Chap. 257.—An ACT to Authorize Subscriptions in aid of the Virginia
Agricultural and Mechanical College at Blacksburg, Virginia,

Approved March 21, 1872.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be lawful for the county court of Montgomery county,
or of any of the counties adjoiming or near to said county, to
make an order requiring the sheriff and commissioners of elec-
tion, at a time to be designated in such order, not less than one
month from the date thereof, to open polls and take the sense
of the legal voters of such county on the question whether
such county shall subscribe to aid in the construction of addi-
tional buildings at Blacksburg, in the county of Montgomery,
for the use and benefit of the Virginia Agricultural and
Mechanical College, or in the purchase of a farm for the use of
said college. The said order shall state the maximum amount
proposed to be subscribed.

2. The commissioners of election who, if there be none oth-
erwise legally appointed, may be designated by such court, after
taking an oath faithfully to discharge > the duties of their office.
shall open polls at the various places of voting in such county.
and at the time designated in such order, shall conduct such
election and close the polls as is provided by law in respect to
other elections; and at such election, each of said voters who
shall approve such subscription. shall deposit a ticket or ballot
on which shall be written or printed the words “for the sub-
scription,” and each of said voters who shall be opposed to
such subscription, shall deposit a ticket or ballot on which shall
be written or printed the words “against the subscription.”
3. That immediately after the closing of the polls, the com-
nissioners of election, at the several places of voting in such
‘county, shall count the ballots deposited at such election, and
shall make return within two days after such election to the
judge of such county court, of the number of votes cast for
the subscription and the number of votes cast against the sub-
scription, and shall also return to and deposit with the clerk of
such court in separate packages, the ballots for and against
such subscription; and it shall be the duty of such judge to
cause the ballots to be counted, to correct the polls and to
ascertain and certify the result of such election and to cause
the same to be entered in the proper record book of such court;
and if it shall appear that three-fifths of the votes cast at such
election are in favor of the subscription, such judge shall forth-
with enter of record an order requiring the supervisors of the
county to meet at a time and place to be named in the order,
to carry out the wishes of said voters. The sheriff shall
promptly summon the supervisors in pursuance of said order.

4. If a majority of the whole number of supervisors be pre-
sent at the time and place so designated, they shall proceed to
act; if not, they shall adjourn from time to time until a majority
are present. The said supervisors, a majority of the whole
number being present, shall appoint an agent or agents to
make the subscription in behalf of such county to the said col-
lege to the amount specified in the order under authority of
which the said election was held; and the said subscription
shall be paid in cash or in the coupon bonds of such county at
par; the said bonds to be redeemed in not less than five nor
more than twenty years, as such supervisors may elect.
and shall bear interest at the rate of six per centum per annum.
and the matured coupons shall be received by the authonities
of such county, at par, in payment of all taxes, fines and othe
like obligations.

5. At the time at which the board of supervisors makes its
levy for such county, it shall levy on all the lands and othe
subjects liable to state tax and county levy in such county, suct
tax to pay the amount of such subscription or of such loan o:
loans as may be authorized and the interest thereon; or to pay
the interest on the bonds of the county so issued and to creat
a sinking fund to redeem the principal thereof, as said board o
supervisors may deem necessary or proper; and from year t
year it shall repeat such assessments until the debt and inter
est be fully paid.

6. It shall be lawful for the board of visitors of the saic
Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, to accept anc
receive the subscription of any county made under this act
and also of any individual in aid of the purposes and object
of said college, and such donations and subscriptions, whe
made, shall be held by said board in trust for, the benefit o
said college, on condition that the same shall revert to th
several donors or subscribers, pari passu, if at any time th
state of Virginia should withdraw from the use of the saic
college, the interest accruing on the proceeds of the land scrij
as provided in the act establishing the said Virginia Agricul.
tural and Mechanical College at Blacksburg, in the county of
Montgomery.

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