Chap. 896.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 1 and 2 of an act ap-
proved January 16, 1896, entitled an act to incorporate the city of Newport
News, in the county of Warwick, and to provide a charter therefor.

Approved March 6, 1900.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
one and two of an act entitled an act to incorporate the city of Newport
News, in the county of Warwick, and to provide a charter therefor,
approved January sixteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety-six, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the
territory contained in the following limits—namely: Beginning at a
point at low-water mark on James river where the center line of Fifty-
seventh street produced intersects the same; thence eastwardly along the
said center line of Fifty-seventh street to the westerly boundary line
of the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company; thence
following the said right of way southwardly to the center of Thirty-sixth
street; thence eastwardly along the said center of said Thirty-sixth
street to the intersection of the center line of Madison avenue; thence
along the said center line of Madison avenue to the center line of Thirty-
second street; thence along the said center line of Thirty-second street
eastwardly to the boundarv line between the counties of Elizabeth
Citv and Warwick; thence with said county line southward to the in-
tersection of the center line of Twentieth street; thence along said
center line of Twenticth street westerly to the easterly side of the right
of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company, being three hun-
dred feet westerly from Warwick avenue; thence along the said easterly
side of the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company
to a point in the line with the southeastern boundary line of George
B West’s property produced in a northeasterly direction; thence in
a southwesterly direction along the said line of George B. West pro-
dueed and with the said George B. West to low-water mark on James
river; thence along the said low-water mark northerly to the point
of beginning: in accordance with the map of the city of Newport
News, made by W. A. Post, civil engineer, all of the said territory being
in the county of Warwick, shall be deemed and taken as the city of
Newport News, and said boundaries shall be construed to embrace all
wharves, docks, and other structures of every description that have
been or may hereafter be erected along said water front; and the in-
habitants of the city of Newport News, for all purposes for which
towns and cities are incorporated in this commonwealth, shall con-
tinue to be a body politic in fact and in name, under the denomina-
tion of the city of Newport News, and as such shall have, exercise, and
enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers, and privileges conferred upon
cities by law; be subject to all laws now in force and all that may be
hereafter enacted for the goverment of cities of five thousand (5,000)
or more inhabitants, and be subject to all duties and obligations now
incumbent upon and pertaining to said city as a municipal corpora-
tion.

S$ 2. The said city of Newport News shall be divided into seven wards
as follows:

First ward. Beginning at a point on low-water mark on James river,
in line with George B. West’s southeasterly boundary line; thence with
with West’s southeastern boundary produced to a point in line with
the easterly side of the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway
company; thence along said right of way, being three hundred feet
distant from Warwick avenue, to the center line of Twenty-fourth
street; thence along the said center line of Twenty-fourth street
westerly to low-water mark on James river; thence along said low-
water mark to the point of beginning.

Second ward. Beginning at the intersection of the easterly side of
the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company with the
center line of Twenty-fourth street; thence along the said center line
of said Twenty-fourth street to its intersection with the center line of
Marshall avenue; thence along the said center line of Marshall
avenue to its intersection with center line of ‘'wentieth street; thence
along the center line of said Twentieth street to the easterly side of
the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company; thence
along the easterly side of the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway company to the point of beginning.

Third ward. Beginning at the intersection of the center line of Mar-
shall avenue with the center line of Thirty-second street; thence along
the center line of said Thirty-second street to the county line of Eliza-
heth City and Warwick counties; thence southward along said line
to the center of Twentieth street; thence along the center line of said
Twentieth street to the center line of Marshall avenue; thence along
the center line of said Marshall avenue to the point of beginning.

Fourth ward. Beginning with the center of Twenty-seventh street,
where it intersects with the center line of Marshall avenue; thence along
said center line of Marshall avenue to the center line of Twenty-fourth
street; thence with the center line of Twenty-fourth street to low-water
mark on James river; thence along the said low-water mark to the center
line of ‘Twenty-seventh street produced; thence with the center line of
Twentv-seventh street to the point of beginning. ~ :

Fifth ward. Beginning at the intersection of the center line of Thirty-
first street with the westerly side of the right of way of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railway company; thence along said right of way to the center
or Twenty-seventh street; thence along the center of said Twenty-
seventh street to low-water mark on James river; thence along the
aid low-water mark to the center line of Thirty-first street produced;
thence’ with the center line of said Thirty-first street to the point of
peginning.

———— aC
Sixth ward. Beginning at the low-water mark on James river in
line with the center of Thirty-sixth street produced; thence along the
center line of said Thirty-sixth street to the center line of Washington
avenue; thence with the center line of Washington avenue to the center
line of Thirty-seventh street; thence along the said center line of
Thirty-seventh street to the westerly line of the right of way of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway company; thence along said right of way
to the center of Thirty-sixth street; thence along the center of said
Thirty-sixth street to the center of Madison avenue; thence along the
said center line of Madison avenue southerly to the center line of
Thirty-second street; thence along the said center line of Thirty-second
street to the center line of Marshall avenue; thence along the said center
line of Marshall avenue southerly to the center line of Twenty-seventh
street; thence along the said center line of Twenty-seventh street
to the westerly side of the right of way of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway company; thence along the said westerly side of the said right
of way to the center line of Thirty-first street; thence along the said
center line of Thirty-first street to law-water mark on James river;
thence along said low-water mark to the point of beginning.

Seventh ward. Beginning at low-water mark on James river at the
center of Fifty-seventh street produced; thence along the center line
of said Fifty-seventh street to the westerly side of the right of way of
the Chesapeake and Ohio railway company; thence along the westerly
side of the said right of way of the said Chesapeake and Ohio railway
company to the center line of Thirty-seventh street; thence along the
said center line of Thirty-seventh street to the center line of Washing-
ton avenue; thence along the center line of Washington avenue to the
center line of Thirty-sixth street; thence along said center line of
Thirty-sixth street to low-water mark on James river; thence along
said low-water mark northerly to the point of beginning:

Provided, that the city shall have the control of and power to regu-
Jate the use of streets and avenues, as have been actually opened, graded,
and in use, as designated or shown on the map of the city of Newport
News, made by W. A. Post, civil engineer, but the old dominion land
company, the present owner of the streets and avenues through the
territory north of Fiftieth street, covered by this act, shall have, and are
hereby, granted, the right and privilege, for a period of eight months
from the date of the passage and effectiveness of this act, within which
to lav, locate. construct, and complete its present contemplated and
unfinished svstem of terra-cotta sewers on said streets and avenues:
and provided further, that the valuation of the real estate for taxes
within the said territorv covered by this act shall be assessed by the
assessors of the citv of Newport News.

2. Nothing in this act shall be construed to authorize the interfer-
ence by the council of said city with existing private rights, nor with
the existing use of streets, avenues, allevs, or lanes of said city in the
territory north of Fiftieth street, covered by this act; water pipes and
other appurtenances of the Newport News light and water company
or the poles and wires of the southern Bell telephone and telegraph
company or citizens’ telephone and telegraph company, now being
operated in said territory north of Fiftieth street embraced in this
act; but such use is hereby confirmed, subject to such regulations as
the council may from time to time prescribe and adopt: provided, that
nothing in this section shall be held to authorize the unreasonable
blocking or obstructing of any public highway.

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