Chap. 851.—An ACT to amend and re-enact an act approved March 22, 1871,
to incorporate the town of Blacksburg, Virginia, and to provide a new char-
er for same.

Approved March 5, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
town of Blacksburg, in the county of Montgomery, be, and the same
is hereby, made a town corporate under the laws of Virginia as is
now or may hereafter be laid off into streets, blocks and alleys
within the following boundaries: Beginning at a stake in a line
dividing the lands of W. H: Palmer and Edward Black (standing
north eighty-eight degrees, east three hundred and ten and three-
tenths feet from the northeast corner of a stone spring-house of said
Palmer); thence north four degrees and ten seconds, east twelve
hundred and fifty-six and four-fenths feet, to the stake in line of
Edward Black (where line dividing lands of A. W. Luster.and P. H.
Marrow intersects with said Blackford line) ; thence north seventy-
five degrees and twenty seconds, west three hundred and sixty-five
and six-tenths feet, crossing the Blacksburg and Fincastle road at
four hundred and ninety-five feet and the Blacksburg and Newport
road at thirty-six hundred feet, to a stake on the lands of Jacob
Keister; thence north sixty-one degrees to a stake on said Keister’s
land; thence south twenty-nine degrees and ten minutes, west ten
hundred and thirty-seven and seven-tenths feet, to a stake on the
northeast side of Blacksburg on the land of H. D. Wade; thence
south seventeen degrees and forty minutes, west eight hundred and
sixty-six feet, to a stake on N. R. Staenger’s land; thence south
sixty-seven degrees and ten seconds, west six hundred and seventy-
one and three-tenths feet, to a stake and street and street dividing
land of N. R. Staenger and Virginia A. A. and M. C.; thence with
said street forty-nine degrees, east ten hundred and seven feet, toa
stake on southwest side of Pepper’s ferry road; thence south sixty-
two degrees and thirty minutes, west one hundred and forty-four
feet with line of said college, to a stake on southwest side of Pep-
per’s ferry road; thence south fifty-five degrees and two minutes,
west six hundred and eighty-six feet, to a stake on land of R. W.
Camper; thence north forty-six degrees and seventeen minutes east
to a stone planted on the south side of Giles road; thence south
forty degrees, east six hundred and twenty-eight feet, to a stone
south fifty-two degrees and twenty minutes, west twelve hundred
and seventeen and five-tenths feet, to centre of College avenue;
thence south twenty-six degrees and fifty-seven minutes, east nine-
teen hundred and ninety-four feet, to stake of Doctor P. Black;
thence north eighty-eight degrees and forty minutes, east eight
hundred and sixty-eight feet, to a stake on land of C. H. Miller;
thence north thirty-eight degrees and forty minutes, east twenty-
four hundred and eighteen and four-tenths feet, to beginning—the
same shall be, and is hereby, made a town corporate in the name
aforesaid, and by that name shall have perpetual succession and the
powers conferred upon towns of less than five thousand inhabitants
by the general laws of the state of Virginia, and shall be subject to
all the provisions and limitations that may now and may hereafter
apply to such towns so far as the same is not inconsistent with this
act.

2. The said town shall have the power to tax all institutions and
business that the state of Virginia now taxes, but the said taxes shal!
not exceed one-half the tax imposed by the said state of Virginia.
Said town shall have power to provide for the maintenance of streets,
alleys, and other necessary causeways, may restrict the use thereof
and determine the use of the same. Said town shall have power to
lay such levies upon the property owners within the boundariee
thereof, to pave, macadamize, or otherwise improve the said streets,
and may charge a reasonable amount for such improvement to the
abutting land owners. It shall have power to provide for the health
of its citizens; and may establish quarantines and any necessary
buildings for that purpose, but the same shall comply with the general
laws of Virginia under this subject.

3. Before the said town shall charge for improving streets or any
other improvement against property owners the said town shall give
five days’ notice to the said owner to appear before the mayor of said
town to show cause, if any he can, why such assessments should not
be made against him.

4, Be it further enacted, That the said town may at any time sub-
mit to the qualified voters thereof, a proposition to borrow money
and execute corporate bonds of said town therefor, for a sum not ex-
ceeding ten per centum of the assessed value of real estate of said town.
But when such vote shall have been so taken and the majority of the
votes cast in such election shall favor the same, the mayor and clerk
of said town shall issue the bonds of said town, signed by said mayor
and the clerk, payable at such times as may be ordered by said elec-
tion at a rate of interest not to excceed six per centum.

5. The said town must provide, by sinking fund or otherwise, a
proportion of the annual income of said town which will pay off and
discharge any money borrowed under preceding sections.

6. The government of said town shall be vested in a mayor, six
councilmen, and one town sergeant, who shall be elected onthe
fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, and every
two years thereafter. The town council msy, by a two-thirds vote,

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impeach the mayor for gross neglect of,duties or willful violation of
any statute of Virginia or ordinance of said town. :

7. Be it further enacted, That E. D. Bodell shall be mayor of said
town; C. E. Boykin, T. J. Camper, E. W. Camper, R. P. Staenger
and George W. Matear shall constitute the council of said town un-
til the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hundred and ninety-six,
or until other officers are duly elected and qualified.

8. H. S. Keffer shall be the sergeant of said town until the fourth
Thursday in May, or until his successor is duly elected and qualified.

9. The said town, in addition to the powers here conferred, shall
have all the powers and privileges vested in like towns under the
laws now in force in this state or may hereafter be passed by the
legislature of this state, and the legislature reserves all restrictions
heretofore passed in regard to such towns.

10. So much of the foregoing act as is in conflict with this act is
hereby repealed.

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