CHAP. 315.—An ACT to incorporate the town of Cape Charles, in
the county of Northampton.

Approved March 1, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the town of Cape Charles, in the county of Northampton, as
the same has been or may hereafter be laid off into lots, streets
and alleys, be and the same is hereby made a town cogporate,
by the name of Cape Charles, and by that name shall have and
exercise the powers conferred upon towns of less than five
thousand inhabitants by the laws of Virginia now existing, or
which may hereafter be enacted, so far as the same are not in
conflict with the provisions of this act.

2. The boundaries of said town shall be as follows: begin-
ning at a point on the divisional line of the lands of Hon. W. L.
Scott, and the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk railroad
company, at the terminus of said road, one thousand one hun-
dred and thirty feet eastwardly of low-water mark in the Cher-
rystone inlet of Chesapeake bay, or nine hundred and forty
feet from a stone on the high bank, placed on this line at a dis-
tance of one hundred and ninety feet from said low-water
mark; thence running along said divisional. line horth eighty-
eight degrees, east twenty-six hundred and ninety feet; thence
north two degrees, west twenty-two hundred feet; thence south
eighty-eight degrees, west twenty-six hundred and ninety feet;
thence south two degrees, east twenty-two hundred feet, to the
place of beginning.

3. The government of said town shall be vested in a mayor
and six councilmen, to be elected annually, on the fourth Thurs-
day in May, from the qualified electors of the said town. All
persons entitled to vote in the county of Northampton, and
who have resided in the said, town for three months next pre-
vious to any election, shall be entitled to vote at all elections
held in said town under this act of incorporation. The first
election under this act shall be held on the fourth Thursday in
May, eighteen hundred and eighty-six.

4. The mayor and councilmen shall constitute the council of
said town, a majority of whom shall constitute a quorum to do
business, and all the corporate powers of the said town shall
be exercised by the said council, or under its authority, except
where otherwise provided by law. The mayor shall be presi-
dent of the council, and shall have all the rights, powers and
privileges conferred upon such officer by the general laws of
this state, for the government of towns of less than five thou-
sand inhabitants. He shall be invested with all the powers of
a justice of the peace within the limits of the said town, and
one mile beyond said limits, except, however, no civil warrants
shall be tried by said mayor. All fines, penalties, or imprison-
ments for violation of the by-laws or ordinances of said town,
shall be recovered before, or enforced under the judgment of
the mayor, and for that purpose he may issue process as a jus-
tice of the peace, and for such services shall be entitled to the
same fees for like services performed by a justice of the peace.
The mayor shall have no vote in the council except in case of
a tie-vote. All vacancies which may occur in the office of
mayor or councilmen, shall be filled by the council. The
mayor and councilmen shall hold their respective offices for
one year from the first day of July next succeeding their elec-
tion, and until their successors are elected and have qualified.

5. The said council shall have power to elect a treasurer, a
clerk, a- sergeant, and such other officers as they may deem
necessary for the proper government of said town, to regulate
‘the compensation of said officers, to prescribe their duties, to
remove them from office, to require bond with approved secu-
rity of them for the faithful discharge of their duties, and to
fix the penalty of bonds required. The council shall have
power to enact by-laws and ordinances for the government of
the said town. , |

6. The sergeant of the town shall be a conservator of the
peace, and be invested with all the powers of a constable within
the limits of said town, and also have the power to arrest of-
fenders within one mile of the limits of said town for offences
committed within the limits of said town, or against its by-laws
or ordinances, and for suck services the sergeant shall be enti-
tled to the same fees as a constable for like services." The use
of the jail of the county of Northampton shall be allowed the
said town for the confinement and safe keeping of all persons
arrested or sentenced to imprisonment under the by-laws or
ordinances of the said town; and the sergeant of the said town
may convey any person so arrested or sentenced to the said
jail, and the jailor shall receive such person in the same man-
ner as if such person were committed by a justice of the peace
of said county and delivered to the said jailor by a constable.

7. The said town and property therein, and residents thereof,
shall be exempt from the payment of any road tax, and from
working on any road outside of the said town, and in consid-
eration of this exemption the said town shall keep its streets in
repair. The said town shall not be embraced in any road dis-
trict of the county df Northampton.

8. Carl H. Walbridge is hereby declared and appointed
mayor, and George W. Russell, Severn B. Travis, Beverly T.
Fitchett, George W. Widgeon, Lemuel E. Mumford, and
Benjamin F. Kellogg are hereby appointed and declared coun-
cilmen of the said town of Cape Charles, and may qualify as
such before any justice of the peace of Northampton county,
by taking the oath of office, and thereupon they shall constitute
the council of said town, and shall hold office until the first day
of July eighteen hundred and eighty-six, or until their suc-
cessors are duly elected and have qualified. The council here-
by appointed shall meet and organize upon the call of Carl H.
Walbridge mayor, or of any three of said councilmen.

g. This-act shall be in force from its passage.