Chap. 431.—JOINT RESOLUTION transferring a certain claim of the
state of Virginia against the government of the United States, to the
Mount Vernon avenue association, chartered by this state.

Approved March 5, 1888.

Whereas, by an act of the general assembly of this state,
passed December twenty-seven, seventeen hundred and
ninety, there was loaned by this state to the United States,
the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, to be
applied towards the erection of the public buildings at the
permanent seat of the government of the United States,
which said money 80 loaned by this state, was paid in person to
the then president of the United States, General George
Washington, and disbursed under his supervision for the pur-
pose for which it was loaned: and whereas, by resolution
number five, adopted by this assembly, March fifteen, eigh-
teen hundred and fifty (Acts of Assembly of Virginia, eigh-
teen hundred and forty-nine—fifty, page two hundred and
thirty-five), the claim of this state against the United States
for the return of said loan was transferred to the Orange and
Alexandria railroad company under certain conditions, and
with power to said company to demand and receive the same
and the interest thereon; and whereas, the said claim having
remained in the hands of said railroad company for nearly
twenty-eight years, without an appropriation by the congress
of the United States to pay the same, and the said company
having become insolvent, this assembly, by its joint resolution
approved February twenty, eighteen hundred and seventy-
eight (Acts of Assembly of Virginia, eighteen hundred and
seventy-seven-seventy-eight, chapter sixty-nine, page sixty),
repealed the said resolution, adopted March fifteen, eighteen
hundred and fifty, transferring said claim to said railroad
company, and requested, by said resolution of February
twenty, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, the senators
and Fepresqntatives of this state in the United States. con-

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gress to exert their best efforts to recover the amount of the

claim aforesaid ; and whereas, this state, by its act of assem-

bly passed during its present session, has lately granted a

charter to the Mount Vernon avenue association, the object.
of which is to make an avenue or road to the tomb of Gen- |
eral George Washington, as specified in said charter; and

whereas, the said claim, now nearly one hundred years old,

never having been paid, and this assembly deeming the ob-

jects of the charter to said Mount Vernon avenue association

worthy of patriotic approval, and considering that the said

one hundred and twenty thousand dollars was paid to,

handled, and disbursed under the supervision of General

George Washington, to whose tomb said avenue will lead;

therefore,

1. Be it resolved by the general assembly of Virginia, That.
the said claim of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars |
of this state against the United States, growing out of the
loan aforesaid, under the act of this assembly passed December
twenty-seven, seventeen hundred and ninety, be and the same
is hereby transferred tothe said Mount Vernon avenue asso-
ciation chartered as aforesaid by this state, and that said Mount
Vernon avenue association be and it is hereby empowered to
demand, collect, and receive the said claim and the interest
thereon, from the government of the United States, and when
recovered or received from the United States, the said associa-
tion shall pay from the gross amount so recovered or received
by it, to the special agent of this state appointed by the gov-
ernor thereof, under and in pursuance of the said act of this
assembly, approved March third, eighteen hundred and
eighty, the amount of the compensation of said special agent
as agreed upon in his contract dated April twenty-eight, eigh-
teen hundred and eighty.

2. That the net balance of the recovery of said claim, left
after the payment to any lawfully appointed agent of the
state of Virginia now in charge of said claim, of such com-
mission as he is entitled to receive, shall be retained by said
Mount Vernon avenue association, and used by it for all the
expenses incident to carrying out the objects and purposes of
its charter now granted, or as the said charter may hereafter
be changed, modified, or amended by this assembly.

3. In consideration of the transfer of said claim hereby
made, and upon its recovery, the avenue or road to be made
by said association, shall, upon its completion, be forever
hereafter free from all charge of toll to the public, but under
the control and supervision of said Mount Vernon avenue
association.

4. This resolution shall be in force from its passage.