Van Hostrup v. Madison City

Indianapolis, in the interior of the State, to Madison, was in operation, and brought down from one part of the interior where Indianapolis is, to Madison, on the Ohio River, the products of the State. This road passed through Columbus. The Columbus and Shelby Company (the company to which the subscription was made), was organized to construct a road from Columbus to Shelby County, terminating at Shelbyville. But Columbus was forty-six miles from Madison; Shelbyville being about twenty-three north of it. Through Columbus, and by means of the connection with the Madison and Indianapolis road, the Columbus and Shelby road did lead to Madison and nowhere else; though if regarded as an independent and isolated road, and as one between Shelby and Columbus only, it could not be said to be a road to the city designated. The diagram will elucidate the matter. As respected the required 'petition of two-thirds of the citizens,' the matter rested apparently upon an entry on the minutes of the City Council, which stated that 'the freeholders of the city of Madison, with great unanimity, had petitioned,' &c.