Chap. 643.—An ACT to legalize certain local assessments for granolithic side-
walks or pavements by the council of the city of Bristol, and to providea
more efficient mode for collection of same.

Approved March 5, 1894.

Whereas the council for the city of Bristol, Virginia, passed cer-
tain ordinances under the provisions of section twenty-four of the
charter of said city, as found in an act entitled an act to change the
name of the town of Goodson to the city of Bristol and provide a
new charter for the same, providing for laying granolithic sidewalks
or pavements on the streets of said city, and by local assessments
requiring the abutting land-owners to pay for same along their re-
spective property, except for grading and laying sewers or gutters
along same; and

Whereas pursuant to said ordinances the said granolithic side-
walks or pavements were laid on Main, Cumberland, Front, Russell,
Virginia and Moore streets; and

Whereas a portion of the abutting ]and-owners on said Main street
contested in the courts the right of said city to make local assess-
ments and the legality of said ordinances; and

Whereas the court of appeals held that said ordinances were
technically defective and that therefore said local assessments could
not be enforced; and

Whereas a portion of abutting land-owners on said Moore and Cum-
berland streets are now contesting in the courts the legality of said
aseessments against the abutting land-owners on said streets: there-
fore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That said
local assessments against all the abutting land-owners on all of said
streets for the payment of said granolithic sidewalks or pavements
as aforesaid are hereby legalized, ratified and confirmed in all things
whatsover, and the council of said city of Bristol, Virginia, is hereby
authorized and empowered to collect, and shall by ordinance author-
ize its treasurer to proceed to collect the cost and expense of laying
said sidewalks, as provided in said ordinances, in the same manner as
other taxes are collected, and on such terms as the said council have
provided or may provide: and provided, further, if said assessments
cannot be collected by distress or levy made by said treasurer, then
said council shall direct suits or actions in the name of said city to
144 ACTS OF ASSEMBLY.

be instituted against said abutting land-owners for the amounts that
may be due from each or any one of said abutting land-owners on
account of said local assessments, and the said assessments shall be
a lien for the amount due from such Jand-owners on their respective
lots or parcels of land aforesaid as other taxes.