Chap. 1074.—An ACT declaring Birch creek, in Halifax county, to be a
highway.

Approved March 7, 1900.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That Birch
creek, from its source to its mouth, in the county of Halifax, shall
be considered, and is hereby declared to be, a highway, and shall be
subject to all the provisions of law in reference to public highways now
in force and applicable thereto except as hereinafter provided.
2. It shall be the duty of the owners of the land lying and bordering
on each bank of the said creek above designated as a highway to keep
the said creek lying within or bordering on their lands, and the banks
thereof, properly cleared out and free from all obstructions except
where authorized by law, and where the said creek is the line between
different landowners, the owners on each side shall keep their banks
and the bordering creek to the middle of the stream, properly cleared
and free from such obstructions.

3. The county court of Halifax shall, from time to time, appoint one
or more overseers of the said creek, who shall hold oflice for two
years from the date of their qualification, unless sooner removed for
cause by said court. The said overseer or overseers shall be charged
with the duty of inspecting the said creck above designated as a high-
way during the months of April and October of cach year, and at such
other times as obstructions in the said creek or on the banks thereof
may be reported to him or them. If the said owner or owners shall
fail or refuse to clear out such obstructions in the said creek, or on the
banks thereof, the said overseer or overseers shall at once proceed to
cause the said obstructions to be removed, and report the cost to the
board of supervisors of the county, who, if they approve of the amount
of the bill rendered for the removal of said obstructions, shall order
the treasurer of the county to pay the same, and shall, at the same
time, levy a tax on the said landowner or owners sufficient to defray
all the expenses incident to the removal of the said obstructions, in-
cluding the cost of collecting the same, and the said tax shall have the
same lien and be collected bv the treasurer of the county as other
taxes assessed by the said board. But if the said landowner or owners
shall furnish the said overseer or overseers with labor to remove the
said obstructions, they shall have proper credit therefor.

4. The board of supervisors of Halifax county shall allow each of
the said supervisors the sum of one dollar and fifty cents for each dav
he may be necessarily employed in discharging the duties imposed upon
him by this act, to be paid out of the county treasury.

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