Chap. 506.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 2054, 2057 and 2058 of the
Code of Virginia, 1919, which sections are in chapter 86 of the said Code,
relating to ferries and bridges, and for other purposes. {H B 401]

Approved March 25, 1926.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sec-
tions two thousand and fifty-four, two thousand and fifty-seven and
two thousand and fifty-eight of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 2054. Application for new ferry.—A person, firm, or cor-
poration desiring to establish a ferry across any water course, whether
it be a stream bounding the State or not, who owns, or has contracted
for the use of, land at the point at which it is proposed to establish the
same, may, after publishing notice of his, their, or its intention at the
front door of the courthouse, and at two or more public places, in the
county, or city, near the point at which it 1s proposed to establish the
same, for hfteen days preceding the first day of the term, apply to the
circuit court of the county, or one of the counties, or to the corporation
or circuit court of the city, in which it is proposed to establish such
ferry, for leave to establish the same.

Section 2057. Proceedings, if water course divides two counties, or
county and city.—If, however, the said water course be such division
line, and the court be of opinion that the application ought to be
granted, it shall certify to the circuit court of the other county or cor-
poration or circuit court of the city such opinion, with the number of
hands and the number of and kind of boats, and the rates of ferriage
which it deems proper at the same. The applicant may then apply to
the circuit court of such other county, or the corporation or circuit
court of the city, after notice therein, as prescribed by section twenty
hundred and fifty-four, and said court, upon the report made to the
other court, and any other proper evidence, may reject the application.
or grant the same upon the terms prescribed by the other court. The
provisions of this act and chapter eighty-six of the Code of Virginia,
nineteen hundred and nineteen, shall apply over all the waters of the
State where one or both of the landing places of the proposed ferry
may be on lands in this State owned by the United States over which
said lands the State has ceded its jurisdiction, in whole or in part; but
any ferry rights between a city and a county which have been hereto-
fore granted by any circuit court under said chapter over any body of
water where one of the landing places is situate on such lands with the
consent of the United States are hereby confirmed and shall continue
to be construed to be effective from the date of the order granting the
same as if the proceedings were had under the provisions of this act.

Section 2058. How rates of ferriage increased or reduced.—An
order for increasing the rates at any ferry may be made on the applica-
tion of the proprietor thereof, after notice of the intended application
shall have been published at the front door of the courthouse, on the
first day of each of the two next preceding terms. And an order for
reducing the rates at any ferry may be made after the proprietor
thereof shall, under an order entered at one term, have been sum-
moned to appear at the next term to show cause why such reduction
should not be made. Such order, either for the increasing or reducing
may be made by the circuit court of the county or corporation or cir-
cuit court of the city in which the ferry is situated. Where a ferry is
over a water course which is the division line between two counties,
or between a city and a county, the order shall not take effect until it
be made by the circuit court of each of the two counties, or by the
circuit court of the county and the corporation or circuit court of the
city.