Chap. 158.—An ACT to provide for determining the respective terms
of office of the several Members of the City Council of the City o!
Manchester.

. Approved March 11, 1875.

Whereas the act of the general assembly, approved March
twenty, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, entitled’an act
providing a charter for the City of Manchester, provided
that at the election held in said city on the fourth Thursday
in May, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, there should be
elected in each ward of said city three councilmen, whose
terms of office should be one, two, and three years, respec-
tively; and whereas at the said election in said city, on the
fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and seventy-four,
there was elected, under the provisions of said act, three
councilmen from each ward in said city, by ballots which
did not specify or mention the respective terms tor which
they were elected, which remain undetermined; and no
method is provided by law by which the respective terms of
said councilmen can be determined and fixed; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That the city council of the City of Manchester shall assem-
ble and convene at the usual place of meeting of said coun-
cil, on the first Monday in April, eighteen hundred and
seventy-five, and proceed to ascertain by lot, in such manner
as it may by resolution determine, which of the councilmen
from each ward in said city shall hold for the term of one,
two, and three years, respectively, as provided for by the
aforesaid act.

2. The proceedings of said council under this act, in rela-
tion to determining the said terms of office, shall be entered
at large, on the minutes of that body, and a copy of such
entry, duly attested by the president and clerk of said coun-
cil, shall be delivered by said clerk on the next day after the
meeting of said council hereinbefore provided for, to the
clerk of the corporation court of said city, who shall file the
same in his office, and thereupon isgue to each of the council-
men mentioned therein, a certificate of his office, and the
term for which he shall be entitled to hold the same; and
the clerk of said court shall receive a fee of twenty-five
cents for each of such certificates, to be paid by the person
to whom the certificate is issued. ©

3. The members of said city council shall severally hold
their offices for the terms which may be ascertained and
fixed for them, respectively, by the said city council, in pur-
suance of this act, subject, however, to the general law and
the charter of said city in relation to vacancies and removals.
from office; and shall, respectively, during their continuance,
have the same authority and privileges as members of the
city council of said city, as though their several and respec-
tive terms of office had been ascertained and determined at
-he aforesaid election, on the fourth Thursday in May, eigh-
een hundred and Seventy-four.

4. If, from any cause, a quorum ot said city council should
10t attend the meeting provided for by the first section of
-bis act, or said council shall fail on the day designated for
sach meeting fully to discharge the duty imposed by this
act, said council, or the members attending said meeting,
shall adjourn from day to day until a quorum is obtained,
and such duty is discharged.

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