CHAP. 541.--An ACT to authorize the voters of Northampton county to vote upon the question of moving the courthouse, and to provide for the erection of a courthouse in case of removal.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall be the duty of the judge of the county court of Northampton county to order the officers conducting the elections at the several places for holding elections in the county of Northampton on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November next, to open a poll to ascertain the sense of the qualified voters of said county whether or not the site of the courthouse of said county shall be changed from its present location to Cape Charles, in said county. The said election shall be conducted by ballot, and said ballots shall have written thereon, " For removal of the courthouse to Cape Charles," or "Against the removal of the courthouse to Cape Charles."

2. The manner of receiving and canvassing the ballots cast at said election on said question, and making returns and abstracts thereof, shall conform in all respects to the requirements of the general election law of the state,
except that the certificates of the judges shall be as follows: We hereby certify that at the election held on the----
of ----, eighteen hundred and ninety, ---- freehold
votes, and ---- non-freehold votes were cast for the
removal of the courthouse to Cape Charles, and ---- freehold
votes and ---- non-freehold votes were cast against removal of the courthouse to Cape Charles.

And the county commissioners of the returns of elections
made to the county clerk's office shall canvass the returns
in like manner as other election returns, and certify the
votes cast "for removal" and "against removal," respectively,
to the county clerk of said county. If a majority
of the freeholders voting, or a majority of the non-freeholders voting, shall be against removal, then the present
site of the courthouse shall not be changed.

3. In the event of a majority of the freeholders voting
and a majority of the non-freeholders voting being cast for removal, then the board of supervisors of said county are authorized to dispose of by sale the courthouse, jail and other property of the county located in Eastville; the property so sold shall be delivered at the option of the supervisors, the proceeds of said sale to be applied to the building of a new courthouse and jail at Cape Charles, but the amount used by the authorities of said count towards building the said new courthouse and jail shall not exceed five thousand dollars. If the amount realized from the sale of the old courthouse and jail, and so forth, as aforesaid, should not amount to five thousand dollars then the board of supervisors are hereby authorized to appropriate so much of the glebe fund of said county as may be necessary to make up the said five thousand dollars. But no sale shall be made as above provided and no appropriation made by the authorities of said county for the purposes aforesaid, unless and until the town of Cape Charles shall have appropriated the sum of five thousand dollars to be used by the authorities of said county in addition to the amount aforesaid in erecting said new courthouse, jail, and so forth, at Cape Charles.

4. This act shall be in force from its passage.