Chap. 114.—An ACT to constitute one quarantine district of the Eliz.
abeth river and its branches, and to create a Board of Quarantine
Commissioners and a Quarantine Medical Officer fur suid District.

Approved February 26, 1877.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
for the better protection of the cities of Norfolk and Ports-
mouth, and Norfolk county, against the introduction of in-
fectious and contagious diseases by vessels arriving in the
common harbor of said cities, or into any part of the Eliza-
beth river, and to secure uniformity in the administration of
the laws and regulations concerning quarantine, appertaining
to shipping in said river, the Elizabeth river and its branches
shall constitute one quarantine district.

2. That a board of commissiorers is hereby created, to be
known as the board of quarantine commissioners for the dis-
trict of Elizabeth river; the said board to consist of seven
commissioners, three of whom shall be appointed by the
councils of the city of Norfolk; three by the council of the city
of Portsmouth ; and one by the judge of the county court of
Norfolk county. Each of said representations of three com-
missioners on said board shall embrace at least one practicing
physician, if practicable. The said commissioners shall hold
their office for the term of four years, commencing on the
first day of April, eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, un-
less sooner removed by the authority appointing them. All
vacancies in the board shall be filled in the same manner as
the original appointments. The said board shall organize by
electing one of their number president, with such other offi-
cers as they may deem necessary; and a majority of the
board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of busi-
ness.

3. That the said board of quarantine commissioners shall
be invested with all the powers now granted by law to the
councils of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and to Nor-
folk county, or by the general law on the subject, in regard
to the establishment and regulation of matters of quarantine;
and they. shall prescribe such rules and regulations, conform-
ably to existing law, as they may deem necessary, and have
exclusive control of the quarantine appertaining to shipping
for the Elizabeth river and its branches, and the cities, towns
and villages, situated thereon. They shall meet monthly,
upon any day agreed upon by themselves; but the president
of the said board may, upon his own motion, and shall, at
the request of any two members of the board, by written
notice to each member, convene the board at any time, when
circumstances may render prompt action necessary. The said
board shall, at their first meeting, or as soon thereafter as
practicable, select a suitable quarantine anchorage, and shall
adopt and publish, for the information and government of all
concerned, rules and regulations for the management and en-
lorcement of an efficient system of quarantine for said district.
Ail pilots licensed by the laws of this state are hereby required
to conform to the rules and regulations thus adopted, under
the penalty of a fine of not less than twenty nor more than
one hundred dollars. The said board shall require the quar-
antine medical officer, hereinafter created, to faithfully carry
out these rules and regulations; and they shall have power
to review the official action of said officer, and to revoke or
reverse his decision in regard to any particular vessel; but in
such case they shall record their reasons for so doing in the
minutes of their transactions. The said board of quarantine
commissioners shall not, as a board, nor shall any of the
members thereof, in their official characters, make any re-
commendation for the appointment of the quarantine medical
cficer, hereinafter provided for. .

4. That the said board of quarantine commissioners shall
have power, whenever in their opinion circumstances may
demand it, by and with the consent of the councils of the
cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, to acquire by condemna-
tion, as provided for by existing laws, or by purchase, a suit-
able sité for a lazaretto, at any eligible point on Elizabeth
river, and to erect thereupon one or more buildings, to be
constructed of wood, for the temporary accommodation and
treatment of sick seamen and passengers arriving at the
quarantine anchorage upon infected vessels: provided, the
cost of such a site and the erection of the buildings thereon
shall not exceed the sum of five thousand dollars: and pro-
vided, further, that the cost of the maintenance and treat-
ment of the persons so removed to the lazaretto buildings
trom infected vessels, shall be paid by the masters or owners
of such vessels, upon which the costs thus incurred shall con-
stitute a lien.

5. That the said board may, by and with the consent of
the councils of the cities aforesaid, in lieu of the purchase of
a site and the erection of lazaretto buildings, provide and fit
out a floating hospital for the accommodation and treatment
of the sume class of infected persons as is described in section
fuur of this act: provided the expense so incurred shall not
exceel the amount specified in said section; such floating
hospital to be moored, when having on board infected per-
sons, at such point in the lower river, or Hampton Roads,
eaficiently removed from the channel, so as not to endanger
the health of persons on board of passing vessels.

