Chap. 325.—An ACT to allow the freehold voters of Charlemont district in Bed-
ford county to vote on a fence law.

Approved February 12, 1898.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall be
the duty of the county court of Bedford county, or the judge thereof in
vacation, as soon after the passage of this act as it can be conveniently
done, to submit to the qualified freehold voters of said district the ques-
tion whether they shall have the fence Jaw as it existed in said district
on the first day of September, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, or
whether they shall have the no-fence law.

2. A writ of election shall issue to the sheriff of said county, and be
delivered to the said sheriff at least twenty days before the day desig-
nated for the holding of said election, and said sheriff shall give notice
of the time of holding said election by posting printed hand-bills at the
voting precincts in said districts, and at such other public places in said
district as he may deem necessary to give publicity thereto. The said
election shall be held and conducted by the election officers in the man-
ner prescribed by law.

3. Ballots shall be provided upon which shall be printed or written
‘fence law and no-fence law.’’ If the voter desires to vote for the
fence law he shall erase no-fence law, written or printed on the ballot, by
passing a pen or pencil through it. The vote so taken shall be counted,
certified and returned to the office of the clerk of the county court of
said county, and the commissioners of election shall meet on the second
day after the said election at the clerk’s office and ascertain the result of
said election in the manner prescribed by law, and the result so ascer-
tained shall be certified to the county court on the first day of the next
term thereof; and the said court shall declare the result of said election
by an order entered in the order-book.

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