‘Chap. 240.—An ACT to Regulate the Working of the Roads of Rockbridge
and Lee Counties.

In force March 26, 1873.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That from and
after July the first, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, the
board of supervisors of Rockbridge and Lee counties may take
charge of and have worked, kept in repair and opened, all pub-
lic roads heretofore or hereafter established within the limita
of said counties; and for this purpose said board is hereby
authorized and empowered to levy a road tax not exceeding in
any year ten cents upon the one hundred dollars of assessed
taxable values in said counties, to fix the amount of said levy
in each township, and to adopt such regulations, not in con.
travention with the laws and constitution of this state and of
the United States, as may be necessary to secure the proper
and efficient working of the roads of said counties.

2. The said board shall, as soon after July first, eighteen
hundred and seventy-three, as may be practicable, and as often
thereafter as may be necessary, divide the several townships of
aaid counties into one or more conveniently arranged road dig
1

tricts, and shall cause each of the overseers of roads to be fur-
nished with a description of his district by metes and bounds.

3. The overseer of roads for each road district, together with
the commissioner of roads for the township, or such other per-
sons or officers of such district and township as the board of
supervisors may designate, shall, in the month of November,
eighteen hundred and seventy-three, and as often thereafter as.
may be necessary, after giving at least ten days’ notice of the
time and place fixed by them for making such contracts by
publication thereof in some newspaper published in each of
said counties, or by posting in two public places in the town-
ship, let to contract to the lowest and best bidder the work of
keeping in order and working the public roads in each road
district, or any designated section thereof, for a term of not
less than one nor more than five years. Such contract shall
be in writing, signed by the contractor and the parties autho-
rized to represent the county in making the same, and shall be
subject to revision by the board of supervisors, and shall be
returned to them for their ratification or rejection at their first
meeting after the same has been made. Each contractor shall
give bond, with good security, in a penalty to be fixed by the
board of supervisors, of not less than five hundred dollars, to
be approved by the board of supervisors, for the faithful per-
formance of his contract; and a recovery may be had for any
breach of the condition of such bond in the name of the county
for the benefit of the road fund of the road district injured, by
motion in any court having jurisdiction, after ten days’ notice
to the contractor and his sureties. The bond, together with
the contract, shall be filed by the clerk of the board of super-
visors in his office.

4. The labor of the able-bodied citizens of each road district
in said counties or section thereof, not exempt under the present
general road law of this state, shall be farmed out by the com-
missioner and overseer of roads, or other person authorized to
represent either county as aforesaid, to the person contracting
to keep in repair the roads in such road district or a section
thereof; and such contractor shall have all the rights and reme-
dies for requiring such able-bodied citizens to labor on the
roads in their road district or the section thereof in which they
reside, and for collecting and enforcing the fines or penalties:
imposed by the general road law of this state, for failing to.
work the roads when summoned so to do, which are or may be
conferred by law upon any county or township officer of this.
state for that purpose; and he shall not be liable for costs in.
any proceeding before a justice for the recovery of the same,
unless such fine or penalty be decided not to be due.

5. In addition to the levy authorized in the first section, the-

. board of supervisors may levy a special tax, not exceeding in
any year ten cents upon the assessed taxable values of said

county or of any township thereof, for the purpose of opening:
new roads, or macadamizing any of the turnpikes of said.
county, and may apportion such special levy as may be just
and proper among the several townships through which such
road or turnpike may pass, or which may be interested in the
construction or improvement thereof. .

6. All levies made under this act shall be received or col- How
lected by the county treasurer, or other collecting officer, in the on
same manner and for the same compensation that other county
levies are collected; and he shall keep a separate account with coi
each township of the funds collected therefrom for road pur- Fel
poses, and shall pay out the same to the contractors, or other road
persons entitled, upon the warrant of the board of supervisors. paid
No funds collected from one township for repairing or working Fan
roads shall be expended in any other township; and no super- = &
visor of said county, or commissioner of the revenue, or over- ther
seer of the roads therein, or other person authorized to repre- act
sent the county in contracting for the working of any of the ine
roads thereof, shall be in any way interested in any contract
provided for in this act, and any violation of this provision
shall be a misdemeanor.

7. It shall be the duty of the overseers and commissioners Dut
of roads for said counties, under regulations to be prescribed nis
by the board of supervisors, to see to it that contractors under 10
this act faithfully and diligently comply with their contracts. con!

8. The counties of Rockbridge and Lee shall not be subject cou
to the provisions of the general law of this state in reference 2°
to the working and keeping in repair of public or county roads tog
except in so far as the same shall be applicable to and not in- *¥
consistent with the provisions of this act: provided, that this pro:
act shall not apply to either county the board of supervisors of —
which shall fail to make provision for the working of the roads
thereof, as provided for in this act, within twelve months from
July first, eighteen hundred and seventy-three.

9. This act shall be in force from and after July first, eigh- con
teen hundred and seventy-three.