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shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but no Commissioner shall participate in any hearing or proceeding in which he has any pecuniary interest. Said Commission may from time to time make » amend suoh general rules or orders as may be requisite for the order and regulation of proceedings before it, including forms of notices and the service thereof, which shall conform, as nearly as maybe, to those in use in the Courts of the United States. Any party may appear before said Commission and he heard, in person or by attorney. Every vote and official act of the Commission shall be entered of record, and its proceedings shall be public upon the request of either party interested. Said Commission shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially notioed. Either of the members of the Commission may administer oaths and affirmations and sigu subpoenas. Sec. 18. (As amended.) That each Commissioner shall receive an annual salary of seven thousand five hundred dollars, payable in the same manner as the Judges of the Courts of the United States. The Commission shall appoint a Secretary, who shall receive an annual salary of three thousand five hundred dollars, payable in like manner. The Commission shall have authority to employ and fix the compensation of such other employees as it may find necessary to the proper performance of its duties. Until otherwise provided by law, the Commission may hire suitable offices for its use, and shall have authority to procure all necessary office supplies. Witnesses summoned before the Commission shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the Courts of the United States. All of the expenses of the Commission, including all necessary expenses for transportation incurred by the Commissioners, or by their employees under their orders, in making any investigation, or upon official business in any other places than in the City of Washington, shall be allowed and paid on the presentation of itemised vouchers therefor approved by the Chairman of the Commission. Sec. 19. That the principal office of the Commission shall be in the City of Washington, where its general sessions shall be held ; but whenever the convenience of the public or the parties may be promoted, or delay or expense prevented thereby, the Commission may hold special sessions in any part of the United States. Tt may, by one or more of the Cemmissioners, prosecute any inquiry necessary to its duties, in any part of the United States, into any matter or question of fact pertaining to the business of any common carrier subject to the provisions of this Act. See 20. That the Commission is hereby authorised to require annual reports from all common carriers subject to the provisions of this Act, to fix the time and presoribe the manner in which such reports shall be made, and to require from such carriers specifio answers to all questions upon which the Commission may need information. Such annual reports shall show in detail the amount of capital stock issued, the amounts paid therefor, and the manner of payment for tbe same ; the dividends paid, the surplus fund, if any, and the number of stockholders ; the funded and floating debts, and the interest paid thereon ; the cost and value of the carrier's property, franchises, and equipments ; the number of employees, and the salaries paid each class; the amounts expended for improvements each year, how expended, and the character of such improvements; the earnings and receipts from each branch of business and from all sources ; the operating and other expenses ; the balances of profit and loss ; and a complete exhibit of the financial operations of the carrier each year, including an annual balance-sheet. Such reports shall also contain such information in relation to rates or regulations concerning fares or freights, or agreements, arrangements, or contracts with other common carriers, as the Commission may require ; and the said Commission may, within its discretion, for the purpose of enabling it the better to carry out the purposes of this Act, prescribe (if in the opinion of the Commission it is practicable to presoribe such uniformity and methods of keeping acoounts) a period of time within which all common carriers subject to the provisions of this Act shall have, as near as may be a uniform system of accounts, and the manner in whioh such accounts shall be kept. Sec. 21. (As amended 2nd March, 1889.) That the Commission shall, on or before the first day of December in each year, make a report, which shall be transmitted to Congress, and copies of which shall be distributed as are the other reports transmitted to Congress. This report shall contain such information and data collected by the Commission as may be considered of value in the determination of questions connected with the regulation of commerce, together with such recommendations as to additional legislation relating thereto as the Commission may deem necessary ; and the names and compensation of the persons employed by said Commission. Sec. 22. (As amended 2nd March, 1889, and Bth February, 1895.) That nothing in this Act shall prevent the carriage, storage, or handling of property free or at reduced rates for the United States, State or municipal governments, or for charitable purposes, or to or from fairs and expositions for exhibition thereat, or the free carriage of destitute and homeless persons transported by charitable societies, and the necessary agents employed in such transportation, or the issuance of mileage, excursion, or commutation passenger tickets ; nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit any common carrier from giving reduced rates to ministers of religion, or to municipal governments for the transportation of indigent persons, or to inmates of the national homes or State homes for disabled Volunteer soldiers, and of soldiers' and sailors' orphan homes, inoluding those about to enter and those returning home after discharge under arrangements with the boards of managers of said homes; nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent railroads from giving free carriage to their own officers and employees, or to prevent the principal officers of any railroad company or companies from exchanging passes or tickets with other railroad companies for their officers and employees; and nothing in this Act contained shall in any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at common law or by statute, but the provisions of this Act are in addition to such remedies : Provided that no pending li'.igation shall in any way be affected by this Act: Provided, further, that nothing in this Act shall prevent the issuance of joint interchangeable five-thousand-mile tickets, with spacial privileges as to the amount of free baggage that may be carried under mileage tickets of one thousand or more miles. But before any common carrier subject to the provisions of this Act shall issue any such joint interchangeable mileage tickets with special privileges as aforesaid, it shall file with the Inter-State Commerce Commission copies of the joint tariffs of rates, fares, or oharges on whioh suoh joint interchangeable mileage tickets are to be based, together with specifications of the amount of free baggage permitted to be carried under such tickets, in the same manner as common carriers are required to do with regard to other joint rates by seotion six of this Act; and all the provisions of said section six relating to joint rates, fares, and oharges shall be observed by said common carriers and enforced by the Inter-State Commerce Commission as fully with regard to such joint interchangeable mileage tickets as with regard to other joint rates, fares, and charges referred to in said section six. It shall be unlawful for any common carrier that has issued or authorised to be issued any such joint interchangeable mileage tickets to demand, collect, or receive from any person or persons a greater or less compensation for transportation of persons or baggage under such joint interchangeable mileage tickets than that required by the rate, fare, or charge specified in the oopies of the joint tariff of rates, fares, or charges filed with the Commission in force at the time. The provisions of seotion ten of this Act shall apply to any violation of the requirements of this proviso. (New Section, added 2nd March, 1889.) That the Circuit and District Courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction upon the relation of any person or persons, firm or corporation, alleging such violation by a common carrier, of any of the provisions of the Act to which this is a supplement, and all Acts amendatory thereof, as prevents the relator from having inter-State traffic moved by said oommon carrier at the same rates as are charged, or upon terms or conditions as favourable as those given, by said common carrier for like traffio under similar conditions to any other shipper to issue a writ or writs of mandamus against said common carrier commanding such common carrier to move and transport the traffic, or to furnish cars or other facilities for transportation for the party applying for the writ: Provided that if any question of fact as to the proper compensation to the oommon carrier for the service to be enforced by the writ is raised by the pleadings, the writ of peremptory mandamus may issue, notwithstanding such question of fact is undetermined, upon such terms as to security, payment of money into the Court, or otherwise as the Court may think proper pending the determination of the question of fact: Provided that the remedy hereby given by writ of mandamus shall be cumulative, and shall not be held to exclude or interfere with other remedies provided by this Act or the Act to which it is a supplement. Public No. 41, approved 4th February, 1887, as amended by Public No. 125, approved 2nd March, 1889, and Public No. 72, approved 10th February, 1891. Public No. 38, approved Bth February, 1895.