Chap. 156.—An ACT authorizing the city of Portsmouth to sell and convey the
property in said city known as the Old Jail Lot, situated at the southeast
corner of High and Washington streets, upon the consideration of one dollar
and certain agreements by the purchaser in connection with the erection
on said property of a modern fireproof hotel; and providing for an election
for the qualified voters of said city to pass upon said sale. [S B 177]

Approved March 17, 1926.

Whereas, the city of Portsmouth is the owner of a lot or parcel of
land in said city, situated at the southeast corner of High and Wash-
ington streets, which land is not devoted to a public use and has been
unused, unproductive of revenue and a hundrance to the develop-
ment of High street for the past thirty years; and

Whereas, a modern fireproof hotel is essential to the business, in-
dustrial, civic and social life of the city; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
council of the city of Portsmouth be and they are hereby authorized
to sell and to convey to the purchaser, the property in the city of
Portsmouth known as the old jail lot, situated at the southeast corner
of High and Washington streets, fronting ninety feet on High street
and one hundred and thirteen feet on Washington street, upon the
following terms:

A nominal consideration of one dollar and an agreement by the
purchaser to erect on said property a modern fireproof hotel of not
less than one hundred rooms, construction of said hotel to begin within
six months from date of conveyance of said property, and said agree-
ment to further provide that in the event the purchaser is a corpora-
tion the subscription books to the capital stock of said purchaser shall
be open for a period of sixty days to all citizens of the city of Ports-
mouth, and should there be an over-subscription to said capital stock
said stock shall be prorated among said subscribers, and said agree-
ment to further provide that the rear ten feet of said property extend-
ing from Washington street across the entire width thereof shall be
left open for allowing light and air to adjoining property.

But no such action shall be taken by said council of the city of
Portsmouth unless and until a majority of the qualified voters of the
said city of Portsmouth, voting at a special election to be called for
the purpose by the judge of the court of hustings for the city of Ports-
mouth on petition of not less than one hundred qualified voters of
said city, shall favor such action. Such election shall be held and the
qualification of voters shall be determined, in all other respects, in
conformity with the general law concerning the holding of special
elections in said city.

2. By reason of the pressing need in the city of Portsmouth for
such a hotel an emergency is hereby declared to exist agd this act
shall be in force from its passage.

3. All acts and parts of acts or charter provisions in conflict here-
with so far as they relate to the sale of the property herein mentioned
are hereby repealed.