Chap. 59.—An ACT to provide for a special election in the town of Franklin
upon the question of issuing bonds for the purpose of improving the streets
of the said town; to allow the council of the said town to issue said
bonds, if the same shall be authorized by a majority of the qualified
voters thereof at such special election, and by a majority of the registered
voters of said town, and to levy and collect taxes sufficient to pay the
interest thereon, and to create a sinking fund for the redemption of the
said bonds upon their maturity. (S. B. 74)

Approved February 15, 1915.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall
be lawful for the town of Franklin, for the purpose of grading, paving,
curbing, macadamizing, or otherwise improving the streets of the said
town, to issue coupons, vr registered bonds, in the sums not less than one
hundred dollars to an amount not to exceed forty thousand dollars, to
bear interest at the rate not to exceed six per cent. per annum, payable
semi-annually, said bonds payable thirty years after the date of their
issue, and any or all of the said bonds shall be redeemable at the option
of the city council at any time after ten years from the date of their issue ;
the said bonds shall be signed by the mayor and attested by the town
recorder, with the seal of the town affixed thereto, and the coupons shall
each bear the name of the town recorder, signed thereto. The said bonds
shall be exempt from any and all taxation by the town of Franklin, and
shall not be sold for less than their par value.

2. That the town council shall not issue any bonds provided for in
this act until said council shall have taken the sense of the qualified
voters of said town, as hereinafter provided for; the said council shall
not order any election under this act until a majority of the council have
voted in favor of some definite. measure or subscription, as the case may
be, for the improvement of the said town, as contemplated by this act, and
has ascertained the approximate cost thereof, and they shall also ascertain
and designate the streets and squares of said town to which such im-
provements are to apply, and shall publish all such information, at least
once a week for two weeks, before any election held under this act, in
one or more of newspapers of said town, for the information of the voters.

3. That when the council has complied with the second section of this
act and made a record of same upon its minutes, it is authorized to make
an order requiring the sergeant, and the judges of the election, at such
time, not less than thirty days from the date of said order, which time
shall be designated therein, to open a poll and take the sense of the quali-
fied voters of the said town, whether the said council shall make such im-
provements as has received the approval of a majority of said council,
as aforesaid. The judges of election, after taking an oath to faithfully
perform the duties assigned them, shall open polls at the voting place
in the said town, and shall conduct said election and close said polls as
required by law in other elections. At said election each qualified voter
who shall approve said improvements shall deposit a ballot on which is
written or printed, “for improvements ;” and each voter opposed to said
improvements shall deposit a ballot on which is written or printed
“against improvements.” The judges of the election, at the voting place,
shall immediately after the closing of the polls, count the ballots deposited
and shall, within two days after said election, make return to the mayor,
or other prescribing officer of said council, of the number of votes cast
against said improvements, and the number of votes cast for said im-
provement, and shall return to and deposit with the clerk of the circuit
court of Southampton county, in separate sealed packages, the ballots for
and against the improvements ; and the council shall appoint four citizens
of the said town, who, with the clerk of the circuit court of Southampton
county, shal] constitute a board of commissioners, whose duty it shall be,
within two days thereafter, to meet and, after taking an oath to faithfully
perform their duty, open said ballots, count the same, correct the returns,
if necessary, and ascertain and report to the council how many of said
ballots were cast for and against said improvement, which said report,
signed by a majority of said board, shall be entered in the minute book
of said council.

4. If it appears by the report of the board of commissioners that a
majority of the qualified voters of said town voting upon the question
are in favor of said improvement at such election, and a majority of the
registered voters of said town, the town council of Franklin is hereby
authorized to enact such ordinances as may be necessary or appropriate to
carry out and effectuate the provisions and the full intent and meaning
of this act, and to issue and dispose of so many of said bonds as may
be authorized by the vote taken and reported as hereinbefore provided.

5. That the town council be authorized annually to levy and collect
taxes sufficient to pay the interest on all bonds issued under this act;
and said council shall provide for the payment of the principal of said
bonds when the same shall mature and become payable, and in their
discretion may create a sinking fund to be applied to the redemption and
payments of said bonds.

6. The funds derived from sales of any bonds issued under this
act shall be deposited in the town treasury as a separate and special fund,
and no part of the same shall be used or applied to any other purpose
than that for which the same was authorized by the voters of the town,
as herein provided.

?. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its passage.