Chap. 301.—JOINT RESOLUTIONS Proposing Amendments to Sections
one, two, three and four of the seventh Article of the Constitution of
this Commonwealth in Relation to County Organization, for Publish-
ing said Amendments and Certifying the same to the next General As-
sembly.

Agreed to March 31, 1873.

1. Resolved, by the senate and house of delegates (a major-
ity of the members elected to each of the two houses agreeing
thereto), That the following amendments, and the schedule an-
nexed thereto, be and they are hereby proposed to the consti-
tution of Virginia, and are hereby referred to the general
assembly, to be chosen at the next general election of senators
and members of the house of delegates, for its concurrence,
in conformity with Article XII of said constitution, viz:

Strike from the constitution of Virginia the first and second
sections of the seventh Article, in reference to county organi-
zations, which are in these words:

County organizations.

Sec. 1. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the
county, one sheriff; one attorney for the commonwealth, who
shall also be the commonwealth’s attorney for the circuit court;
one county clerk, who shall also be the clerk of the circuit
court, except that in counties containing fifteen thousand in-
habitants, there may be a separate clerk for the circuit court;
one county treasurer, and one superintendent of the poor.
And there shall be appointed, in the manner provided for in
Article VIII, one superintendent of schools: provided, that
counties containing less than eight thousand inhabitants may
be attached to adjoining counties for the formation of districts
for superintendents of schools: provided, also, that in coun-
ties containing thirty thousand inhabitants there may be ap-
pointed an additional superintendent of schools therein. All
regular elections for county officers shall be held on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and all officers
elected or appoimted under this provision shall enter upon the
duties of their offices on the first day of January next succeed-
ing their election, and shall hold their respective offices for the
term of three years, except that the county and circuit court
clerks shall hold their offices for four years.
Sec. 2. Each county of the state shall be divided into so
many compactly located townships as may be deemed neces-
sary, not less than three: provided, that after three have been
formed no additional township shall be made containing less
than thirty square miles. Each township shall be known as
the township of , in the county of — , and may sue
and be sued by such title. In each township there shall be
elected, annually, one supervisor, one township clerk, one as-
sessor, one collector, one commissioner of roads, one overseer
of the poor, one justice of the peace, who shall hold his office
three years, one constable, who shall hold his office three years:
provided, that at the first election held under this provision,
there shall be three justices of the peace and three constables
elected, whose terms shall be one, two, and three years, re-
spectively. All regular elections for township officers shall
take place on the fourth Thursday in May, and all officers so
elected shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices
on the first day of July next succeeding their election. The
supervisors of each township shall constitute the board of su-
pervisors for that county, and shall assemble at the court-house
thereof on the first Monday in December in each year, and
proceed to audit the accounts of said county, examine the
books of the assessors, regulate and equalize the valuation of
property, fix the county levies for the ensuing year, apportion
the same among the various townships, and perform such other
duties as shall be prescribed by law.

And insert, in lieu thereof, the following:

ARTICLE VII.
County organizations.

1. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of the
county, one sheriff; one attorney for tlhe commonwealth, who
shall also be the commonwealth’s attorney for the circuit court;
one county clerk, who shall be clerk of the circuit court, except
that in counties containing fifteen thousand inhabitants there
may be a separate clerk fur the circuit court; one county treas-
urer ; and so many commissioners of the revenue as may be
provided by law; and there shall be appointed in a manner to
be provided by law, one superintendent of the poor and one
county surveyor; and there shall also be appointed in the man-
ner provided for in article eight, one superintendent of schools.
All regular elections for county officers shall be held on the
fourth Thursday in May, and all officers elected or appointed
under this provision shall enter upon the duties of their oftices
on the first day of July next succeeding their election, and
shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years,
except that county and circuit court clerks shall hold their
offices for six years.

Section 2. Each county of the state shall be divided into so
many compactly located magisterial districts a8 may be deemed
necessary, not less than three: provided, that after these have
been formed, no additional districts shall be made containing
less than thirty square miles. Hach magisterial district to be
known as magisterial district of county. In
each district there shall be elected one supervisor, three justices
of the peace, one constable and one overseer of the poor, who
shall hold their respective offices for the term of two years.
All regular elections for magisterial district officers shall take
place on the fourth Thursday in May, and all officers so elected
shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices on the
first day of July next succeeding their election. ‘The supervi-
sors of the districts shall constitute the board of supervisors
for that county, whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of
the county, examine the books of the commissioners of the
revenue, regulate and equalize the valuation of property, fix
the county levies of the ensuing year, and perform any other
duties required of them by law.

_ Strike out the third section of the same article, which is in
these words: |

School districts.

Section 3. Each township shall be divided into so many
compactly located school districts as may be deemed necessary:
provided, that no school district shall be formed containing less
than one hundred inhabitants. In each school district there
shall be elected or appointed annually one school trustee, who
shall hold his office three years: provided, that at the first
election held under this provision there shall be three trustees
elected, whose terms shall be one, two, and three years, respec-
tively.

And insert in lieu thereof the following:

Schools districts.

, Section 3. Each magisterial district shall be divided into so
many compactly located school districts as may be deemed ne-
cessary: provided, that no school district shall be formed con-
taining less than one hundred inhabitants. In each school
district there shall be elected or appointed, annually, one school
trustee, who shall hold his office three years: provided, that
at the first election held under this provision there shall be
three trustees elected, whose terms shall be one, two, and
three years, respectively.
From the same article strike out the fourth section, which
is in these words:
Road districts.

Sec. 4. Hach township shall be divided into one or more
road districts. In each road district there shall be elected an-
nually, one overseer of roads, under whose direction the roads
shall be kept in repair at the public expand in & mode pre-
scribed by law. |
Schediele.

2. The’ legally constituted officers of the several counties
and townships of the state, at the date of the ratification of
these amendments by the people, shall continue to discharge
the duties of their respective offices until the officers provided
for by these amendments shall have been elected, or appointed,
and qualified; and all bonds or recognizances entered into by
any county or township officer for the faithful discharge of the
duties of his office shall remain valid and binding, and all
rights and liabilities under the same shall continue, and may
be prosecuted as provided by law.

3. Resolved, That the clerk of the house of delegates or the
clerk of the senate be authorized and required, or if a vacancy
happen in both of said offices, the presiding officer of either
house of the general assembly, be authorized and requested to
cause the proposed amendments and these resolutions to be
published in some newspaper published in the city of Rich-
mond for three months previous to the time of choosing the
members of the general assembly at the next general election
of senators and members of the house of delegates.

4. Resolved, That the clerk of the senate and the clerk of
the house of delegates be required to transmit to the general
assembly to be chosen at the next general election of senators
and members of the house of delegates a certified copy of said
amendments and these resolutions, together with a certificate
of publication by the publisher of the newspaper in which the
proposed amendments shall have been published.