Chap. 87.—An ACT to provide for repairing the Rivanna canal with
convict labor.

Approved February 20, 1878.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the governor be and is hereby authorized to contract with
the board of supervisors of Fluvanna county, to furnish to
said county, from the penitentiary, by the first day of March,
eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, or as soon thereafter as
he may be able to do so, thirty convicts, if the same are on
hand or under his control when applied for and can be spared
without interfering with the mechanical or skilled labor em-
ployed for manufacturing purposes, and without interfering
with previously made contracts, free of any charge for their
services, upon such termes and conditions as to safe keeping
as he may deem necessary. Said convicts are to be used for
a period not exceeding twelve months by said board of super-
visors, for the county aforesaid, in repairing the Rivanna
canal from Columbia to Union Mills, in said county: pro-
vided the cost to the state of maintaining, clothing, guard-
ing, and medical attendance of said convicts shall not exceed
twenty-five cents per day per capita: and provided further,
that before said convicts are furnished, the said supervisors
shall secure from the said Rivanna company a contract to
appropriate the net tolls and revenues of said company to the
use and benefit of the state, until she shall be fully reimbursed
all the money expended by her in maintaining, clothing, and
guarding said convicts as aforesaid.

2. The said board of supervisors shall provide for all
expenses incurred in maintaining, clothing, guarding, and
properly attending said convicts in excess of twenty-five
cents per capita: provided that before incurring said expense,
they shall secure from said Rivanna company a contract em-
powering said supervisors to contract and run said canal,
collect all tolls for freight, and so forth, thereon, until they
shall, after reimbursing the rtate, as provided in the first
section of this act, reimburse the said county of Fluvanna
for all advancements made to said company by said county.

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