Chap. 665.—An ACT to submit to the qualified voters of Stafford county, or
any magisterial district thereof, the question of a hog law.

Approved March 5, 1894.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That when-
ever twenty-five qualified voters of each magisterial district in Staf-
ford county, or any magisterial district, shall petition the county
court of the said county, or the judge thereof in vacation, for a spe-
cial election in said county, or any district thereof, on the question
of a “ hog law” or “no hog law” therein, such court or judge shall,
as soon as practicable after the receipt of said petition, issue a writ
of election, in which shall be fixed the day of holding said election,
directed to the sheriff of said county, whose duty it shall be to forth-
with post a notice of said election at each voting place in said county
if the election is to be held in the whole county, or at each voting
precinct in any magisterial district when the election is ordered to
be held in such magisterial district. But no election shall be held
under this chapter within less than thirty days from the posting of
such notices as aforesaid. Such election shall be held and con-
ducted as other special elections are held and conducted.

2. The ballots to be used in said election shall be, respectively,
“for hog law” and “against hog law.” The manner of receiving
and canvassing the ballots and making returns and abstracts thereof,
shall conform in all respects to the requirements of the general elec-
tion law, except the certificates of the judges shall be as follows:

We hereby certify that at an election held on the day of ;
votes were cast “for hog law” and votes were cast
“against hog law.”
E. F.
6 > Clerks. G. H. § Judges.

J. K,,

3. The proper official canvassers of general election returns shall
canvass these returns in like manner as other election returns, and
when the election is held for the whole county, they shall certify the
number of votes cast in said county, and also the number of votes
cast in each magisterial district for and against the “hog law,” re-
spectively ; when theelection is held for one or in all magisterial dis-
tricts only, they shall certify the numberof votes cast for and against
“ hog law,” respectively. A copy of such certificate, in such case to
be laid before the county court at its next term.

4. Notwithstanding the election may be held for the whole county,
the vote shall be by districts, and if it appear from abstracts and re-
turns that a majority of votes cast in any magisterial district have
been cast “against the hog law,” then the law shall remain as it is
therein. If, on the other hand, it appear from the abstracts and re-
turns that a majority of votes cast in any magisterial district have
been cast in favor of the “hog Jaw,” then any owner of any swine,
or manager of the same, shall keep swine on his own bounds; and
if any swine should trespass upon any lands of another, the owner or
managers of said animals shall be liable for all damage or injury done
by said animals to owner of crops or lands upon which they may
tresspass; whether said animals wander from the premises of the
owner in the county or district in which the trespass was committed,
or from another county or district.

5. The damages, fines or awards in all cases arising under this act
shall be ascertained in the manner prescribed by and under the
general law now in force for tresspass and damage.

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