Chap. 614.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 1, 6, 8 and -18 of chapter
155 of the acts of the general assembly of Virginia, 1883-’84, approved Feb
ruary 25, 1884, entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act approved No
vember 1, 1870, and acts amendatory thereof, approved respectively Novem
ber 4, 1871, and November 2, 1880, providing a charter for the town of Fron!

oyal.

Approved March 8, 18%.
dred and eighty-three and eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
approved February twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act approved November
first, eighteen hundred and seventy, and acts amendatory thereof,
approved respectively March fourth, eighteen hundred and seventy-
one, and February second, eighteen hundred and eighty, providing a
charter for the town of Front Royal, be amended and re-enacted so
as to read as follows:

§ 1. The boundaries of said town shall hereafter be as follows:
Beginning on the west side of Happy creek at east end of Boundary
avenue; thence down the west side of said creek to the east end of
Manassas street; thence up north side of Manassas street to south-
east corner of Peter Harmer’s lot; thence northwest with Peter Har-
mer’s line to east side of Manassas branch of Richmond and Dan-
ville railroad; thence with east line of said railroad northward to
Fourth street; thence with south side of Fourth street to Royal
avenue ; thence with east side of Royal avenue southward to north-
west corner of John Scroggins’ lot; thence westward with north line
of John Scroggins’ lot extended to the Lionberger line; thence with
dividing line between Lionberger and Mistress Verlinda King to
back line of Lionberger lot; thence in a southerly direction with
the back line of Lionberger’s, Fristoe’s and Ashby’s lots to a corner
of the woods in Ashby’s line, where there was formerly a gate on the
old road leading to Doctor I. N. Buck’s; thence in a direct line to
Ashby’s barn; thence in a southerly direction with Ashby’s and
Beecher’s line to White oak corner, to Ashby’s and Beecher’s and
Gardner’s; thence in an easterly direction with Beecher’s and Gard-
ner’s line to the Luray turnpike; thence across said turnpike to the
corner of Clark’s and Gardner’s line; thence with their line to
Brent’s and Gardner’s line; thence with Brent’s back line to ceme-
tery lane; thence with cemetery lane to Manor avenue; thence
across Manor avenue and eastwardly with north side of Boundary
avenue to the beginning on Happy creek.

§ 6. (a) The council of said town is hereby empowered to make
such by-laws and ordinances, not contrary to the laws and constitu-
tion of this state or of the United States, as they may deem neces-
sary and proper for the security, improvement and good government
of said town. Any person or persons who shall violate any by-law
or ordinance enacted by said council in pursuance of the power
hereby vested in it shall be subject to such fine as the council shall
have established for the violation of said by-law or ordinance, not
exceeding in any case the sum of twenty dollars for any one offence;
on failure to pay which fine and costs the offending party may be
confined in the county jail not exceeding sixty days, with the right
of appeal, however, in all cases where the fine exceeds ten dollars,
upon giving security, to be approved by the mayor, for amount of
fine and costs.

(b) The said council, in addition to the other powers granted by
this act and the general law of the state relating to towns, shall have
the power and authority to lay off, open, alter or close streets and
alleys within the limits of said town, with the right to condemn

Or

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and for any street or alleys opened or widened, or in any manner
hanged, and to condemn lands for other town purposes, and assess
he damages for land condemned therefor by a sworn commission of
hree freeholders of said town, which commission, after notice to the
wher of the land or his agent, or if an infant his guardian, or if no
wher or agent or guardian in said town or the county of Warren,
hen by notice posted for ten days at three public places in said
own, shall go upon the land proposed to be taken and assess the
lamages therefor above any peculiar benefits to said land-owner,
ind make written report of their proceedings to said council; and
hereupon the said land-owner, agent or guardian, if he reside in the
said town or county of Warren, shall be summoned to appear before
said council, upon a day named, to show cause why said report should
not be confirmed and said land taken for the purposes of said town.
Unless good cause be shown to the contrary, said report shall be
confirmed and said land may be taken; but the right of appeal to
the county court of Warren county is reserved to any land-owner
who feels himself aggrieved on account of inadequacy of damages.
Said appeal shall be tried and determined by said county court upon
the evidence that may be produced by either party to the appeal,
reserving the right of appeal in any case where the party may feel
himself aggrieved.

