Chap. 347.—An ACT to authorize the Counties of King and Queen and
King William to negotiate a loan or loans for the purpose of pur-
chasing a Steamboat.

Approved March 31, 1875.

1, Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
it shall be lawful for the county courts of the counties of
King and Queen and King William, upon the application of
fifty freeholders of each of said counties to the court of their
county, to make an order, requiring the judges of election.
at each voting precinct in said county, to open a poll. at tbe
general clection, on the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen
hundred and seventy- -five, or at any general election within
two years thereafter, tatake the sense of tho legal voters ot
each of said counties, as to whether such county shall nego-
tiate a loan or loans of an equal amount, not exceeding ten
nor less than five thousand dollars, for each of said counties.
for the purpose of purchasing a steamboat to ply between
the landings on the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, and
West Point, in the county of King William, or Yorktown,
in York county.

Z. At said genoral election, if such poll shall be ordered,
each of said voters who shall approve of negotiating a boan
for the purpose aforesaid, shall deposit a ticket or ballot, on
which shall be written or printed the words, “For nego
tiating a loan to purchase a steamboat,” and each of said
voters who shall be opposed to. negotiating such Joan, shall
deposit a ticket or ballot, on which shall be written or printed
the words, “ Against negotiating a loan to purchase a steam-
boat.”

3. Immediately after closing the polls, the judges of elec-
tion at the several voting precincts shall count the ballots
deposited as herein provided, and shall make return within
ten days after such clection, to the judge of the respective
county courts, of the number of votes cast for negotiating
a loan, and the number of votes cast against negotiating a
loan, and shall also return to and deposit, with the clerk of
such court, in separate packages, the ballots for and against
such loan; and it shall be the duty of said judge to cause
the ballots to be counted, to correct the polls and to ascer-
tain and certify the result of the said vote, and to cause the
same in each county to be entored in the proper record book
of such county; and if it shall appear that three-fifths of
the votes of each county cast on said question, (embracing a
majority of the freeholders and a majority of the registered
voters of the county), are in favor of negotiating such loan,
such judge shall forthwith enter of record an order, requir-
ing the supervisors of each county to meet in their respective
counties, at a time and place named in ‘the order, to carry
out the wishes of said voters, in the manner hereinafter pro-
vided. The sheriff of cach eounty shall promptly summon
the supervisors of his county, in pursuance of said order.

4. If a majority of the supervisors of each county bespres-
ent at the time and place so designated, they shall proceed
to act. If not, they shall adjourn from time to time till a
majority be present. The said supervisors (a majority of the
whole number being present and concurring) shall have
power to issue bonds of their respective counties to secure
the said loans, which bonds shall be either registered bonds
or coupon bonds, with coupons attached, as the said supervi-
sors may determine. And the said board of supervisors (a
majority being present and concurring) may appoint an
agent or agents to negotiate such loans. And when the
board of supervisors shall make its annual levy for such
county, it shall, in addition to other objects, levy on all the
lands and other subjects liable to state tax or county levy in
such county, a sufficient tax to pay the interest on the bonds
of the county so issued, and to create a sinking fund of not
less than ten per centum per annum, to redeem the principal
thereof, and from year to year it shall repeat such assessments
and apply the proceeds in settlement, till the debt and inte-
rest be fully paid.

5. The judge of tho county courts of King and Quecn and
King William shall appoint three persons from each of the
said counties, who are appointed a board of directors to
manage and conduct the affairs of the steamboat line (vacan-
cies in said board, frog time to time, to be filled by said
judge), who may appoint such officers, agents and employees
as they may deem necessary and proper, and allow them
compensation for their services; but such compensation shall
be subject to the approval of the county courts of said coun-
ties.

6. The said steamboat, with its fixtures, shall be the joint
property of the two counties of King and Queen and King

Villiam, and all profits derived therefrom, after paying
thereout the expense of running the same, and of keeping
the same in repair, shall enure to the said countics equally;
and the board of directors of the said line shall, on the first
Monday in December in each year, make an exhibit to the
board of supervisors of each county of the transactions of
the said line for the current year up to that time, and under
the order of the said board of supervisors they shall pay
over to the treasurer of each of said counties the portion of
profits of the said line, if any, to which the said counties
shall be respectively entited.
7. This act shall be in force from its passage.