Chap. 205.—An ACT to ratify and confirm certain acts of Henry C. Stuart,
former governor of Virginia, in relation to the securing of options in
the name of the State of Virginia, on certain lands to be used for mili-
tary purposes, situated in Prince George county, Virginia, and to authorize
the proper officers of the State of Virginia to assign such options to the
United States Camp, Inc. {S B 816)

Approved March 14, 1918.

Whereas, in the month of May, nineteen hundred and seventeen,
the United States of America requested Henry C. Stuart, then gov-
2rnor of Virginia, to secure options in the name of the State of
Virginia, or of the United States of America, on certain lands sit-
uated in Prince George county, Virginia, for the purpose of estab-
lishing a military cantonment thereon, should the Federal govern-
ment determine that the site and location was desirable for such pur-

and

Whereas, H. C. Stuart, then governor of the State of Virginia,
in pursuance of the request of the federal government and his de-
sire, as the executive oflicer of the State of Virginia, to facilitate and
aid the federal government in its preparation for war with the
imperial German government, undertook to secure options on such
lands in Prince George county, as were deemed most suitable for
the intended uses, and,

Whereas, at such time from the best information available, it
was believed and thought that the federal government would pur-
chase the lands necessary for the establishment of the contemplated
cantonment, and

Whereas, Henry C. Stuart, acting through agents, for and on
behalf of the State of Virginia, obtained a number of options to
purchase the land in Prince George county, such lands being desig-
nated by the agents of the federal government as suitable for mili-
tary uses and purposes and such options being taken in the name
of the State of Virginia and the federal government, and

Whereas, the United States subsequently determined that it
would not purchase the land upon which its several cantonments
were to be located but would lease the same, and entered into a con-
tract with the chamber of commerce of the city of Petersburg, Vir-
ginia, and one John J.. Vaughan, whereby the said chamber of com-
merce and the said John L. Vaughan leased to the federal govern-
ment approximately fifty-three hundred acres of land situated in
Prince George county, Virginia, and upon portions of which options
to purchase had been obtained in the name of the State of Virginia,
ang had not expired at the time of the execution of the said contract,
an

Whereas, the said Henry C. Stuart, in furtherance of his ef-
forts to aid the federal government, advised the chamber of com-
merce of the city of Petersburg and the said John L. Vaughan, prior
to the execution of the above mentioned contract, that the options
which had been taken in the nameé of the State of Virginia would
be assigned to them or to their assigns, in order that they might have
the same rights that the State of Virginia had in and to the said
options, an

ereas, some of the parties who gave options to the State of

Virginia refused to comply with the same when the purchase price
therein mentioned was tendered in cash to them, and

Whereas, the chamber of commerce of the city of Petersburg and
John L. Vaughan entered into the above mentioned lease of the said
fifty-three hundred acres of land, with the understanding and as-
surance that they would have the benefit of all options taken in the
name of the State of Virginia, in view of the fact that they were to
furnish the land to the federal government and were to pay the pur-
chase price of the same and take the place of the said State of Vir-
ginis in the said transaction, and

Whereas, the United States Camp, incorporated, a corporation
chartered under the laws of the State of Virginia, was organized by
the citizens of Petersburg for the purpose of complying with the
aforesaid contracts entered into by its chamber of commerce, and
of aiding the federal government in its preparations for war, by
supplying the land in Prince George county, Virginia, necessary for
the locution of the cantonment, known as Camp Lee,

Now, Therefore, Be it enacted by the general assembly of the
State of Virginia, That the action of Henry C. Stuart, former gov-
ernor of the State of Virginia, in securing options on lands in Prince
George county, at the request of the federal government, in order
to aid the federal government in its preparations for war, be and
the same hereby is approved, ratified and confirmed, and all options
to purchase lands in Prince George county, Virginia, and situated in
the site of the present cantonment, be and they are hereby acknowl-
edged, approved and accepted as options to the State of Virginia,
and that all acts or things in relation thereto done by the said Henry
C. Stuart, or his authorized agents, in the name of, and on behalf
of the State of Virginia, be and the same are hereby ratified, con-
firmed, acknowledged and accepted as the acts of the State of Vir-
ginia, and that the governor of Virginia is hereby authorized and
directed, in the name of and on behalf of the State of Virginia, and
m consideration of one dollar ($1.00), to assign to the United States

amp, incorporated, a corporation chartered and existing under the
laws of the State of Virginia, all such options secured by the said
Henry C. Stuart, or his agents, in the name of the State of Virginia,
and any and all rights arising thereunder, and that the secretary of
the Commonwealth is hereby directed to affix the seal of the State
of Virginia to such assignments.

An emergency existing on account of the federal government oc-
cupying certain lands to which title has not been secured by the
United States Camp, incorporated, this act shall be in force from

its passage.