Chap. 893.—An ACT to authorize certain countics to subscribe to the stock of the
Madison and Orange railroad on certain conditions.

Approved March 3, 1§98,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the judge of
the county court of any county through which the Madison and Orange
railroad may pass shall, on application of the Madison and Orange rail-
road company by its president or any two of its directors, at any time
Within two years from the passage of this act, stating the amount of the
subscription asked for, make an order requiring the sheriff at a time
designated in said order, not less than thirty days from the date thereof,
to open polls and take the sense of the qualified voters on the question
whether the county shall subscribe to the stock of the Madison and
Orange railroad company to an amount not exceeding fifty thousand
dollars for the county, in bonds of the county bearing interest at six per
centum, and to be paid in the manner now provided by law for the pay-
ment of such subscription, the principal of said bonds to be due in thirty
years; but the said subscription is subject to the condition that said
bonds shall be delivered to said company in proportion, as near as may
be, as sections of five miles of said road are constructed and completed,
with rails thereon, the same being certified to by a commissioner ap-
pointed by the county court; the compensation of the commissioner to
be fixed by the court but paid by the company, or otherwise the county
subseription shall be due and payable as may be agreed upon between
the supervisors of the county and the board of directors of said com-
pany. There shall be attached to said bonds coupons for the interest
aforesaid, which shall be receivable at the office of the treasurer of the
county in payment of all taxes and county levies due said county by the
bearer on and after the date of maturity of the coupons.

2. The said election shall be conducted at the cost of the said Madison
and Orange railroad company, and the ballots cast thereat shall be
counted, returned, and canvassed in the manner prescribed in section
one thousand two hundred and forty-four of the code of Virginia.

3. If it shall appear by the report of the board of commissioners ap-
pointed to count the said ballots that three-fifths of the qualified voters
of the said county voting upon the question are in favor of the subscrip-
tion, and that caid three-fifths includes a majority of the votes cast by
frecholders at such election, the said county court shall at its next session
enter of a record an order requiring the supervisors of said county to
attend on a day and at a place named in the order to carry out the wishes
of the voters as expressed at said election.

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