CHAP. 89.—An ACT to prohibit the board of supervisors of MWiguland
county from levying a tax to pay subscription to the W ashington,
Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad until certain conditions are com—
plied with, and authorizing said board to levy a tax to defend suits
on the same.

Approved April 2, 1879.

Whereas the people of Highland county, Virginia, were in-
duced by the promises and representations of the officers and
agents of the Washineton, Cincinnati and Saint Louis narrow-
gauge railroad company to vote a subscription of fifty thou-
sand ($50,000) dollars to the capital stock of said company, and
to issue bonds, redeemable in twenty years, bearing the legal
rate of interest, payable annually; and whereas the said sub-
scription was to have been expended in said county, and no
bonds to be given or money required until the said railroad
was completed to the eastern boundary of said county; and
whereas the agents and officers of the said railroad company,
by further promises, and by placing a company of men at work
within the limits of said Highland county, induced the super-
visors thereof to issue the bonds of the county and to levy a
tax to pay the interest on said bonds; and whereas the said
officers, after grading detached portions of said railroad in a
very imperfect and unstable manner, and making very heavy
and almost impracticable grades, suddenly suspended all active
operations and withdrew their force of workmen; and whereas
all the work done, or nearly all done, by the officers of said
railroad company outside of the said Highland county, has
been of like character, and if the said railroad is ever completed
much of the work already done will have to be abandoned and
new locations made: and whereas the said company has most
signally failed in all its promises to the people of the said High-
land county; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the board of supervisors of the county of Highland be and
they are hereby authorized not to levy any tax upon said county
for the payment of the interest or principal of the bonds exe-
ented by the said county to the Washington, Cincinnati and
Saint Louis railroad company until said company shall have
completed said railroad from Harrisonbure, Virginia, to the
eastern boundary line of said county of Highland; and should
sald railroad company fail to complete said railroad to the said
county line within five years from the passage of this act, said
bonds of Highland county shall be null and void, and the said
county shall not be liable therefor.

2, The board ef supervisors of said county is authorized to
levy a tax upon the real and personal property of said county,
not to exceed four hundred dollars, to be collected as other
county taxes, which shall be used to defray said county’s part
of the expenses of any legal proceedings which may be insti-
tuted by the said railroad company against the said county to
enforce the collection of the bonds aforesaid.

3. The treasurer of Highland county is hereby authorized to
retain in the county treasury, subjevt to the order of the board
of supervisors of said county, all fands which may now be in
or may hereafter come into bis hands intended for the purpose
of paying the interest on said county bonds.

A, 'Phis act shall be in torce from its passage.