6. That the said board of quarantine commissioners shall
pay the annual salary of five hundred dollars, in quarterly
instalments of one hundred and twenty-fiye dollars each,
to the quarantine medical officer created by this act; and in
case they shall see fit to purchase the site and erect the
lazaretto buildings, or instead thereof, to provide and fit out
the floating bospital hereinbefore provided for, they shall
make a report of their proceedings, accompanied by a verified
statement of all the expenditures thereby incurred, to the
councils of the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and to the
county court of Norfolk county. :

7. That the governor shall appoint and commission a quar-
antine medical officer for said district, who shall be a resi-
dent of the city of Norfolk, or of the city of Portsmouth, or
Norfolk county, and whose term of office shall be for two
years from the first day of April, eighteen hundred and
seventy-seven, unless sooner removed by the governor, and
who shall be the inspecting officer for all vessels arriving in
Elizabeth river or any of its branches, subject to such in-
spection as shall be required by and in accordance with the
rules and regulations of the board of quarantine commis-
sioners created by this act: provided that no one shall re-
ceive such appointment, who is not a doctor of medicine of
good standing, and who has not had at least five years’ ex-
perience in the practice of his profession.

8. That the quarantine medical officer shall board with
promptness all vessels liable to his inspection, and no vessel
shall be detained in quarantine without his stated decision.
No vessel thus detained by him shall change her assigned
position without his written permission. He shall superin-
tend the thorough cleansing, by the most approved methods,
of any infected vessel, at the proper cost of such vessel. He
shall.not allow pratique to any vessel once detained by bim,
by reason of said vessel’s having, at tbe time of his inspec-
tion, infectious disease on board, or of her having had such
disease on board at any time during her voyage, without the
express sanction of the board of quarantine commissioners.
He shall havo veneral superintendence and control of any
lazaretto or floating hospital tbat may be established under
the provisions of this act, and the care and treatment of any
sick thereon. He shall administer oaths and take affidavits
in examinations as to the sanitary condition of vessels, and
in relation to any alleged violation of the quarantine regula-
tions; such oath to have the same validity and effect as if
administered by a justice of the peace. He sball have au-
thority to direct, in writing, any constable or police officer
to pursue, within the limits of his district, and arrest any
person, who shall violate any quarantine regulation or ob-
struct him in the performance of his duty; and any person
violating the quarantine laws or regulations, or obstructing
the quarantine medical officer in the discharge of his duty,
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by fine
of not less than twenty nor more than five hundred dollars,
or by imprisonment of not less than one nor more than six
months; and warrants for any offenders under this act, may
be issued upon the oath of any party complaining, by any
justice of the peace of any city or county, or the mayor of
any city in this state in which such offender may be at. the
time; and upon proof of probable cause, the offender shall
be bound, with security in due form of law, to appear at the
next term of the corporation or county court of said city or
county, for trial of such misdemeanor; and the corporation
or county court of such city or county shall have jurisdic-
tion for the trial thereof, as in other cases of misdemeanor.
All fines recovered under the provisions of this act shall be
turned over to the said board of quarantine commissioners,
to be used by them in carrying out the objects of this act.

9. The quarantine medical officer sha!'l exact of the master,
owner, or consignee of each vessel visited by him in the per-
formances of his official duties, a fee of seven dollars, for each
necessary visit of inspection, and also the cost of cleansing,
fumigation, or disinfection, whenever necessary; recoverable
before the mayor or any justice of the peace of either of the
said cities or said county. He shall defray all expenses at-
tending upon his inspection of vessels out of the fees thus
received, and he shall keep a true record of his receipts and
expenditures, and report annually to the board of quarantine
commissioners the items of the same. He shall also report
to the said board, annually, on or before the twentieth day of
December, the names and class of all vessels visited. by him
during the year, the disposition made of such vessels, and
such other information concerning the quarantine service as
he may deem expedient.

10. The quarantine medical officer shall, when required by
the board of quarantine commissioners, reside at or near the
quarantine grounds or anchorage. He may, with the consent
of the said board, appoint a deputy, who shall possess like
qualifications, and be invested with the same powers as him-
self; but the said quarantine medical officer shall be held
responsible for the conduct and compensation of such deputy.

11. That for the purpose of defraying the necessary ex-
penses to be incurred by the board of quarantine commis-
sioners in carrying out the provisions of this act, the city of
Norfolk shall be assessed with, and shall pay three-sevenths
thereof, and the city of Portsmouth shall be assessed witb,
and shall pay three-sevenths thereof, and the county of Nor-
folk shall be assessed with, and shall pay one-seventh thereof:
provided, that the said board of quarantine commissioners
sball receive no compensation for their services.

12. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the
provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.

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