Chap. 68.—An ACT to authorize the County of Middlesex to vote on
the question of the purchase of the Urbanna Toll-Bridge, in order to.
make it a Free Bridge. |

Approved February 2, 1875.

Whereas a number of the citizens of Middlesex county
have memorialized the general assembly that the sense of
the people of said county be taken upon the purchase by the
aaid county of the Urbanna toll-bridge, to make it a tree
bridge; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be the duty of the county court of said county, upon
the petition of fifty or more of the qualified voters of said
county, who are freeholders, to issue an order to the several
officers conducting elections in the said county at the time
and places for holding the general election, on the fourth
Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and seventy-five, to pre-
pare a separate ballot-box for each voting precinct, in which
shall be deposited the ballots of the then qualified voters
who shall desire to vote upon the question of the purchase
of said bridge. The said ballots shall be respectively as fol-
lows: “For the purchase of bridge;” “Against the purchase
of bridge.” Each ballot so cast, which shall have written or
printed thereon “for the purchase of bridge,” shall be taken
and counted as a vote for the purchase of the said bridge;
and each ballot which shall have written or printed thereon
“against the purchase of bridge,” shall be taken and counted
as a vote against the purchase of said bridge.

2. The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballots cast
at such election, on the question of the purchase of the said
bridge, and making returns and abstracts of the results
thereof, shall conform in all respects to the regulations pre-
scribed by the general election law of this state. The com-
missioners of election shall make, on a separate sheet, an ab-
stract of said votes for and against the purchase of said
bridge, which abstract shall be duly signed by said commis-
sioners, and deposited in the office of the clerk of the county
eourt of said county.

3. If, from such returrs and abstracts of votes so cast,
upon the question of purchase of said bridge, it shall appear
that three-fifths of the votes cast are in favor of the pur-
chase of the said bridge, and the three-fifths includes a ma-
jority of the votes cast by freeholders and a majority of the
registered voters of the county at such election, it shall be
the duty vf the supervisors of Middlesex county to purchase,
and the said bridge company are hereby authorized to sell
said Urbanna toll-bridge, tor the purpose of making it a free
bridge: provided, that the cost of said purchase shal! not ex-
ceed the sum of two thousand dollars.

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