to law. And if said commissioners shall, at any time, find, that said wharves, causeways, landing-places, boats, scows and oars, or any or either of them, are not in good repair, or convenient and suitable for the purpose of said ferry, or that said ferry is, in any respect, not kept and maintained according to law, it shall be the duty of such commissioners, to notify one or more of the select-men of the town, in which such ferry is, or of the towns between which such ferry is, (where such ferry shall be over a stream, or body of water, dividing two towns,) in writing, pointing out, particularly, the defect or deficiency complained of, or noticed by them, with an order to such select-men, that such defect or deficiency, relative to such ferry, be repaired, or furnished, according to law, by said town or towns, within a reasonable time, limited in such order; and in case the said order is not complied with, by said town, or towns, in the time therein limited, it shall be the duty of said commissioners, to cause such deficiency or defects to be repaired, and furnished and supplied, as soon as possible, to answer the law, and make report of the expense of the same to the county court, in the county where such town or towns, covered or one of them, is situate; and such court shall liquidate against the said expence, and grant execution therefor, in favor of said commissioners, against such town or towns. On failure of towns to make repairs, the commissioners to make them, and exhibit their account to the county court, to be al lowed and re towns. ers may sus SECT. 8. If the commissioners of any ferry, shall find Commissionany ferry-man negligent of his duty, in attending said pend or disferry, or unqualified for the same, they shall have power miss ferryto suspend, or displace such negligent or unqualified fer- men ; ry-man; giving written notice of the same to the town or towns, through their select-men, whose duty it is made by this act, to see that said ferry is kept and maintained; and thereupon it shall not be lawful for such ferry-man, to attend said ferry, until said suspension shall have ex and prescribe the number of ferry-men for each boat. : pired, or until he shall be restored by said commissioners; and said town or towns, shall thereupon employ another man, to attend said ferry and the number of ferrymen to attend each boat, shall be prescribed by the commissioners. And in case the said town or towns, when notified as aforesaid, shall not forthwith employ another, or a suitable number of ferry-men, it shall be Towns to fur- the duty of the commissioners to employ one, or a suitable number, at the expence of such town or towns, so long as such town or towns continue in such neglect; and such expence shall be liquidated and recovered in manner aforesaid. nish them; or commis sioners may, at their expense. The ferries of New-London, Saybrook and Middletown, to be furnish ed with two boats. SECT. 9. At each of the ferries of New-London, Saybrook and Middletown, and at all others, that are, or may be, so directed, by the general assembly, two good and sufficient boats, shall be constantly kept, for the use of the same; and for the more speedy accommodation of passengers, the ferry-men employed at those ferries, shall How managed. not suffer both the boats, to lie at the same time, on one side of the ferry, but as soon as one boat has crossed such ferry, the other boat shall immediately put off, and go to the other side, whether there be any passengers ready to go over or not, unless the other boat shall immediately return; and when any passengers are waiting on the other side of the ferry, after the boat from that side has put off, the other ferry-boat shall immediately put off, to carry over the passengers; and if any ferry-man or ferrymen, shall neglect to conform to the true intent and meaning of this section, he or they, for every such offence, or neglect, shall forfeit and pay the sum of three dollars, to any person who shall sue for and prosecute the same, to effect. Provided nevertheless, that at the ferry at Middletown, dletown ferry. during stormy, tempestuous weather, and at flood time, one boat only shall be used, which shall be manned by all the men belonging to both boats, and shall be regularly and vigilantly attended. Penalty on fer ry-man, for neglect of duty. Proviso in re lation to Mid The ferry of SECT. 10. The ferry across Connecticut river, between Middletown to the towns of Middletown and Chatham, shall be kept be kept by the and maintained exclusively, by the Colchester and ChatChatham turn- ham turnpike company; and the said company shall pike company. have and possess the said ferry, with all its appurten Colchester and How furnished. ances and privileges, in as full and ample a manner as they have been heretofore possessed and enjoyed, by the town of Middletown; and said company shall become bound, in the sum of two thousand dollars, with surety, to the acceptance of the treasurer of this state, to keep and maintain said ferry, as is in this act provided: and in addition to the accommodations before in this act, prescribed for ferries, the said turnpike company, shall, at all times, provide a ferry-house, sufficient for the ac One horse boats. ccommodation of those, who attend said ferry, on each side of said ferry, and near thereto, with sufficient land for landing-places, and every thing necessary and convenient for the transportation of carriages and stages over said ferry. Provided, that