Chap. 158.—An ACT to release and transfer to the counties of High-
land and Augusta, the interest of the commonwealth in the Staunton
and Parkersburg turnpike road.

Approved February 25, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
all the interest of the commonwealth in that portion of the
Staunton and Parksburg turnpike road, lying within the
limits of the counties of Highland and Augusta, be released
and transferred to those counties respectiv ely; and the said
counties are hereby vested with all the powers heretofore
vested in the commonwealth, or the board of public works,
relative to said road.

2. The boards of supervisors of said counties, respectively,
shall take charce of said road, and have the same worked and
kept in repair as provided by law.

3. The said board of supervisors shall each appoint a,
superintendent of said road within the limits of their respec-
tive counties, who shall qualify before the county courts of
said counties, by taking the usual oath of office, and shall
continue as such until their successors are duly qualified.
The term of office of said superintendent shall be two years,
and shall commence on the first day of April, eighteen hun-
dred and eighty-four.

4. The said superintendent shall annually at the March
term of said county Courts respectively, let to contract. to
the lowest suitable bidder, the work of Keeping said road in
lawful repair. Notice of which letting shall be posted for
ten days at each public place on the line of satd road in said
counties, and also published in a newspaper in said counties,
at the discretion of the board of supervisors. The said let-
tiny shall be as a whole, or in sections, at the diseretion of
the superintendent. and for two years ending on the first of
April. The bids shall bein writing, signed by the contractor,
and the superintendent shall deliver the same under seal to
the board of supervisors, respectively, for their approval or
rejection, at the first meeting thereafter. The contractor
shall be required to give bond, with good security, in a
penalty double the amount of his bid, for the faithful per-
formance of his contract, and a recovery may be had for any
breach of said contract, in the name of the county for the
benetit of said road, by motion in the county court, after ten
days’ notice to the contractor and his sureties. The attorney
for the commonwealth shall institute and prosecute such
motion.

5. It shall be the duty of the superintendent to give per-
sonal supervision to said road; to see that the contractor is
faithfully performing his contract, and for any failure in the
pertormance of it, the superintendent shall at once institute,
through the attorney for the commonwealth, proceedings for
the recovery of damages for the breach of said contract.

6. The compensation of the superintendent shall not exceed
one dollar and fifty cents per day while actually engaged,
but in no case shall it exceed the sum of one hundred and
fifty dollars per annum, to be paid out of the fund hereinafter
mentioned.

7. The said road shall be continued and operated as a toll
road, and all the rights and powers now vested in the com-
monwealth, with reference to the collection of tolls upon
state roads, are hereby vested in said counties respectively.

8. The said tolls shall be collected trom the gate-keepers,
and accounted for by the treasurers of said counties respect-
ively, and paid out on the order of the board of supervisors :
provided that said tolls shall not be used for any other pur-
pose than keeping said road in repair, and paying the com-
pensation of the superintendent as hereinafter provided: and
provided further, that the tolls on that portion of said road
lying in the county of Augusta, from the forks of the road
near James Cross’ house to the top of the Shenandoah moun-
tain, shall be applied exclusively to that portion of said road.

9. No member of the board of supervisors, or superinten-
dent, shall be directly or indirectly interested in any contract
made under this act, and any participation therein by either,
shall render the contract void.

10. The said board of supervisors shall have power at any
time, for good cause, to revoke the appointment of a superin-
tendent, and to appoint a successor to fill his unexpired
term ; alse to fix the compensation of the superintendent, and
all other powers necessary to be employed in executing this
act. For the additional services required by this act the
supervisors shall receive two dollars per day.

11. If the board of supervisors shall neglect or refuse to
perform any duty required by this act, the county court may,
upon the application of any person interested, compel said
board to perform such duty.
12. The right is reserved to the state at any time hereafter
to repeal this act and revoke the release and transfer hereby
made to the said counties.

13. This act shall be in force from and after the first day
of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-four.