Chap. 399.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 2 and 19 of an act en-
titled an act to, incorporate the town of Manassas, approved April 2,
1873, as heretofore amended. {H B 318]

Approved March 24, 1922.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tions two and nineteen of an act entitled an act to incorporate the
town of Manassas, approved April second, eighteen hundred and
seventy-three, as heretofore amended, be amended and re-enacted to
read as follows:

Sec. 2. The government of said town shall be vested in a mayor
and a council of nine members. The mayor and council shall be
chosen by the qualified voters residing within the corporate limits
of said town, at an election to be held on the second Tuesday in
June, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, and every second year there-
after; and shall hold office for the term of two years, and until their
successors are elected and qualified. The said election shall be held
by two judges and one clerk, to be appointed by the electoral board
for Prince William county, who shall be sworn to faithfully discharge
their duties, and shall conduct such election as now provided for by
law.

The returns of the election shall be made to the mayor, who shall
issue certificates to those elected. All contests shall be tried and
finally determined by the council.

There shall be a meeting of the council on the first day of Septem-
ber succeeding the election, at which meeting the mayor and council
shall qualify by taking the oath prescribed by law, unless such mayor
and council shall have qualified prior to such meeting, and enter upon
their duties, and shall continue in office until their successors are
qualified. If any person elected or appointed to any office shall fail
to qualify on or before the day on which he is required to enter upon
the duties of his office, or shall fail to execute the bond required of
him for ten days thereafter, the said office shall be declared vacant,
and the vacancy shall be filled by the council.

Sec. 19. The council is authorized and empowered to raise and
levy annually by assessment, on all male and female inhabitants of
the town over the age of twenty-one years, and on all real and
personal property in the said town and all subjects liable to taxation,
such sums of money as it shall deem necessary, expedient and proper
to defray the expenses of the said town and in such manner as it shall
deem expedient and appropriate in accordance with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, and of the United States, provided that
the taxes on real and personal property shall not exceed one dollar
and fifty cents upon the one hundred dollars of the assessed value
thereof, and provided further, that the tax on each male and female
inhabitant of the said town shall not exceed one dollar.

The council shall have the right to impose taxes and assessments
upon abutting landowners for making and improving permanent
streets abutting upon their property, and to collect the same as other
taxes are collected, the said assessment, however, not to exceed one-
half the cost of improving and making such permanent streets, one-
fourth of the total cost to be paid by the respective abutting property
owners on each side of such street, in proportion to the frontage of
each.

Within the limitations prescribed by the general laws of the State
the council shall have power to require a license to be taken out by
any person, firm or corporation, engaged in the pursuit of any busi-
ness, occupation, trade or calling, or for any other purpose, whether
the principal office, or place of business of such person, firm or cor-
poration is located in said town, or not, for the benefit of said town,
before such person, firm or corporation shall be permitted to pursue
such business, occupation, trade or calling within the corporate limits
of the said town or within one mile from said: corporate limits, and
may require a license of any agent, owner or keeper of wagons, drays,
carts, hacks, or other wheeled vehicles, kept or employed in said town
or within one mile of its corporate limits, for hire or as carrier for
the purpose, whether the same be run by animals, or by gasoline,
oil, electricity or other power, and may subject the same to such
regulations as they may deem proper; and, in addition, within the
limitations prescribed by the general laws of the State the council may
impose a license tax on any business, trade or thing carried on or
done in the town or within one mile of its corporate limits, whether
a license tax is required thereof by the State or not. Within the
limitations prescribed by laws of this State and of the United States,
the council may impose a license tax on any person, firm or corpo-
ration doing business in the town of Manassas, whether the principal
office of such is located in the town or not, and upon the agent of
any oil or fertilizer company, or any stock or security salesman, or
salesman selling real estate, no matter where the principal office is
located; and shall have the right to refuse to issue license to any
person, firm or corporation, for any business or occupation, if, in its
Opinion, such business or occupation is carried on in such manner as
to be inimical to the public welfare.

There shall be set apart annually, from the revenues of the town,
a sinking fund equal to not less than one per centum of the aggregate
outstanding debt of the town, which, by its terms, is not payable in
one year, and the council may, in its discretion, annually, from time
to time, set aside such additional sinking fund as may be deemed
proper.

All ordinances of the town must, before becoming effective, be
enacted by a majority vote of the council, and be approved by the
mayor, and if disapproved by the mayor, shall become effective, only
upon the affirmative vote of the council by at least six members
thereof entered of record.

The council is empowered to prevent the coming into the town
of persons having no ostensible means of support, and of persons who
may be dangerous to the peace and safety of the town; and for this
purpose may require any railroad company, or stage company, bring-
ing such persons into the said town, to enter into bond with satis-
factory security that such person or persons shall not become charge-
able to the town for the period of one year thereafter, or may require
and compel said company to take them back from whence they came,
and to compel said persons to leave the town, provided that such order
to leave be issued within thirty days after their arrival.
The mayor or council may prohibit any theatrical or other per-
formance, show or exhibition within said town, or within one mile of
its corporate limits, which may be deemed injurious to morals or
good order.

The council may by ordinance impose punishment for any offense
for which a punishment is imposed by the State of Virginia.

The fiscal year for the town shall be from the first day of Sep-
tember to the thirty-first day of August of the following year.

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