Chap. 74.—An ACT to incorporate the town of Emporia.
Approved April 28, 1887.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the villages of Hickstord and Belfield. in. the “county of
Greensville, as the same has been or may be laid off into
streets and alleys, shall be and the same is bereby made a
town corporate by the name of’ Emporia, and by that name
Shall have and exercise all the powers, rights, privileges, and
immunities, and be subject to all the provisions of chapter
fifty-four of the Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three,
so far as the same relatcs to towns of less than five thousand
inhabitants, and are not in conflict with the powers herein
conferred.

2. That the boundaries shall be as follows for the said
town, to-wit: One mile in every direction from the court-
house, and situated in Hicksford, Virginia.

3. That the officers of said town shall consist of a mayor,
six councilmen, a recorder and sergeant. The mayor and
councilmen shall compose the council of said town. The
said officers shal hold their offices for two years, and until
their successors are duly elected and qualified.

4. The said council shall have power to pass all by-laws
and ordinances for the proper government of said town not
in conflict with the constitution and laws of the State of
Virginia, and the constitution and laws of the United States.
They sball have power to impose a license tax upon all busi-
ness on which the State imposes license, or which is provided
by law, and its officer shall have such power to collect the
same asa State officer would have in like ease; and to im-
908e a specific tax for the sale of any merchandise that may
be offered for sale by any person not living in said town; and
to levy annually such taxes as it may deem necessary for the
purposes of the corporation, shall not exceed seventy-five
cents on the one hundred dollars valuation of property as
per State assessment: and provided also, that no corporation
tax shall be levied upon the machinery, implements, money, and
capital of manufacturing establishments that may be located
in the limits of the said town for ten years from the passage
of this act. :

5. The mayor shall be president of the council and chief
magistrate of the town, and as such shall see that ordinances
and by-laws of said town are faithfully executed; that the
various officers of the town faithfully discharge their duties.
He shall be vested with full powers of a justice of the peace,
civil and criminal, within the corporation limits, and one mile
beyond and outside of the same; and shall, in addition, have
such other powers and perform such other duties as are now
or may hereafter be prescribed for mayors of towns of less
than five thousand inhabitants.

6. The recorder shall keep an accurate record of all the
proceedings of the council, its by-laws, acts and ordinances,
which shall be open at all times to the inspection of any voter
in town; and the recorder shall be ex-officio treasurer of said
corporation, giving such bond, performing such duties, and
receiving such compensation as shall be prescribed by the
council; be sball make out tax bills upon estimates of pro-
perty, as per State assessment, when ordered by the council,
and deliver the same to the sergeant for collection; he shall
also administer the oath of office to any officer of the cor-
poration.

7. For the purpose of paving and improving the streets of
said town, the said council shall levy a tax equal to that
levied by Greenesville county (for county purposes), which
shall be applied to the improvement of said streets for a
period of five years, which shall exempt the said town from
any county tax during that time. This levy shall be in ad-
dition to the regular levy for the purposes of schools and
government of the town, and shall continue for a period of
five years.

8. The sergeant shall be vested with the powers of a con-
stable within the limits of said town, he shall collect all town
and school levies, and have power to distrain and sell therefor
in like manner as a county treasurer may distrain and sell
for State taxes: he shall be a conservator of the peace, and
shall have power to arrest in said town, or within the county
of Greenesville, Upon a warrant issued by the mayor, any
person charged with a violation of the laws or ordinances of
sud town, or the commission of any crime in said town
or within a mile of its corporate limits. When a violation
of the Jaws or ordinances of the said town is committed in
his presence, he shall have authority and power to forthwith
arrest the offender, and carry him before the mayor of
sud town to be dealt with according to law. [fe shall per-
form such other duties and receive such compensation as the
council may prescribe.

9. That W.W. Robinson shall be the mayor; E. Lb. Tur-
ner shall be the recorder; R.O. Woodruif shall be sereeant;
J. A. Hartley, We. M. Powell, H. W. Weiss. Edmond Mason,
Wot. Dailew, and [. Th. Any eieer shall be the councilmen for
said town of Emporia, until the election onthe fourth Thursday
in Mav, one thousand cight hundred and eighty-nine, pro-
vided for in the general law of the State of Vi Irginia, when
their successors shall be duly elec ted as provided tor by law.

10. The authorities of said town shall have the use of the
county jail for the safe-kceeping and confinement of all per-
sons Who shall be sentenced to imprisonment under the or-
dinances of said town: and whenever judgment shall be

rendered against any person for fines, and there being no
visible effeets whieh the sergeant may distrain or sell there.
for, the person so in defiult may be compelled to work out
such fineon the public streets or other improvements, and to
suffer, in addition, such terms of imprisonment as may be
prescribe ‘d by the ordinances of said town.

11. The council shall have power to limit the rate of speed
of all trains running on any and all railroads passing throuch
said town, and sh all have the right to fix the penalty in such
sums as they may determine, not to exceed one bundred dol-
lars for each violation of the ordinance.

12. KE. L. Turner, John R. Jones, and W. M. Powell are
hereby constituted school trustees for said town, holding
office for the same period as the other town officers.. It shall
be lawful for said school trustees to provide for the erection
of school houses as directed by the constitution and laws of
Virginia, secure teachers for same, and in all things exercise
the functions pertaining to their office as indicated by the
State law, with the additional power of assessing and collect-
ing from the tax- -payers an annual levy for school purposes,
not to exceed twenty cents on the one hundred dollars value
of property: provided that said town shall not be liable for
school tax for county school purposes.

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