Chap. 562.—An ACT to create a board of excise commissioners for Alexandris
- county.

Approved March 2, 1804.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
board of supervisors of the county of Alexandria shall, within ten
days after the passage of this act, meet and select by ballot three
citizens and residents of the county of Alexandria, who shall con-
stitute a board of excise for said county. Two of said persons shall
be appointed for two years, and one of said persons shall be ap-
pointed for four years, and the successors of said persons shall, upon
the expiration of said terms, be appointed by said board of super-
visors for four years from the date of their appointment.

2. Said board of excise shal], at its first meeting, elect one of their
number chairman and another secretary, and any vacancy occurring
therein by death, resignation, removal or otherwise shal! be filled by
the board of supervisors of said county, and the person so chosen
shall remain in office until the end of the unexpired term of the
person in whose stead he was selected. In the absence from any
meeting of the chairman, who was elected as above required, then
either of the other members may act as chairman pro tempore.

3. The salary of the members of the said board of excise shall be
fixed by the board of supervisors of Alexandria county and paid by
said county, and they shall also provide for the necessary expenses
of the proper execution of the duties of said board.

4. All applications for the sale of wine, ardent spirits and malt
liquors in said county shall be made to said board of excise, who
shall have absolute power to grant or reject the same. After an ap-
plication has been filed with the board they shall inquire into the
character of the applicant, the suitability, convenience and appro-
priateness of the place at which the proposed business is to be con-
ducted, and the general propriety of granting the application. The
petitions of resident citizens for and againat the application may be
filed with the board, and shall be duly considered by them. The
chairman or acting chairman of the board, whenever they deem it
necessary for the purpose of informing themselves on any of the
matters referred to their consideration by this act, may issue his
summons for any person within said county to appear before them
on a day and at a place named to testify touching the case in hand,
said summons to be served by the sheriff of the county. After
hearing all the testimony adduced for and against an application
and making the investigation necessary to satisfy themselves on the
matters referred to their discretion, the board may reject or grant
the application as it seems right and proper todo. The decision of
said board of excise shall be final, unless said application is rejected,
in which event the applicant can appeal to the county court. Appli-
cations granted by the board shall be endorsed “ granted,” with the
signature of the chairman or acting chairman pro tempore, and ap-
plications rejected shall be endorsed “rejected,” with the like signa-
ure.

5. Two members of said board of excise shall constitute a quorum.
The secretary of the board shall keep in a book, to be provided by
the county, minutes of the proceedings, in which shall be entered a
memorandum of the action of the board on each application. This
memorandum shall show the name of the applicant, the nature of
the business, the place at which it is sought to be conducted, whether
the application was granted or rejected, and the date of the same.

6. The fees for witnesses and officers shall be such as are provided
by the code for similar services, and shall be paid out of the county
treasury on the certificate of the secretary of the board.

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