CHAP. 41.—An ACT declaring certain streams in Nottoway county
to be highways.

Approved Mareh 31, 1879.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
Mill creek, from its source to its mouth; Cellar creek, from
where it crosses the county road, which runs from Bellefonte to
Nottoway courthouse, to its mouth; Woody creek, from its
source to its mouth; Bland creek, from its source to its mouth ;
and Deep creek, from its source to the county line of Notto-
way, all in the county of Nottoway, shall be considered and
are hereby declared to be highways, and shall be subject to all
the provisions of law in reference to public roads now in force
and applicable thereto except as hereinafter provided.

2. The county court of Nottoway county shall from time to
time appoint one or more overseers, who shall be charged with
the duty of keeping the said creeks above designated as high-
ways properly cleared out and free from obstructions except
where authorized by law; and the said overseers shall be sub-
ject to the provision and clothed with the powers of overseers
of roads under existing laws, and shall hold their office for
four years, or until their successors are duly qualified.
3. It shall be the duty of the county court of Nottoway county
to appoint a commissioner, who shall assess the value of the
flat lands lying on the said creeks between the points designated
in the first section of this act, and annually estimate and assess
the benefits which shall accrue to the flat lands of the con-
tiguous land-holders between the points mentioned in the first
section, and above when the lands above will receive benefit
by keeping the creeks cleaned out and free from obstructions,
and the owners of said lands shall each year be assessed pro
rata on said estimates for a sum sufficient in the aggregate to
meet ail expenses necessary to keep said several creeks on
which their lands lie and are contiguous to cleared out and free
from obstructions, which said sum shall be fixed on by the
board of supervisors of Nottoway county at their annual De-
cember meeting, or as soon as practicable after receiving the
report of said commissioners, except as to the first assessment,
estimate and levy under this act, which shall be made within
ninety days after its passage, according to the provisions con-
tained therein, and shall be collected in the same way that the
county levy is now collected, and the land owners shall have
the privilege of furnishing labor to meet the tax imposed on
them as is now provided in the case of roads.

4, The overseers and commissioners appointed under this
act shall be allowed by the board of supervisors of Nottoway
county two dollars per day for each day actually and necessarily
employed in the discharge of their duties, to be paid out of the
county levy.

5. Any land owners aggrieved by the assessment provided
for in this act may apply to the county court of Nottoway to
have the same altered, in the same way now provided by law
to alter assessments of Jand.

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