Bennett v. Western & Atlantic Railroad

1. The franchise of a chartered railroad corporation under which it has authority to maintain and operate a railroad can not be alienated or delegated so as to absolve the railroad company from its obligations and duties to the public without legislative consent relieving the railroad from such obligations. The mere legislative approval of and consent to a sublease or contract made by a chartered railroad company, by which the railroad company leases the right to the use of its tracks to another railroad company, in the absence of any legislative authority exempting the lessor company from…