Chap. 31.—An ACT Authorizing the Governor to Cede to the United States
Jurisdiction over a certain Bridge, with its Abutments, in the County of
Elizabeth City.

Approved January 14, 1871.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That it shall and
may be lawful for the governor of this commonwealth, and he
is hereby fully authorized so to do, for and on behalf of this
commonwealth, by a proper deed and instrument of writing,
under his band and the seal of the commonwealth, to convey,
transfer, assign, and make over, to the United States, all the
jurisdiction which this commonwealth has or possesses over a
certain toll bridge, and the abutment thereof, across Mill creek,
in the county of Elizabeth City, erected in pursuance of an act
of the general assembly of Virginia, passed January twenty-
seventh, Anno Domini eighteen hundred and twenty-five, enti-
tled an act empowering the county of Elizabeth City to erect
two toll bridges, and for other purposes, with all the appurte-
nances to the said toll bridge belonging, but excluding the
‘said jurisdiction over the road leading from the said abutment,
in the said county of Elizabeth City, on the north side of Mill
creek, to the abutment of the toll bridge across Hampton river,
which said toll bridge across Mill creek, and its abutment, in
the county of Elizabeth City, was conveyed to the said United
States by the Hampton river and Mill creek toll bridge com-
pany, by its deed dated the fifteenth day of November, eigh-
teen hundred and thirty-eight, and recorded in the clerk’s office
of the county court of said county on the same day: provided,
that all the conditions imposed by the charter of incorporation
of the Hampton river and Mill creek toll bridge company,
passed on the twenty-seventh day of January, eighteen hun-
dred and twenty-five, shall be observed and kept by the United
States; and that the deed hereby authorized shall provide that
the grant of jurisdiction hereby authorized shall be null and
void upon the failure of the United States to comply with and
keep the said conditions.

2. If at any time hereafter the said bridge shall be suffered
to fall into decay, or the said United States shall cease to use
the same for military purposes in connection with Fortress
Monroe, then, and in either event, the jurisdiction over such
territory hereby declared to be vested in the United States,
shall revert to this commonwealth, and be subject to the juris-
diction of the same, in like manner as if this act had never
been passed: provided, that nothing herein contained shall be
so construed as to authorize the said United States to exact
toll or compensation tor crossing or passing over said bridge,
or to prevent the officers of this commonwealth from executing
any process whatever within the jurisdiction hereby directed
to be ceded to the United States.

3. This act shall commence and be in force from the passing
thereof.