(c) The council may provide, by purchase or otherwise, all proper
and necessary supplies of water and light, or either of them, for the
use of said town and its citizens; and for this purpose may build,
erect, purchase, hold, manage, control, maintain and operate water-
works and gas or electric works, or either of them, as the council
may fit see. And the council may furnish to individuals, on their
premises, water and light for private use, and may require compen-
sation therefor; but it shall be optional with any individual whether
he will take water or light on his premises. But the council shall
not build, purchase or provide works for water and light, or either
of them, for said town, unless and until two-thirds of the registered
voters of said town shall authorize the building, purchasing or pro-
viding such works for water and light, or either of them, at an
election to be held for the purpose, at such time in such manner as
may be prescribed by the council; and after not less than fifteen
days’ notice of such election, given by the council and posted at
three or more public places in the town, in which notice shall be
stated the maximum amount to be expended in providing works for
water, and the maximum amount to be expended for works for light,
or either of them, as the case may be.

(d) In order to obtain money for the purpose of providing works
for water and light, or either of them, as herein set out, the council
is authorized to issue its registered bonds for the amount needed
for providing works for water and light, or either of them, as the
case may be (not exceeding, however, the amount authorized by the
vote of the electors); said bonds to be of such denominations as the
council may think best, to bear interest at a rate of not more than
81x per centum per annum, payable semi-annually on first of Janu-
uary and July of each vear. thé'prindibal sum to be payable at the
end of thirty years from the date of said bonds, with the right to
the council to pay them at any time after the end of ten years.

(e) When the council shall have issued the bonds herein provided
for it shall thereafter levy and collect an annual tax (called the water
tax and the light tax, or either, as the case may be) for the payment
of the interest on said bonds, the maintenance and operation of said
works and to provide a sinking fund for the ultimate payment of
said bonds. The annual amount levied for a sinking fund shall not
be less than one and one-half per centum of the face of said bonds
so issued, and the council shal! invest said sinking fund in good in-
tereat-bearing securities.

§ 8. The council of said town may, in its discretion, annually
levy a tax not exceeding fifty cents on the one hundred dollars of the
assessed value of real and personal property within the town, and
also a poll-tax of not exceeding fifty cents on each male inhabitant
over twenty-one years; all of which taxes, as well as the license
taxes and fines, shall be expended by said council as by it shall seem
beneficial for the town: provided, however, a tax of more than fifty
cents on the one hundred dollars’ assessed value of the real and per-
sonal property of said town may be levied by the council if deemed
desirable by it, and two-thirds of the registered electors of said
town shall declare in favor of the same, after the matter shall have
been submitted to a vote of the town, upon a resolution of the coun-
cil setting out the purpose of the additional tax and the amount
thereof; the manner in which the vote is to be taken to be determined
by the couneil. And the council may also levy an annual tax of
not exceeding one dollar on male dogs and two dollars on female
dogs, and may require such tag as may be prescribed by the council,
to be worn by dogs as evidence of payment of the tax, and if any
dog be found without such tag, may require it to be killed. ]

§ 18. The council shall choose and appoint from among the elec-
tors of said town a town sergeant, who shall hold his office during
the pleasure of the council. The sergeant shall be the collector of
the town taxes, fines, levies and licenses; and after thirty days from
the time of receiving the tax and license-tickets, he may distrain
and levy therefor in the same manner as the county treasurer may
do in the collection of state taxes. For the purpose of carrying into
effect this act, the sergeant of said town shall, within the limits of
the town and within two miles thereof, have all the powers of a con-
stable, and for like services shall receive the same fees as a constable.
Said sergeant shall perform such other duties as may be required of
him by the council. In addition to the fees hereinbefore provided
for, said sergeant shall receive such compensation as the council
may allow. Before entering upon the duties of his office said ser-
geant shall take an oath faithfully to perform his duty, and shall
enter into a bond, with sufficient surety, to be approved by the coun-
cil, payable to said town, in a penalty of not less than fifteen hun-
dred dollars, and in no case more than double the amount to come
into his hands, with conditions to honestly account for all moneys
coming into his hands and for the faithful discharge of his duty.
For any default og liability on the part of said sergeant, the council,
in the corporate name of said town, may obtain judgment and exe-
cution upon said bond in the same manner as herein provided for
obtaining judgment and execution on the bond of the treasurer of
said town. If at any time there should be a vacancy in the office
of sergeant, the same shall be filled by the council from the electors
of the town. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to affect
the term of office of the present town sergeant of said town.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage, and all acts and
parts of acts in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.