Chap. 556.—An ACT to authorize the board of supervisors of the county of Au-
gusta to submit to the vote of the people the question of building a new court-
house and clerks’ oflices for said county and of issuing bonds of said county for
the purpose of raising funds to be used in the erection of said courthouse and
clerks’ offices, and to give said board the power of building said courthouse and
clerks’ offices, if the vote results favorably thereto.

Approved February 28, 1898.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the board
of supervisors of the county of Augusta be empowered and directed, if
by such board it shall be deemed necessary to build a new courthouse
and clerks’ offices for said county, to submit by order entered of record
to the qualified voters of said county the question whether or not a new
courthouse and clerks’ oftices shall be built for said county, and bonds
of said county, not exceeding in amount the sum of fifty thousand dol-
lars, shall be made, issued and sold for the purpose of raising funds to
be used and applied in the construction of said courthouse and clerks’
offices.

2. Such vote shall be taken after at least thirty days’ notice at any gen-
eral election held in said county, the notice to be given by said board of su-
pervisors by publication in one or more of the newspapers published
in the city of Staunton, and by hand-bills posted up for at least thirty
days prior to the date of the election at each voting place in the county;
and the electoral board of said county, upon receiving a certified copy of
the order of the said board of supervisors directing such vote to be
taken, shall provide a separate ballot for the vote, containing the words,
‘* For new courthouse, clerks’ oflices and bond issue,’’? and ‘‘Against
new courthouse, clerks’ oflices and bond issue,’’ printed or written in
parallel lines as follows:

For new courthouse, clerks’ offices and bond issue.

Against new courthouse, clerks’ offices and bond issue.

And the said electoral board shall cause to be printed or written for
this election a sufficient number of ballots, and the voter in casting his
ballot, 1f opposed to the building of a new courthouse and clerks’
offices and the issuing and selling of bonds of said county, as provided
for in this act, shall strike out the words ‘‘for new courthouse, clerks’
oflices and bond issue,’’ and if in favor of building a new courthouse
and clerks’ oflices and the issuing and selling of bonds of said county,
as provided for in this act, shall strike out the words ‘‘ against new
courthouse, clerks’ offices and bond issue.’’ And the said board of
supervisors shall provide for each voting place in the county a separate
ballot-box, made as required by section one hundred and twenty-three
of the code of Virginia, to be used for the reception of the ballots that
will be cast in taking the said vote, and the manner of receiving and
canvassing the ballots and making returns atid abstracts thereof shall
conform in all respects to the requirements of the general election law,
except the certificates of the judges shall be as follows: We hereby cer-
tify that at an election held on the ———— day of ———- ——— votes
were cast for a new courthouse and clerks’ offices and bond issue, and
votes were cast against new courthouse and clerks offices ana
bond issue.

t A. B.
G. H. ) Clerks. C. D. > Judges.
J. Kf E. F.

The board of commissioners of election of said county shall can-
vass the said returns in like manner as other election returns are can-
vassed, and shall certify the number of votes cast in said county for
new courthouse and clerks’ offices and bond issue, and against new
courthouse and clerks’ offices and bond issue respectively, and the cer-
tified copy of such certificate made by the clerk of the said board of
commissioners of election shall be laid before the said board of super-
visors and be spread on the records of the said board of supervisors.

3. Said board of supervisors in submitting said question shall state in
its order the aggregate amount of dollars for which the bonds of the
county are proposed to be issued, which shall also be stated in the
notice for such election.

4. If the vote cast in favor of building the new courthouse and clerks’
offices and the issuance and sale of said bonds shall be a majority of the
recistered voters of the county and three-fifths of all those voting on the
question, then it shall be the duty of the said board of supervisors tu
ixsue bonds of said county of Augusta, which shall be registered in
denominations of one hundred dollars each and multiples thereof, and
shall bear such rate of interest not exceeding four per centum per an-
num, as may be determined by the said board of supervisors, to be paid
semi-annually. The principal of said bonds shall be payable in ten
years from the date thereof and upon the call of the said board of super-
visors at any time after three years from the date of said bonds. The
said bonds shall be in such form as said board may prescribe ; shall be
sivned by the chairman of said board, countersigned by the clerk of the
board, and sealed with its seal, but said bonds shall not exceed in the
aceregate the amount stated in said order of the board submitting said
question to a vote as aforesaid.

5. The said bonds, when duly signed, attested, and’sealed as herein-
before provided for, shall be delivered to the treasurer of the said county
who shall sell them at not less than par. And for the proceeds of the
sales of said bonds, and the proper disbursement and safe-kceping
tliereof, and for the proper collection, safe-keeping, and disbursement of
the levies thereafter provided for, the said treasurer shall be liable upon
his official bond as for other county levies. Anda commission of one
per centum shall be allowed said treasurer for the sale of said bonds and
disbursement of the proceeds thereof; and the moneys received by the
treasurer from sales of said bonds shall be paid out by him upon war-
rants drawn by order of supervisors.

6. The proceeds arising from the sales of said bonds shall be applied
to the building of a new courthouse and clerks’ offices in such manner
as the said board of supervisors shall direct, and on the same lot or
square of ground in the city of Staunton where the present courthouse is
now located ; and the said board, with the said proceeds from the sales
of said bonds, shall have full power to have erected the said courthouse
and clerks’ offices. _

a
¢. The said board of supervisors shall annually levy on the real and
personal property in said county an amount sufficient to pay the interest
in said bonds and to provide a sinking fund sufficient to extinguish such
bonds at their maturity, which levy shall be collected by the county
treasurer as other county levies are collected, and the said treasurer shall
account therefor in such manner as the said board of supervisors shall
Irect.

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