Chap. 183.—An ACT to determine to whom the title to the Falmouth
bridge, in the county of Stafford, shall be conveyed, to confirm the
purchase of same, with provisions to carry out contract with
Ficklin. |

Approved February 20, 1886.
Whereas under the provisions of an act of the general as-
sembly, entitled an act to amend an act entitled an act to estab-
lish a ferry or bridge across the Rappahannock river, at or near
the town of Falmouth, approved February ninth, eighteen hun-
dred and eighty-two, approved March eighteenth, eighteen
hundred and eighty-four, and of the act of which said act is
amendatory, John Peden, George J. Lightner, Henry G. Ches-
ley, Richard H. Bryan and John J. French were duly elected
and qualified as bridge commissioners for said county of Staf-
ford; and in the lawful exercise of the powers and discretion
with which said acts invested them, said bridge commissioners
have purchased, for the use of the people of said county, the
bridge across the Rappahannock river, known as the Falmouth
bridge, upon certain terms of purchase set forth in the written
contract of sale, made between said bridge commissioners and
the owners of said bridge, bearing date February ninth, eigh-
teen hundred and eighty-six; and whereas it is desired by said
bridge commissioners, and the people of Stafford county, that
the general assembly should provide to whom the title to said
bridge property shall be conveyed, for the use of the people of
Stafford county, and for the annual levy and collection of the
necessary sum to enable said county of Stafford to comply
with the terms of purchase of said bridge property; and also,
that in order to secure the proper and efficient management
and control of said bridge, the said bridge commissioners so
elected shall be constituted a body politic and corporate for
that purpose:

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the title to said Falmouth bridge property, which has been
purchased as above set forth by said bridge commissioners,
shall be conveyed to the corporation hereinafter chartered by
the second section of this act, for the use and benefit of the
people of Stafford county. .

2. That the said John Peden, George J. Lightner, Henry G.
Chesley, Richard H. Bryan and John J. French, and their suc-
cessors in office as bridge commissioners for the county of Staf-
ford, are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by
the name and style of The Bridge Commissioners of the county
of Stafford, and. as such may sue and be sued, contract and
be contracted with, in relation to all matters within the scope
and authority as said bridge commissioners; .and they shall
have full power and authority to complete the said purchase of
said Falmouth bridge property, in accordance with said con-
tract of sale, of February ninth, eighteen hundred and eighty-
six, and to receive and unite in the execution of the deed for
the same, for and in behalf of Stafford county, and binding
the said county of Stafford thereby; and to maintain, improve,
manage and control the said Falmouth bridge, for the use and
benefit of the people of Stafford county, under such rules, regu-
lations and by-laws as said bridge commissioners shall see fit
to adopt, from time'to time; and to authorize and direct the
repairs, improvements and reconstruction of said bridge, as
the same may be needful, and to make all contracts necessary
for such purposes, and generally to do all acts necessary or
proper for the efficient maintenance, improvement and opera-
tion of said bridge, which are consistent with the free use of
said bridge by the people of Stafford county, and with the
constitution and laws of this commonwealth. The said corpo-
ration shall have a common seal, which it may change at
pleasure, and a majority of said bridge commissioners shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business, and
they shall annually elect from their number a chairman, secre-
tary and treasurer. The treasurer shall give bond, before the
county court of Stafford county, with good security, in the
penalty of not less than three thousand dollars, conditioned ac-
cording to law in such cases, before he shall handle any money
under this act.

3. Whenever any vacancy occurs in the office of bridge com-
missioner, by death, resignation, removal from the county of
Stafford, or from any other cause, it shall be the duty of the
county court of said county to order an election to fill said va-
cancy at the next general election after such vacancy is reported
to said court: provided, that if the vacancy to be filled be that
of a commissioner elected from one of the magisterial districts
of said county, it shall be filled by a resident of said magiste-
rial district, to be chosen by the qualified voters of said county
voting at the next general election aforesaid, and when so elected
said commissioner shall qualify and give bond, with good se-
curity, for the faithful performance of his duty as such before
the county court of said county, as provided in said act, ap-
proved March eighteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four.
The said county court shall have power to remove said com-
missioner from office for malfeasance, misfeasance, or gross neg-
lect of official duty, such removal. to be deemed a vacation of
the office, and said court shall have power to increase the- pen-
alty of the bond of said commissioner, or to require additional
security at any time.

4. The said bridge commissioners shall annually, on or be-
fore the first day of June, in each and every year, lay before
the board of supervisors of Stafford county, or furnish to the
chairman of said board, a written statement of the amount of
money necessary to meet the estimated expenses and outlays
for maintaining and operating said bridge for the next ensuing
year, which said amount so to be furnished shall always include
the sum necessary to pay the annual sum of one thousand dol-
lars in equal setni-annual instalments to the vendors of said
bridge property, their heirs and assigns. And said board of
supervisors shall cause such amount of money to be assessed
and levied for and collected; and for .the purpose of imposing
said levy, the said board of supervisors shall meet annually on
or before the second Wednesday of July, and the said levy laid
for said bridge fund shall be kept separate from the other levies
laid by said board, and it shall be collected and paid over by
the treasurer of said county directly to the treasurer of said
bridge commissioners, who shall receipt to him for the same.

5. The said annual sum of one thousand dollars, payable in
semi-annual instalments on the first day of January and July,
in each and every year ensuing hereafter, to the vendors of said
bridge property, their heirs and assigns, shall have and be en-
titled to priority of satisfaction out of all funds received by said
bridge commissioners under the fourth section above of this
act, and from the resources of said bridge over all other claims
and demands upon said funds whatsoever, and said bridge com-
missioners shall so apply and disburse the said funds.

6. The board of supervisors of Stafford county shall cause
to be printed forthwith the bonds of said county, which said
board is by the provisions-of the above recited acts, empow-
ered to issue, amounting to thirty thousand dollars, in suitable
and convenient denominations, but not less than for one hun-
dred dollars each. Said bonds to be executed by the chairman
of the board of supervisors, and countersigned by the clerk of
the county court of said county, with the seal of said board of
supervisors attached thereto; and said board shall deliver ten
of said bonds, for the sum and of the denomination of one
thousand dollars each, to the said bridge commissioners, to be
deposited by the latter as security for the faithful performance
of the covenants entered into by the said bridge commissioners
for and on behalf of the said county, with the vendors of said
bridge property contained in said contract of sale, and the re-
mainder of said bonds shall be deposited in some safe deposi-
tory, and held by said board of supervisors, subject to the writ-
ten order of said bridge commissioners, for the purposes set
forth in the before mentioned act,

7. The said bridge commissioners shall each be entitled to
receive three dollars for each day’s attendance on the meetings
of said bridge commissioners, and five cents per mile for each
mile actually travelled in going to and from said meetings; but
no bridge commissioner shall be entitled to draw in any one
year pay for more than twelve days attendance on said meet-
ings.

3 All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions
of this act are hereby repealed. |

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