Chap. 511.—An ACT to provide for the establishment of lunatic
usvlum in Southwestern Virginia.

Approved March 18, 1884

Whereas the accommodations for lunatics in the present
asylums are insufficient ; and whereas it is desirable to locate
an asylum in that section of the state known as the South-
west; therefore,

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
Samuel H. Mottett, of Rockingham county, Richard H. Cox,
of King William county, Ferdinand Roser, of Roanoke coun-
ty, E. W. Nichols, of Lexington, Emory Burns, of Ports-
mouth, Charles W. Statham, of Lynchburg, Thomas F. Goode,
of Mecklenburg, and Dr. Harvey Black, of Montgomery
county, be and they are hereby constituted and appointed a
board of commissioners for the purpose of selecting a site for
another lunatic asylum, to be known as the Southwestern
lunatic asylum, for the accommodation of white lunatics, so
that such site shall be selected at some point in this state,
west of New river, having reference to eligibility of site,
healtbtulness of location, facility of construction and local as-
sistance: provided that the county or corporation in which
such site is selected, shall donate to the commonwealth suffi-
cient lands or lots for the purpose of such asylum. A major-
ity of such board shall constitute a board for the transaction
of business. It shall be the duty of the said commissioners
to meet at central depot, in the county of Montgomery,
on the fourth day of June, eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
or as soon thereafter as practicable, and they shall, after hav-
ing selected a president and secretary from among their own
number, proceed forthwith to execute the duty “required of
them by this act, and make report to the board of public
works. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the board of
public works, at least four weeks betore the meeting of said
commissioners, to give notice of such meeting by publication
in at least one newspaper, published in cach of the counties
interested, stating in said notice the object of such meeting,
and calling upon ‘the properly constituted authorities of any
such counties or cor poration desiring the location of said
asylum to indicate what induc ements. they offer in order to
secure the location of the same. The actual and necessary
traveling, and other incidental expenses of the said commis-
sioners shall be paid out of the sum hereinafter appropriated.

2. When the said commissioners shall have made the selec-
tion of a site for the asylum in pursuance of the foregoing
section, and shall have secured a deed conveying to the com-
monwealth a good and valid fee-simple title to the land
selected as aforesaid, they shall make report to the governor,
and thereupon he shall convene the board of public works,
who shall forthwith take the necessary steps to procure from
competent architects, plans, desi¢ns and specifications for build-
ings to be erected upon the site selected as aforesaid, and the
sum of fifteen hundred dollars is hereby appropriated tor the
purpose of carrying out the provisions of this and the pre-
ceding section, to be audited by and paid on the order of the
board of public works; and it shall be the duty of the board
of public works to select from the plans so to be submitted
to them, a plan for the said asylum buildings.

3. It shall be the duty of the governor at tthe next meeting
of the general assembly, to submit to it the report of the
commissioners, made to him, and the plans, designs and speci-
fications selected by the board of public works.

4. This act shall be in force from its passage.