Chap. 156.—An ACT to provide for working and keeping in order the
public reads in the County of Russell.

Approved February 25, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be lawful for the county of Russell, atter the first day
of May, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, to locate, open,
change, and repair highways, roads, and bridges, as follows:

2. It shall he the duty of the county judge of Russell
county, at the regular term of the court in May, eighteen
hundred and eivhty- four, and every two years thereafter, to
appoint one commissioner of roads in each mayisterial district
in said county, who shall qualify within thirty days there-
after, and give bond, with sufficient security, before said
court in the sum of five hundred dollars, for the faithful
performance of the duties of road commissioner in bis dis-
trict. Said commissioner shall reside in his district, and his
term of office shall be for two years, and until his successor
i8 appointed and qualitied.
3. It shall be the duty of said road commissioner, besides
ne other duties hereinafter described, to visit and inspect all
he roads in his district at least once every three months, and
ftener, if necessary, an'l to see that the roads and bridges
re in good repair and free from obstruction. His compensa-
ion shall be one dollar per diem for each day actually engaged,
o be paid out of the county treasury on the approval and
varrant of the board of supervisors, and it shall be his duty
O present to said board a sworn statement of the actual time
mployed by him in attending to the dutics of his office at
he regular meeting of said board.

4. Said commissioner shall, on or before the first day of
uly annually, after giving twenty days’ notice by written
r printed posters at ten public places in his magisterial dis-
rict of the time and place of letting, let each precinct to the
owest bidder for the term of one year from the first of July
n each year, requiring each contractor to give bond and
ufficient security in a sum not less than fifty dollars, payable
o the county, and to be applied by the commissioner to keep
1is roads in good repair and as the law directs; which bond
shall be filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors. and
recorded by him in a book kept for that purpose. There
hall not be more than three days consumed in the letting of
aid contracts, and upon failure to let any precinct or pre-
‘incts, or if in his judgment no one is willing to take such
precinct at a reasonable price, then he may make private
contracts for the working of same, requiring bond and security
as in other cases: provided said commissioner shall not be
interested in any road contract, directly or indirectly.

5. Changes and modifications in any public road, and the
establishment of new roads, shall be surveyed and located
according to the general road law, but the opening and work-
ing of same shall be by contract, as in other cases.

6. For ‘each magisterial district in the county there is
hereby constituted a road board, consisting of a road com-
missioner, the supervisor, and one of the justices of the dis-
trict, to be designated by the commissioner in writing. The
term of office of said board shall be the same as that of the
road commissioner. The said supervisor and justice shall be
alloted one dollar per day for each day actually engaged in
and about the roads of his district, and to be paid in the same
manner the road commissioner is paid.

7. It shall be the duty of said board, after being duly
sworn, to lay off the roads of said district into precincts, and
to assign to each precinct those hands must convenient, having
regard to the amount of labor necessary to keeping up said
precinct; and said board shall have power to change said
precincts at the end ot cach year, and to change the hands at
any time they may think proper.

8, All persons now held and liable to work on the public
roads shall hereafter be compelled to work one day in each
year on same, with such implement as the road contractor
may designate, and upon notice to be given by him, and on
failure to do so, he or thev shall forfeit the sum of one dollar,
to be collected be the county treasurer as other taxes to be
levied for road purposes, and to be added to the road fund ;
the failure of any band to work, when notified, shall be re-
ported to the treasurer by the road contractor.

9. The board of supervisors of the county shall, at’ their
regular meeting prior to the first of July in each vear. lay a
levy on all the taxable real and personal estate in said county,
not to exceed ten cents on the one hundred dollars worth of
property to be collected, and when collected, shall be placed
vy the treasurer to the credit of the road commissioners.

10. Every contractor of roads shall give credit tor all labor
performed on his precinct by the hands assigned thereto, at
the rate of one dollar per day, and the remainder of the sum
due him shall be paid by the county treasurer upon the order
of the road commissioner of his district, and which shall be
paid in quarterly instalments.

11. The county treasurer shall keep a record of all the
road tax and forfeitures received by him and disbursed, for
which he shall be liable, and shall reeeive the same commis-
sions as for the collection of other county taxes, and shall
make report in full, and shall settle with the board of super-
visors prior to the laving of the county levy in each vear.

12. All acts in contliet with this act are hereby revealed,
but the gencral road law, so far as the same is not in conflict
with this act. shall be applicable to the county of Russell.

13. This act shall take effect from its passage.