Chap. 559.—An ACT to restrict the running of railroad trains on
Sunday.

Approved March 19, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
no railroad company shall, through any of its agents or em-
ployees, load, unload, run, or transport upon its road on Sun-
day, any car, train of cars, or locomotive, nor permit the same
to be done by such agents or employees, except where such
cars, trains, or locomotives are used exclusiv ely for the fol-
lowin purposes—namely: For the relief of wrecked trains,
or trains so disabled as to obstruct the main track of the rail-
road; for the transportation of the United States mail, with
or without passengers and their baggage; for the transporta-
tion of passengers and their baggage; for the transportation
of live stock; and for the transportation of articles so perish-
able that their scfety would necessarily be endangered by the
delay of one day in their passage: provided however, that
should a railroad company have to transport live stock or
perishable articles on Sunday to an extent not sufficient to
make a whole train-load, it shall be lawful for the railroad
company to make up the train-load with cars loaded with
ordinary freight.

2. The word Sunday in this act shall be construed to em-
brace only that portion of the day between sunrise and sun-
set; and trains in transitu having started prior to twelve
o'clock on Saturday night, may, in order to reach the termi-
nus or shops of the railroad, run until 9 o’clock the following
Sunday morning, but not later.

3. Any railroad company violating the provisions of this
act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor in each county or cor-
poration in which such car, train of cars, or locomotive shall
run, or in which such car or train of cars shall be loaded or
unloaded; and upon conviction shall be fined not less than
fifty nor more than one hundred dollars for each offence.

4. This act shall be construed to embrace any receiver or
trustee of a railroad controlling or operating the same under
order of court, who, for violating the provisions of this act,
shall be liable to the same penalties which are hereby im-
posed upon a railroad company.

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