Chap. 299.—An ACT to authorize the board of supervisors to hire con-
victs for the purpose of improving the public roads in the county of
Henrico, and to make provision for meeting the expenses thereof.

Approved March 14, 1878.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That the board
of supervisors of the county of Henrico are hereby author-
ized to enter into contract with the governor for the hire of
convicts in such number, not to exceed one hundred, and for
such time as they may deem necessary for the purposes of
this act; and they are authorized to work such convicts
upon the public roads of the county of Henrico, improving
said roads, one after the other, in sections of not more than
three miles, alternately; and in the event of their hiring
such convicts, they are required and authorized to provide,
in making the county levy, a sufficient amount, not to exceed
fifteen cents in the hundred dollars of taxable value in any
one year, to pay for transporting, maintaining, guarding,
and supplying medical attendance for said convicts, an-l
such other expenses as may be indispensable for the purpose
of improving said roads; and they may make and enforce
such regulations as may be necessary for the purposes of
this act: provided, however, that the exercise of any
authority granted by this act shall be subject to the approval
of the county court of Henrico: provided further, that the
compensation paid for said convicts shall not be more than
the expense of transporting from and to the penitentiary,
and of maintaining, clothing, guarding, and supplying them
with medical attendance during the time they are so hired
to said supervisors; but any contract made in pursuance of
this act, shall be subject to revocation by the governor upon
ten days’ notice.

2. The said supervisors, if unable to procure convicts, or,
by reason of the remoteness of any road to be improved from
the general rendezvous of the convicts, or whenever, in their
judgment, it would be advantageous to do so, may hire labor
and teams to put such road or roads in order, or may con-
tract to have such work done, the contractor giving bond
for the faithful performance of his contract, in such amount
as the judge of the county court shall direct.

3. Whenever any road has been put in complete repair,
the supervisors may contract to keep such road or roads ip
order for a term not exceeding three years, such contractor
giving bond for the faithful performance of his contract in
such amount as the judge of the county court shall direct;
and if the said judge shall decm it advisable, he may require
of said contractor security, to be approved by him, upon said
bond; and the judge may, if deemed advisable, allot the road
labor liable to be summoned to work on such road or roads
to the contractor as a part of his contract, and such con-
tractor shall have the same power to summon and work
such bands as may be allotted him, and to collect fincs for
delinquent labor, as surveyors of roads have under the gen-
eral road law,

4. Whenever three-fifths of the owners of real estate lying
contiguous to any such improved road, and whose lands lie
Within the distance of a half mile of any such road, and
who have a right of way into such road, shall petition the
board of supervisors to gravel or macadamize the same, the
stpervisors shall after ascertaining that the owners of three-
fifths of the assessed value of such real estate have sicned
such petition, examine such road in person (a majority of
said board of supery Isors being present at such examination),
and if, in their opinion, it be advisable to Improve such road,
they shall proceed to have the same improved as petitioned,
and they shall have the anthority to levy an assessment upon
all the real estate lying contiguous to such road, and upon
every tract cf land of which any portion lies within a half
mile of such road, the owners or occupants of which have a
right of way into such road, sufficicnt to pay one-half the
expense of graveling or macadamizing the same, to be col-
lected in such manner as provided for other county taxes ;
and upon a failure to pay the same, said tax shall be a lien
upon said real estate, as other county taxes are, and said
land may be redeemed from the lien of said tax in the man-
ner now provided by !aw as to taxes and levies: provided,
however, that nothing in this section shall be construed so
as to require the owner of any real estate lying within one-
half mile of two public roads, and having an outlet into both
of said roads, to contribute to the improvement of but one
of said roads, and he shall have the privilege of selecting the
road upon which his tax is to be expended.

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