the said turnpike company, Proviso. in lieu of the two boats herein before prescribed, to be kept at said ferry, may, if they deem it expedient, provide one good horse-boat, sufficient both for size, strength and steadiness, for the safe transportation of all passengers, boat, may be stages, carriages, and every thing necessary to be trans- kept, in lieu ported in said boat, across said river, at said ferry; which of two ferryboat shall be kept in constant readiness, with a sufficient number of horses, and proper men, as circumstances may require, to manage said boat, in transporting passengers, and whatever else may be necessary to be transported as aforesaid; and said horse-boat shall be regularly and vigilantly attended, and shall ply in such manner as shall, in the opinion of the commissioners of said turnpike road, who shall be commissioners of said ferry, accommodate the public equally with the mode prescribed in this act, in relation to the two boats at said ferry. And the said turnpike company, may divide the interest in said ferry into such shares, and dispose of them in such manner, as they may deem expedient. And the town of New-London, or their lessees, may, in like manner, if they deem it expedient, provide a horse-boat, at the ferry between the towns of New-London and Groton, pro- New-London. vided such boat shall, in the opinion of the commissioners of the ferry, accommodate the public equally with the mode prescribed by this act. Horse-boat at by the towns SECT. 11. The ferry between the towns of Saybrook and Saybrook ferLyme, called Saybrook ferry, shall be kept and maintain- ry to be kept ed by said towns of Saybrook and Lyme; and the town of Saybrook of Saybrook may receive all the fare and emoluments and Lyme. accruing for the transportation of passengers, and of every thing necessary to be transported across said ferry, The west side from the west side of said ferry, to the east side thereof; to be kept by Saybrook. and shall be liable to all the expence of keeping in good and sufficient repair the highway or pathway leading to said ferry, on the west side thereof, which shall be kept above the tides; and of keeping in repair the wharf, causeway, landing-places and steps on said west side; which wharf and causeway, shall, at all times, be kept raised six feet higher than low water mark, and shall be, at least, eighteen feet wide; and said town shall be liable for one half of the expence of providing and keeping in repair, of manning and furnishing, all boats and scows, necessary to be used at said ferry, and as shall be directed by the commissioners thereof .And the said town of Lyme, The east side may receive all the fare and emoluments, accruing for the to be kept by transportation of passengers, and of every thing necesLyme. sary to be transported across said ferry, from the east side to the west side thereof; and shall be liable to all the expence of keeping in good and sufficient repair, the highway leading to the said ferry-place, on the east side. thereof, which shall, at all times, be kept above the tides; and of building, or keeping in repair, the wharf, causeway, landing-places and steps, on the east side of said ferry; which shall be of the same height and width, and, in all respects, kept in the same manner, as is, in this section, provided for the wharf, &c. on the west side of said ferry; and said town of Lyme shall be liable, for the other half of the expence of providing and keeping in repair, of manning and furnishing, all boats and scows necessary to be used at said ferry, and as shall be directed by the commissioners thereof: Provided nevertheless, that said commissioners may, at any time, according to the circumstances of the case, determine what part of said expense, as well as what part of their own compensation, shall be paid by one or the other of said towns, which shall then be paid according to such determination. Commissioners may determine the pro portion of expence, which each town shall pay. Compensation of the commissioners. Fares of fer- Warner's, Higganum's, SECT. 12. The commissioners of ferries shall be allowed, for their time and expences, in attending to the duties of their office, the same compensation, which, by law is, or may be, allowed, to commissioners of turnpike roads; which compensation shall be paid, by the town or towns, so keeping, or corporations, liable by this act, to keep and maintain the ferry, of which the said commissioners shall be, respectively, appointed. SECT. 13. The fares of the several ferries hereinafter named, shall be as follows, to wit:-At New-London ferry, Middletown ferry, Chapman's ferry, Brockway's ferChapman's, ry, Warner's ferry, Higganum's ferry, Haddam-Island Brockway's, ferry, East-Haddam ferry, and Middle-Haddam-landing ferry, for each man, horse and load, eight cents; for each footman, three cents; for each led horse, five cents; for each ox, or other neat kine, eight cents; for each sheep, swine or goat, one cent. And the fare for Middle-Had- every two wheeled carriage, with one man and draft horse, shall be double, and for every four wheeled carriage, one man and draft horse, or other beast, treble, the fare of a man, horse and load, as above stated; and for every additional person or horse, or other beast, the same as above stated. dam, dam. Saybrook. SECT. 14. At Saybrook ferry, from first of October to first of April; for each man, horse and load, fourteen cents; for each footman, six cents; for each led horse |