Chap. 284.—An ACT to amend an act entitled an_act to incorporate the
Valley Railroad Company.

Passed March 1, 1867.

1. Be it ‘enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the Valley railroad company, in the construction of its track,
shall have authority to make the same not exceeding sixty-
six feet wide on the surface, with the necessary additions for
the slopes of embankments and excavations, and to lay down
as many sets of tracks as the president and directors of said
company, or a majority of them, may deem necessary.

2. That said company, in order to secure the construction
and equipment of a continuous line from its terminal point
on or near the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, through the
main Shenandoah valley, and by or near the towns of New
Market and Woodstock, in Shenandoah tounty, and Win-
chester, in Frederick county, in addition to the points on the
line heretofore adopted, be and is hereby authorized to pur-
chase, lease, manage and work any railroad along such line,
chartered under the laws of this commonwealth, subject to
the provisions and restrictions’ contained in the charter of
such railroad, so far as the same are applicable and not incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act. And in order that
the railroad so purchased, leased, managed and worked may
be made effective, the said Valley railroad is authorized to
equip the same.

3. That any railroad company which has the right to con-
struct and operate a railroad along such line, or which has
constructed in whole or in part a railroad track along such
line, be and is hereby authorized to make, enter into and exe-
cute, a contract with said Valley railroad company, for the
purchase, lease, working or management of its road or pur-
chase, so as to secure one continuous railroad through the
Valley of Virginia, as indicated in the second section of this
act; and for this purpose, if need be, said Valley railroad
company shall have authority to subscribe for stock in any
such railroad company as a stockholder therein.

4, That the said Valley railroad company shall hold, use
and enjoy the railroad or railroads so purchased or leased,
during its ownership or lease thereof, in the same manner, to
the same extent, and with the same powers, privileges and
immunities, in all respects, and especially in respect to ex-
emption from levies and taxation as hereinafter provided,
belong or appértdin to said Valley railroad company in re-
spect to its own road, under this act and its original charter.

5. That said Valley railroad company; whenever, by any
such contract of purchase or lease, it shall have acquired the
privilege of extending the improvement to the town of

inchester, shall thereupon have authority to construct one
or more railroads from said town of Winchester, in Fred-
erick county, in the direction of and to the Potomac river.

6. That no taxes or levies shall, by order of any county
court or council, or trustees’ of a town or city, be assessed
against or imposed upon said Valley railroad, or the capital
invested therein, or the property of said company, or the
capital stock thereof, i in any manner or for any purpose what-
ever.

7. That with the consent of any one or more of the coun-
ties through which said Valley railroad, or any railroad which
may be purchased, leased, managed or worked as aforesaid,
by said Valley railroad company, may pay all just and proper
taxes which may be imposed for state purposes on said rail-
road and the capital invested therein, and upon the proper ty
of said Valley railroad company and the capital stock
thereof, and of any railroad company-whose railroad may be
purchased, leased, managed or worked by said Valley rail-
road company as aforesaid, such taxes shall be borne and
paid ratably by such counties so consenting, in proportion to
the assessed value of the lands therein respectively, and shall
be apportioned among and charged upon the lands of such
counties respectively, in proportion to the assessed value
thereof: provided that if the Valley railroad company shall
at any time cease to own, lease, manage or control such rail-
road, the charge for such taxes on the counties shall to that
extent be remitted and released.

8. That in order to take the sense of any such counties
upon the question, whether such taxes and what proportion
thereof shall be assumed, the court of such county may make
an order requiring the sheriff and commissioners of election.
at the next general election for members of the general as-
sembly, or at any other time, not less than one month from
the date of the order, which shall be designated therein, to
open a poll and take the sense of the persons qualified to vote
for members of the general assembly in such county, and who
are freeholders, upon the question whether the lands of the
county shall be charged with the payment of such taxes.
The commissioners of elections, after taking an oath fairly to
take and return the poll, shall open poll-books at the court-
house of the county, and at such other places therein at which
separate elections for members of the general assembly are
held, and shall cause to be entered upon such books, in a
column to be headed, “for the railroad tax,” the names of the
freeholders qualified to vote for members of the general as-
sembly for the county, who attend and are in favor of assum-
ing the tax, and shall cause to be entered upon such books,
jn another column to be headed, “against the railroad tax,’’
the names of the freehold voters of the county who attend
and are opposed to assuming such taxes. The commissioners
who take the said polls shall certify them, and within four
days after the day they were taken, return them to the clerk
of such county court; and if by such poll-books it shall ap-
pear that a majority of the freeholders, qualified to vote for
members of the general assembly, voting upon the question,
are in favor of assuming such taxes, the said court shall, as
early as practicable thereafter, enter upon the records the re-
sult of such election, and shall, when satisfied that a sufficient
number of other counties have ‘given their consent, assume
on behalf of the county the payment of such taxes, and shall
certify a copy of its entry to the auditor of accounts; and
thereupon, the lands in said county shall be chargeable with
a ratable share of such taxes, as provided in the next pre-
ceding section of this act, and the amount necessary to pay
the same shall thereafter be annually assessed upon the lands
of said county by the county court, and be collected as other
county levies or taxes, and be paid in exoneration of the said
railroad company as herein provided.

9. That said Valley railroad company shall have the right
to charge for the transportation of persons, goods, produce,
merchandize and other articles transported over its road and
the roads hereby authorized, or over any other part thereof
and otherwise, the same rates and tolls and charges now au-
thorized by the laws of the commonwealth to be charged by
other railroads.

10. This act shall be in force from its passage, but shall be
subject to amendment, modification and repeal by the legis-
ture.