Chap. 372.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 14 of an act approved Feb-
riuiry 18, TSS7, relating to the ineorporation of the town of Rocky Mount, so as
to enlarge the powers of the council of said town, and prescribe the circumstan-
ees under which an appeal may be taken by a party convicted of a breach of anv
ordinanee passed by the said council in the exercise of its power,

Approved February 17, 1898.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
fourteen of the act approved February eighteen, eighteen hundred and
eighty-seven, relating to the incorporation of the town of Rocky Mount,
he amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows :

$14. The council shall have power to appoint such officers and
agents for the proper government and business of the town as they may
deem necessary and to fix their compensation. They shall have the
power to appoint annually an assessor, to assess the real and personal
property in the said town, and in respect to the assessment to be made
hy this officer, he shall not be limited by the assessment made for the
purposes of the state, but as to any property assessed by the state he
may Impose a greater or a less valuation than that made by the state,
should it seem that the state's valuation is erroneous. The council shall
have the authority to make all proper regulations as to giving a hearing
to any taxpayer who conceives that he is aggrieved by the assessmeyt
made by the town assessor, and to fix the time after which no applica-
tion for the reduction of assessment will be entertained. The action of
the council upon an application for a reduction of an assessment shall
be final. The mayor shall have the power to appoint temporary police-
man to assist the sergeant, and for enforcing the provisions of this
charter, and the provisions of all ordinances made in pursuance thereof,
or in pursuance of the powers enjoyed by the corporation under the
eeneral laws, the council shall have authority to provide tines and im-
prisonments for all breaches of said ordinances and to punish the parties :
provided, that in any case of conviction of a party fora breach of anv
of the ordinances of the town af Rocky Mount. that the aeeused) shall
have the right to appeal at the time the judgment is given to the county

court of the county of Franklin, provided the fine imposed is over ten

dollars, and the imprisonment over one day. All acts and parts of acts,

so far as they may conflict with this, are hereby to that extent repealed.
2. This act shall be in force from its passage.