Chap. 341.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3547 of the Code of Vir-
ginia. [H B 348]
Approved March 23, 1922.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tion thirty-five hundred and forty-sever: of the Code of Virginia be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 3547. How boundary lines of lots, tracts of land, etc.,
made a lawful fence; supervisors to act upon petition of majority of
voters ; provisions of section thirty-five hundred and thirty-eight not
affected ; railroads not relieved; counties not affected—The board of
supervisors in any county in this State after posting notice of the
time and place of meeting thirty days at the front door of the court-
house, and at each voting place in the county, and by publishing
the same once a week for four successive weeks in some newspaper
of such county, if any be published therein, a majority of the board
being present and concurring, may, except with relation to division
line between adjoining landowners, declare the boundary line of each
lot or tract of land, or any stream in such courty, or any magisterial
district thereof, or any selected portion of such county, to be a law-
ful fence as to any or all of the animals mentioned in section thirty-
five hundred and forty-one, or may declare any other kind of fence
for such county, magisterial district or selected portion of the county,
than as prescribed by section thirty-five hundred and thirty-eight to
be a lawful fence, as to any or all of said animals; and the board of
supervisors of any county shall, upon petition of a majority of the
qualified voters of any voting precinct, declare the boundary lines
of each lot or tract of land in such voting precinct, or any selected
portion thereof to be a lawful fence as to such of the animals named
in section thirty-five hundred and forty-one of the Code, as may be
ramed in the petition, or if a majority of the qualified voters of any
voting precinct thereof shall desire any other kind of fence than
as prescribed by section thirty-five hundred and thirty-eight of this
Code, to be established as a lawful fence for such voting precinct,
and shall sign and present to the board of supervisors a petition, set-
ting forth the kind of fence desired, the said board of supervisors
shall thereupor declare the kind of fence described in such petition
to be a lawful fence for such voting precinct, as to such of the animals
mentioned in section thirty-five hundred and forty-one as shall be
named in the petition, and the boundaries of such lot or tract of land,
or stream, or the kind of fence prescribed in said petition, as the case
may be, shall constitute a lawful fence as to the said animals, or such
of them as may be named, after six months from the time of such
action by the board, and to such extent section thirty-five hundred
and thirty-eight shall be inoperative from and after the said six
months. And, at any time after the expiration of two years from
the date of the entry of the order of the board of supervisors here-
tofore or hereafter made establishing such boundary lines, such board
of supervisors shall thereafter, upon the petition so to do, and upon
like procedure, annul, set aside or amend such order so entered ac-
cording to the prayer of the petition, to take effect six months afte
the date of the entry of the order.

But this shall not be construed as applying and shall not appl:
to relieve the adjoining landowners from making and maintaining
their division fences, as defined by section thirty-five hundred anc
thirty-eight of this Code, but as to such division fences section:
thirty-five hundred and fifty-five to thirty-five hundred and sixty-one
inclusive, shall be applicable. Nothing contained in this section shal
relieve any railroad company of any duty or obligation imposec
on every such company by section thirty-nine hundred and forty-six.
or imposed by any other statute now in force, in reference to fencing
their lines of railway, and rights of way; nor shall anything herein
contained authorize or require the boards of supervisors to declare
a more stringent fence as a lawful fence for any county, magisterial
district, or selected portion of any county, than as prescribed by
section thirty-five hundred and thirty-eight. This section shall not
repeal the existing fence laws in any county, magisterial district or
selected portion of any county, until changed by the board of super-
visors, in accordance with the provision hereof; nor shall the pro-
visions of this section apply to any county, magisterial district, or
selected portion of any county, in which the no-fence law is now in
force, if such no-fence law exist otherwise than under the order of
the board of supervisors entered pursuant to this section.

Provided further, on and after January first, nineteen hundred and
twenty-three, the boundary line of each lot or tract of land in any
county in this State which may then or shall thereafter be under
quarantine shall be a lawful fence as to any and all of the animals
mentioned in section thirty-five hundred and forty-eight.

The owner or manager of any animal mentioned in section thirty-
five hundred and forty-eight, who shall knowingly permit such animal
to run at large in any county or portion thereof, under quarantine,
after January first, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, shall be
deemed to be guilfy of a misdemeanor, and shall be fined not less
than five nor more than twenty-five dollars, in the discretion of the
justice or court trying the case.