Chap. 305.—An ACT to Amend an Act entitled an Act Increasing the
Powers of the Trustees of the Town of Falmouth, in the County of
Stafford, passed February 18th, 1830.

Approved March 31, 1873.

- 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
seven trustees for the town of Falmouth, in the county of
Stafford, shall be elected annually on the fourth Thursday in
May by the qualified voters of said town. The voters shall be
registered by the registrar for the township in which said town
is located ; and the election shall be conducted in all respects
in each case according to the provisions prescribed for general
elections in this commonwealth. Every trustee elected for
said town, before he enters upon the duties of his office, shall
take an oath or make solemn affirmation before a justice of the
peace for the county of Stafford that he will faithfully and im-
partially, to the best of his skill and judgment, perform the
duties of his office of trustee of said town.

2. Any justice of the peace in any part of the county of
Stafford within the'powers conferred on him by law is hereby
authorized and empowered to execute, within the jurisdiction
of said town, any by-law or ordinance thereof not in conflict
with the constitution and laws of this state. .

3. The persons thus elected trustees shall, within one week
after their election, choose from amongst themselves a president,
recorder and treasurer, taking from the latter a bond, with
good and approved security, in a sum at least to the amount of

money that will probably pass through his hands as treasurer,
payable to the president and trustees of said town and their
successors in office, conditioned for the faithful and punctual
discharge of his duties as treasurer of said town; and any
person or persons aggrieved by any breach of the condition
may sue for and recover thereupon, until the whole penalty
thereof shall be assessed against said treasurer. And the said
trustees shall take their oath of office or make affirmation as
aforesaid within ten days after their election annually.

4. That the said trustees or any four of them, including the
president and recorder, shall have power at any time to form
a board and proceed to business, and particularly-upon the re- :
quest of the president and recorder; and that it shall be the -
duty of the board of trustees thus constituted to hold a meet- ,
ing once in every two months, the time and place of meeting
being published in writing at four of the most public places
in said town at least three days previously to any meeting.
And it shall be the duty of said trustees, at least one month
before every annual election of trustees, to publish at four of
the most public places in said town such of their by-laws, acts
and ordinances in, of or concerning said town as to them shall
be deemed expedient; and at the expiration of the term for
which they were elected to deliver to their successors in office
all the unappropriated moneys which shall remain in their
hands, together with all books and papers relating to their
office; and in case of failure to pay such unappropriated
moneys, it shall be lawful for the trustees for the time being
to recover the same against and from the former trustees, or
any of them who shall be defaulters, by motion in the court of
the county of Stafford: provided, that said defaulters shall
have had ten days’ previous notice of such motion.

5. That it shall be lawful for the board of trustees of said
town, thus constituted, to raise by taxes any sum of money
not exceeding two hundred dollars in any one year on the
titheables and property, real and personal, within said town,
for carrying into effect all or any powers hereby or heretofore
given them, and to be by them applied to such improvements,
for the general welfare of said town, and in such manner as
they may deem best; and they shall have power to make pro-
vision and regulations for collecting and accounting for the
taxes so imposed by appointing a collector and directing dis-
tress to be made for delinquencies.

6. That whenever the taxes and other incomes of the said
town are insufficient for the purpose, it shall be lawful for said
trustees to call out all male citizens to work on the streets of
said town, under like regulations, fines and penalties prescribed
concerning overseers and laborers on the public roads of this
commonwealth.

7. In case of vacancy in the office of president or recorder,
such vacancy shall be supplied by the trustees for the remain-
der of the year from amongst the remaining trustees; and in
case of a vacancy in the office of trustee, the same shall be
supplied from the citizens of said town, as in an original
election.

8. After the first election under this act, the election of said
trustees shall annually be conducted by the collector of said
town, who shall make a due and proper return of the persons
so elected, together with a fair copy of the polls kept by him,
to that trustée who shall have the greatest number of votes;
which return shall be recorded with the other proceedings of
said trustees in books to be kept for that purpose; and the
said collector shall be allowed a reasonable compensation annu-
ally for his services.

9. All acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed.

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