Chap. 268.—An- ACT to allow the city of Fredericksburg to supply
gas or electric. light for use-of said city, and to issue bonds of the
city to effect said purpose.

o Approved February 27, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be lawful for the city of Fredericksburg to provide for
supplying said city and the inhabitants thereof with a suitable
and adequate supply of gas,:.by leasing, or by the purchase and
enlargement, or improvement, of suitable gas works, or the
erection of new gas works, or by the erection of a plant for
supplying said city and its inhabitants with electric light, or
both gas and electric light; and to that end to borrow money,
and to issue and negotiate the bonds of said city for the same
to the extent of twenty-five thousand dollars.

2. Said bonds shall be known and designated as Fredericks-
burg gas or electric light bonds, as the case may be; they shall
be registered or coupon bonds, as may be determined by the
common council of said city; shall be issued in such denomina-
tions, and bear such rate of interest, not exceeding six per
centum per annum, as may be determined by said council. The
principal of said bonds shall be payable thirty years after the
first day of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, or
upon the call of said council at any time after ten years from
said date; said bonds shall bear the corporate seal of said city,
shall be signed by the mayor thereof, and countersigned by the
clerk of said council, and shall have printed on the face or back
thereof the statement that they were issued pursuant to the pro-
visions of this act, and the ratification by the voters of said
city, as prescribed herein. They shall be negotiated or sold in
such manner as may be prescribed by said council, and they
may be so negotiated or sold at less than par: provided, that
only so much money shall be borrowed hereunder, and such
amount of said bonds issued therefor, as may be necessary for
the purposes herein declared; and no money shall be borrowed,
nor any of said bonds issued therefor, unless and until a plan
or scheme for supplying said city with gas or electric light shall
be agreed upon and adopted by the council thereof, and ratified
by the vote of the qualified voters of said city, as hereinafter
provided.

3. The control and management of said gas works or electric
light plant, shall be under the direction of said council, to be
exercised by itself or through such committees or agencies as
it may adopt. And said council shall prescribe and regulate
the rates of charges to be paid for the use of gas or electric
lights furnished by the city; may impose fines and penalties for
the injury or abuse of said works or plant, or property con-
nected therewith, or for the abuse or waste of the gas or lights
furnished by said city; and may enforce and collect such fines
and penalties, and the charges for gas or lights, by distress or
otherwise, as said council may determine.

4. The revenues derived from the charges for gas or lights,
and the fines and penalities collected pursuant to the third sec-
tion hereof, shall, after paying the running expenses of said
works or electric light plant, be appropriated towards the pay-
ment—first, of the interest on the bonds herein authorized to
be issued; next, to provide a sinking fund for the liquidation
of said bonds, and then to such objects as the council may de-
termine. But to provide for keeping up and running said works
or plant, and the payment of the interest and principal of said
bonds, said council shall, in aid and supplement of said revenues,
levy and collect taxes on any or all subjects which it is now
or may hereafter be authorized to tax; and said council may
also secure the payment of the principal and interest of said
bonds by a mortgage or deed of trust upon all the works or
plant, rights and properties which may be erected, built or ac-
quired under this act. The sinking fund to be provided for
the liquidation of said bonds shall not be less than one per
centum per annum upon the amount of bonds outstanding.

5. For the purpose of erecting, building, enlarging or im-
proving gas works, or erecting an electric light plant, as afore-
said, and laying pipes and erecting wires therefrom, said city
may acquire, by purchase or otherwise, and hold such real and
personal property within or without said city as may be neces-
sary therefor; and may have such lands, within or without said
city, necessary for such purposes condemned, and the right of
way to plant poles and erect wires, acquired by proceeding
before the proper tribunal having jurisdiction over the same, in
the manner prescribed by the general laws of the state for con-
demning lands for other works of internal improvement,

6. After said council shall have matured and adopted a plan
or scheme for supplying said city with gas or electric light, as
aforesaid, it shall submit such plan or scheme to the qualified
voters of said city; at such time, and in such manner, as said
council may prescribe, consistent with this act, for their ratifi-
cation or rejection. At least ten days’ notice of thé time and
manner of such election shall be given, by publication in news-
papers published in said city, and by hand-bills posted therein;
and the result thereof shall be ascertained and declared in the
manner prescribed by said eounell, and shall be proclaimed by
the mayor by publication. If at such election, three-fifths of
the qualified voters of said city, who shall vote on said plan or
scheme, embracing a majority of the freeholders of said city so
voting thereon, shall appear to be in favor of said plan or
scheme, it shall be declared ratified, otherwise it shall be-de-
clared rejected, and this act shall be void; and such vote shall
be taken. within three years from the date of the approval of
this act, and not thereafter.
7. This act shall be in force from its passage.