Chap. 68.—An ACT to Authorize the Qualified Voters of the County of
Halifix to vote on the Question of the Purchase of the Toll Bridge at
South Boston in that County, in order to make it a Free Bridge.

In force February 10, 1873.

Whereas, numerous citizens of Halifax county have, by pe-
tition, memoralized the general assembly that the sense of the
people of said county be taken upon the purchase, by the said
county, of the toll bridge at South Boston, in said county, to
make it a free bridge; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be the duty of the county court of said county, upon
the petition of fifty or more of the qualified voters of said
county, who are freeholders, to issue an order to the several |
officers conducting elections in the said county at the time and
places for holding the general election on the fourth Thursday
in May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, to pre-
pare a separate ballot box for each voting precinct, in which
shall be deposited the ballots of the then qualified voters who
shall desire to vote upon the question of the purchase of said
bridge. The said ballots shall be respectively as follows: “For
the purchase of bridge;” “Against the purchase of bridge.”
Each ballot so cast, which shall have written or printed thereon,
“For the purchase of bridge,” shall be taken and counted asa
vote for the purchase of the said bridge; and each ballot which
shall have written or printed thereon, “Against the pur-
ehase of bridge,” shall be taken and counted as a vote against
the purchase of said bridge.

2. The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballots cast
at such election on the question of the purchase of said bridge,
and making returns and abstracts of the results thereof, shall
conform in all respects to the regulations prescribed by the
general election law of this state, except that the certificate of
the judges of election shall be as follows:

We hereby certify that at the election held, votes were
cast “for the purchase of the bridge,” and votes were
cast “against the purchase of bridge.”

, Ss in "> Clerks
A. B
C. D. + Judges
E. F.

And provided further, that the commissioners of election shall
make on a separate sheet an abstract of said votes against and
for the purchase of said bridge; which abstract shall be duly
signed by said commissioners, and deposited in the office of
the clerk of the county court of said county.

3. If from such returns and abstracts of votes so cast upon
the question of purchase of said bridge, it shall appear that
three-fifths of the votes were cast for the purchase of said
bridge, it shall be the duty of the county court of said county
to appoint three commissioners, whose duty it shall be to ne-
gotiate with the president, directors and company owning and
controlling said bridge, for the purchase thereof for the use of
said county; but it shall not be lawful for the said commis-
sioners to give more than eighteen thousand dollars for the
right and franchises of said company in the bridge: provided,
that no contract shall be binding on the said county until it
shall have been ratified by the board of supervisors, who shall
have been summoned for the purpose by order made by the
county court.

4. If a majority of the board of supervisors shall ratify the
contract made by said commissioners with the president, di-
rectors and company owning said bridge, it shall be lawful in
the discretion of said board to issue bonds of the said county
to bear interest ata rate not exceeding the rate of interest
allowed by law, payable annually: provided, that no bond is-
sued under the provisions of this act, shall be for a longer pe-
riod than ten years; or the said board may, in its discretion,
levy upon persons and property, in the manner prescribed by
law for other levies for county purposes, a sum not exceeding
one-sixth of the purchase money for said bridge in any one
year; which said levy shall be collected and accounted for in
the manner prescribed by law for other county levies, and paid
out by order of the board of supervisors, as other debts due
by counties, &c., are now audited and paid, in discharge of the
debt due for the said bridge.

5. Should three-fifths of the voters of the said county vote
in favor of the purchase of said bridge and the provisions of
this act be complied with, the bridge shall be subject to all the
rules and regulations now prescribed by law in regard to county
bridges.

6. In the event that the county court of Halifax county
shall for any cause fail to submit the question of the purchase
of the said bridge to the qualified voters of said county on the
fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and seventy-three,.
then it shall be lawful, upon the petition of one hundred or
more of the qualified voters of said county, being freeholders,.
for the county court of said county to submit the question of
the purchase of the said bridge to the vote of the legally quali-.
fied voters of said county, at any regular election to be held at.
any time subsequent to the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen
hundred and seventy-three, in the manner and form prescribed
in this act; and in case three-fifths of the legally qualified
voters shall vote in favor of the purchase of the said bridge,
the county court of said county and the board of supervisors
of said county shall proceed to carry out the will of the peo-
ple as herein prescribed.

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