Chap. 23.—An ACT to authorize the voters of Smyth county, to ratify
the action of the Board of Supervisors of said county, in donating
lands for Southwestern Lunatic Asylum.

Approved August 26, 1884.

Whereas the general assembly of Virginia, at its last ses-
sion, by an act approved March eighteenth, eighteen hundred
and eighty-four, appointed a board of commissioners for the
purpose of selecting a site for another lunatic asylum for the
accommodation of white lunatics—said site to be selected
west of New river; and whereas the said board of commis-
sioners have made the selection ofa site in Smyth county for
the asylum, in pursuance of said act, and have received titles
made to the supervisors of said county, by the land owners,
upon whose lands it is proposed to locate said asylum, and
said titles in fee simple have been delivered as escrows to
said board of commissioners, for about two hundred and
eight acres of land, including fine water privileges; and,
whereas some legislation is necessary to enable the board of
supervisors of said county to comply with their contract in
regard to the said purchase for the purposes aforesaid, which
amounts to nearly thirty thousand dollars ;. therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the board of supervisors of Smyth county, shall have power
to pay not exceeding thirty thousand dollars for the land
and water privileges, rights of way, and so forth, to the land
owners who have made deeds in fee simple for the site of the
proposed Southwestern lunatic asylum, and to issue the‘bonds
of the said county for the same, in such amount or amounts
as the said board of supervisors may deem necessary: pro-
vided the same shall not exceed in value thirty thousand
dollars as aforesaid. -

2. That the bonds so issued, shall be in the name of the
county of Smyth and state of Virginia; shall be signed by
the chairman of the board of supervisors, and by the secre-
tary thereof, and shall state on their face when payable,
which shall be in twenty years or sooner, at the discretion
of the said board of supervisors, or their properly constituted
successors in office, and shall bear not exceeding six per cen-
tum interest per annum.

3. Before the provisions of the two preceding sections of
this act shall be operative, the said board of supervisors shall
make an order, and enter the same of record, requiring the
sheriff to give notice of, and the judge of election, at the next
general election to be held in November, eighteen hundred
and eighty-four, to open a separate poll, and take the sense
of: the qualified voters on the question whether the board of
supervisors shall issue the bonds of the county for the pur-
poses mentioned in the preceding sections. The said order
shall require the sheriff to give notice of the time of said
election in the newspapers published in Marion, and to post
up at all of the voting precincts in the county, copies of this
act; said notice to be given at least thirty days before said
election. The properly constituted election officers shall
conduct such election, and close the polls in such manner as
is provided by law in other elections; and at said election,
each qualified voter, who shall approve of the board of super-
visors donating to the commonwealth, sufficient lands for the
purpose of said asylum, and of the issuing of the bonds of
the county as aforesaid, shall deposit a ticket or ballot,
whereon shall be written or printed: “For Donation and
Taxation.” And each voter who shall oppose said action,
shall deposit a ticket or ballot, whereon shall be written or
printed: “Against Donation and Taxation.” The election
officers at the several places of voting, shall, immediately
after the closing of the polls at each said place, count the
ballots deposited, and shall, within two days after said elec-
tion, make return to the clerk of the board of supervisors, of
the number of votes cast for, and the number of votes cast
against donation and taxation. And the regularly consti-
tuted commissioners of election, as soon thereafter as practi-
cable, shall meet at the office of said board of supervisors,
and after taking an oath before said clerk, faithfully to dis-
charge their duty, shall open the said packages of ballots,
count the same, correct the returns if needed, and ascertain
and report how many of the said ballots were cast for and
against donation and taxation, respectively, which said
report, signed by a majority of said commissioners, shall be
entered on the order book of the said board of supervisors.
4. If it shall appear, by the report of said board of com-
missioners, that a majority of the qualified voters of the
county voting upon the question are in favor of the donation
and taxation, then it shall be the duty of the board of super-
visors to issue the bonds as provided in sections one and two
of this act, and to make deeds to the commonwealth.

5. All acts and parts of acts heretofore passed that con-
flict with this act, are hereby repealed. oe

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