Chap. 74.—An ACT to permit the citizens of a certain portion of
King George county to vote for a levy for the use, free of toll,
of a bridge to be erected across the Rappahannock river at
Fredericksburg, and to authorize the board of supervisors to
levy a tax for the use, free of toll, of said bridge.

Approved January 24, 1890.

Whereas it is contemplated by the city of Fredericks-
burg to build a bridge across the Rappahannock river, at
Fredericksburg, and it being desirable that the citizens of
a portion of King George county should have the use, free
of toll, of said bridge: therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That it shall be the duty of the judge at the county court
of King George county, when petitioned by fifty voters
(one-half of whom shall be freeholders) of that portion
of King George county comprised between the following
lines and boundaries: Beginning on the run just east at
Lamb’s creek church, where the main road crosses the
same, leading from said church to Comorn, thence along
said road to the dividing line between Robinson Taylor’s
farm and Doctor Horace A. Ashtons’ farm, called Bleak hill,
thence around the outside line of the said farmof Doctor
Horace A. Ashton again to the said main road leading to
Comorn, thence along said road to Comorn, from Comorn
along the road to Cash Corner, thence to the road leading
into Chatterton and to Chatterton landing, thence along
the road to Chatterton landing on the Potomac river,
thence along the shore of said river to Potomac creek,
thence up said creek to the dividing line between the
counties of Stafford and King George, thence with this
line to the Rappahannock river, thence down said river
till the mouth of the stream mentioned in the beginning
of this boundary is reached, thence up said stream to the
beginning—to cause a vote of said district to be taken at
such time as the court may designate, whether there shall
be a tax levied on their taxable real and personal property,
not to exceed fifteen cents on the hundred dollars, for the
purpose of paying Fredericksburg a certain amount per
annum, to be agreed upon, for the use, free of toll, of the
bridge to be erected by said city across the Rappahannock
river at Fredericksburg. Such vote to be taken and can-
vassed at Passapatauzy voting precinct in said district, ac-
cording to the termsof this act.

2. The judges of election, who, if there be none other-
wise legally appointed, shal] be designated in the order
authorizing the vote, after taking an oath faithfully to
discharge the duty assigned to them, shall open the polls
at Passapatauzy voting place designated in the order, and
at the time therein designated, and shall conduct such
election and close the polls in such manner as is pre-
scribed by law in other elections not inconsistent with
the terms of this act, and at said election each qualified
voter who shall approve such levy shall deposit a ticket
or ballot on which shall be written or printed: “ For levy
for use, free of toll, of bridge,” and each voter who shall
oppose such levy shall deposit a ticket or ballot whereon
shall be written or printed: “ Against levy for use, free
of toll, of bridge.” Each ballot shall be endorsed with
the name of the voter, which shall he inspected by the
officer or officers conducting the election. The judges of
election shall immediately after closing the polls count
the ballots deposited, and ascertain how many of the said
ballots were cast by freeholders and how many by non-
freeholders for and against the levy, respectively, and
shall declare the result. One of their number on the day
following the election shall carry a sealed abstract of the
vote, with the result as declared by them, and the ballots
in a sealed package, to the clerk of the county court in
his office. The abstract shall be delivered, sealed by the
said clerk, to the judge of the county court within five
days, who shall forthwith open the same and have it
spread upon the county court order book. The said clerk
shall keep said ballots in his office sealed for twelve
months, except they may be opened by the judge of said
court.

3. It shall be the duty of the said clerk to give to the
board of supervisors of the county a certified copy of the
abstract returned under section two. If it shall appear
that a majority of the voters voting, which shall include
a majority of the freeholders voting at such election, are
in favor of the scheme or levy mentioned in the first sec-
tion, then the decision shall be carried out as follows:
The board of supervisors shall levy a tax on the taxable
real and personal property not to exceed fifteen cents on
the one hundred dollars thereof, to be applied to the pur-
poses of this act, and the county court shall appoint a
commissioner from said district, requiring bond in such
penalty as it may think proper, with good security, for the
faithful performance of his duties. Said commissioner
shall be empowered to bargain and eontract each year
with the proper authorities of the city of Fredericksburg
for the use, free of toll, of said bridge by the citizens of
said district. He shall be authorized to receive from the
treasurer the tax collected under this act and use the
same, or s0 much as may be required for the purpose, of ob-
taining free passage over said bridge for the citizens of
said district.

4. The commissioner appointed by this act shall be al-
lowed three per cent. on al} moneys received and dis-
bursed by him, and shall annually settle his accounts before
the board of supervisors of said county at its annual meet-
ing in July ; and should he fail during any year to settle said
account, the said board of supervisors shaJl report such
failure to the county court of said county, and after ten
days’ notice, the said court shall remove him from office.
The court shal] have power to make a new appointment
whenever it may deem necessary, or to revoke an appoint-
ment already made.

5. For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this
act, the secretary of the commonwealth shall, on applica-
tion of the county court clerk of said county, furnish a
sufficient number of poll-books. The said clerk shall do
any other thing required of him under the general elec-
tion laws not inconsistent herewith.

6. It shall be the duty of the county court clerk of said
county to furnish as soon as the election is ordered under
this act, the judges of said election with the names of all
the qualified registered voters who reside in the Rappa-
hannock magisterial district, but who are within the dis-
trict formed by the first section of this act.

7. The abstract required by this act to be made out by
the judges under section two shall be in the following
form :

It is hereby certified that the whole number votes cast at
this election amounts to

A.B.
G. H.} Clerks. C. D. § Judges.
J. K. : Pp

Number of ballots cast for levy for use, free of toll, of
bridge ; freeholders ; non freeholders
Number of ballots cast against levy for use, free of toll, of
bridge ; freeholders ; non frecholders
We hereby certify that the number of ballots cast for levy
for use, free of toll, of bridge is as follows: freeholders
> non freeholders And number of ballots
cast against levy for use, free of toll, of bridge, is as
follows: freeholders ; non freeholders , and
we do further certify and declare that a majority of the

voters voting (which includes the majority of the free-
holders voting), have voted for the levy for use, free of
toll, of the bridge.
A. B.
“- H. R Clerks. C. D. Judges.
E. F.§

If it appears that the vote is against the levy for the use,
free of toll, of bridge, the above certificate shall be changed
according to the fact, and the result shall be declared and
the levy shall not be ‘made. Immediately after the ballots
are counted and the above abstract made out and signed,
the ballots shall be sealed in a package, and the abstract
shall be also sealed.

8. All levies made under this act shall be extended by
the commissioner of the revenue upon his books separate
and apart from other levies. He shall be paid at the rate
of five cents per name for the first year, and two cents
thereafter out of levy made hereunder.

9. All taxes imposed by the provisions of this act shall
be collected and accounted for as other county taxes, if not
otherwise, provided for herein; and the treasurer, with his
sureties, shall be subject to the same liabilities as are pre-
scribed in the general law relating to the collection of, and
accounting for, levies or taxes for county or district pur-
poses. ,

10. Any judge of election, clerk, or commissioner of
revenue, failing to perform any duty required under this
act shall be liable to a fine of not less than ten nor more
than twenty-five dollars.

11. If during the progress of said election any question
arises as to a voter being a freeholder or non freeholder
the judges shall decide the matter according to the best
evidence before them, and are hereby empowered to
administer oaths.

12. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are
hereby repealed.

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