Chap. 334.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 18, chapter 3. and
section 2, chapter 4 of an act entitled an act to provide a charter for
the city of Petersburg, approved March 11, 1875, relative to appeint-
ment of city engineer, and taxation on city bonds.

Approved April 4, 1877.

1. Be it enacted by the peneral assembly, That section
eighteen, chapter three, and section two, chapter four of an
act entitled an act to provide a charter for the city of Peters-
burg, approved March eleven, eighteen hundred and seventy-
five, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Chapter III., § 18. The common council may elect a super-
intendent of water-works, a register of the water-works, a
street commissioner, one clerk of centre market, one clerk of
old market, one keeper of the powder magazine, a keeper ot
the bay scales, and a keeper of the Blandford cemetery; each
of whom shall hold his office for the term of two years, un-
less sooner removed from office; and shall execute such suffi-
cient bonds and receive such compensation as the council
may prescribe. And if, at any time, it shall be adjudged by
two-thirds of all the members of the council, by vote taken
by yeas and nays, and recorded, that the interest of the city
demands the creation of other officers, then such as they may
prescribe may be, by such authority, created; and the duties
prescribed and devolved upon such existing officers as the
council may designate or otherwise, upon such persons as
they may elcct specially to discharge the same, and for their
performance they will prescribe the compensation, and take
trom them all necessary and sufficient bond: provided that
the term of office of any such person so elected to any office
created as aforesaid, shall not extend beyond the last day of
June, in the year in which any election of any portion of
said council may occur: and provided further, that within
sixty days after the passage of this act, and every sixth year
thereafter, on the first Monday in June, the common council
of the city of Petersburg sha!l, upon a petition of a majority
of the real estate owners of said city, appoint a suitable and
competent person to be city engineer and architect, for the
term of six years, or until his successor shall be appointed
and duly qualified; his duties and powers shall be such as
were required by an ordinance of the city council defining
the duties and powers of the city engineer, that was in force
May first, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, ‘until otherwise
amended by not less than three-fourths of the city council.
The common council shall require of the city engineer a bond,
conditioned in a penalty of ten thousand dollars, with suffi-
cient sureties, for the faithful performance of his duties as
city engineer and architect. The salary of city engineer
and architect shall be fixed, to be paid out of the city trea-
sury upon a warrant: provided that nothing in this act shall
be construed to prevent the removal of the city engineer for
malfeasance or misfeasance, or incompetency in office, upon
conviction thereof, npon a full hearing of the case.

Chapter 1V., § 2. For the execution of its powers and du-
*ies, the common council may raise, annually, by taxes and
assessments, in said city, such sums of money as they may
deem necessary to defray the expenses of the same, and in
such manner as they shall deem expedient, in accordance
with the laws of the state and the United States: provided
however, that they shall impose no tax on any capital in-
vested in real estate, or employed in manufacture outside the
city limits, although the person or persons engaged in said
business or manufacture have a place of business in said city.
Neither shall they impose any tax at the same time upon
the stock of a corporation and upon the dividends thereon;
nor upon any capital, income, interest, or dividends, where
a license or other tax is imposed upon the business in
which the capital is employed, or upon the principal money,
credit, or stock from which the interest, income, or dividend
is derived; nor upon the income derived from the rent of
real estate, when such real estate is taxed. Said taxes shall
be equal and uniform upon all property, both real and per-
sonal. The capital invested in all business operations shall
be assessed and taxed ag other property. Assessments upon
all stock shall be according to the market value thereof.
The, said council may, once in every five years, have the
taxable real estate in said city re-assessed, and upon the value
so ascertained shall assess the taxes necessary to be raised
thereon.
2. This act shall be in force from its passage.