Chap. 22.—An ACT for the Protection of Sheep in the County o!
: Fairfax.

Approved January 5, 1875.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That it shall be
the duty of the commissioners of the revenue for the county
of Fairfax to take annually, at the time of listing the taxable
property therein, a list of all dogs, with the name of the
owner or person in whose possession the same are found.
Upon the oath or affirmation of the owner or housekeeper,
or bead of the family, with whom or in whose lot or planta-
tion any dog or dogs may be found, as to the number of dogs
such person may own or have or be upon hisor her lot, plan-
tation or premises, whether owned by him or her or not, and
shall return such lists of dogs to the clerk’s office of said
county at the time when he returns his lists of taxable pro:
perty, under the like fines, penalties and forfeitures for neg.
lect of any similar duties thereon, as in relation to his duties
in listing and returning lists of taxable property.

2. That every doy kept or staying about any house shall
be deemed sufficient evidence of ownership to authorize the
commissioner of the revenue to return the person inbabiting
said house as the owner of such dog; and every dog not re-
turned, or if returned and the tax not paid thereon, shall be
deemed to have no owner, and may be lawfully killed by any
person secing it run at large.

3. That when said commissioners of the revenue shall have
ascertained the number of dogs, they shall levy and cause to
be collected the sum of seventy-five cents for each dog so
assessed; and the sum shall be colleeted and accounted tor
by the treasurer of said county as county levies are by law
directed to be collected and accounted for. And the said
treasurer shall keep a separate account of money arising
from the tax on dogs, and pay the same, atter deducting
commissions and delinquents, to a commissioner hereafter
authorized in this act; and the said money shall be and is
hereby appropriated as a fund for remuncrating the inhabi-
tants of said county for any loss they may sustain by sheep
being destroyed by a dog or dogs; the residue, if any, to be
appropriated to the expenses of the county.

4. That when any inhabitant of the county aforesaid
shall have any sheep destroyed by a dog or dogs, he or she
may apply to the appraisers provided by this act, and they,
or any two of them, are hereby authorized and required to
view and ascertain the damages sustained by the owner of
such sheep destroyed as aforesaid ; and when they shall have
ascertained the legality of the claim and the damages so
sustained, they, or any two of them, shall certify the same
under their hands and seals to said commissioner, who shall
receive the said certificate and give a reeeipt for the same,
and have it filed in his office; and at the close of cach year
he shall make an estimate of such certificates as may have
been presented to him, and also the amount of all such tax
of same year; and if upon such estimate it shall appear
that the amount of said tax will be insufficient to discharge
the whole amount of damages, he shall apportion the amount
and pay to each sufferer in proportion to the loss sustained.

5. That it shall be the duty of the justices of the peace in
said county, upon the application of the owners of sheep
which have been destroyed by dogs since the commencement
of this act, to issue a summons to three freeholders in the
neighborhood, to appear forthwith on the premises where
such sheep may be, and after being first duly qualified, they,
or any two of them, shall proceed to ascertain and appraise
the true value of said sheep, and return a statement of the
same, under their hands and seals, to the owner. .

6. That the judge of the county court shall appoint a dis-
creet person commissioner under this act, whose duty it shall
be to receive and reccipt for all certificates for damages under
this act, and apportion the fund ratably amongst the owne?s
of said certificates, and pay the same within ten days after
he shall have settled his account; which settlement shall be
made once in each year. But before entering upon the per-
formance of his dutics under this act, he shall give bond and
security in the penalty of two thousand dollars, subject to
the approval of the court, for the faithful discharge of his
duties.

7. The commissioners of the revenue and treasurer shall
receive a like commission for their services in this behalf as
is now ullowed by the state; and the commissioner shall re-
ceive a commission of ten per centum on all money paid out by
him.

8. In order that the question of the adoption or rejection
of this law be submitted to the people of the county, it sball
be the duty of the several officers conducting the election to
be held in the month of May, eighteen hundred and seventy-
five, in the county of Fairfax, for officers to be elected at that
time, to prepare a separate 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. The said
ballots shall be respectively as follows: “For the law for the
protection of sheep in the county of Fairfax.” “Against
the law for the protection of sheep in the county of Fairfax.”

9. The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballots cast
at said election for tho law, and the making returns and ab-
stracts of the result thereof shall conform in all respects to
the: regulations prescribed by the general election laws of
this state.

10. The persons conducting the election at the various
places of voting, shall certify the number of votes cast for
the law and the number of votes cast against it to the clerk
of the county court of Fairfax, who shall lay the same before
the county court at its first term after its adoption; and if it
shall appear from the returns and abstracts of votes so re-
turned that a majority of the qualified voters voting are in
favor of the law, it shall be the duty of the judge of the
county court to declare the said law in force.

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