CHAP. 191.--An ACT to authorize the several magisterial districts of Accomac county to borrow money and issue bonds therefor, for the purpose of building, improving, and maintaining the public roads of said districts in said county.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the board of supervisors of Accomac county be, and it hereby, is authorized to borrow from time to time, as may be necessary, money not exceeding ten thousand dollars a year, for a period not exceeding five years, for the magisterial districts of Atlantic, Metompkin, Lee and Pungoteague, in said county; and not exceeding five thousand dollars a year for a period not exceeding five years, for the magisterial district of the Islands; the said sums to be used for the purpose of building, improving and maintaining the public roads in said magisterial districts respectively.

2. The said loans shall be effected by issuing the bonds of said county, signed by the chairman of the said board of supervisors, and countersigned by the clerk thereof in denominations of one hundred dollars each, payable in not exceeding thirty years after the date thereof, with coupons attached for the semi-annual payment of interest at a rate of interest not exceeding six per centum; provided, however, that any or all of the bonds so issued shall by the terms hereof be made redeemable at the discretion of the said board at any time after the expiration of five years from the date of issue. The said board shall have full power to negotiate the said bonds, either through an agent or by such other method as, in its discretion, may seem best; and deposit the proceeds in some bank in the district for which the money is borrowed, to be selected by the district road board hereinafter provided for, to the credit of said district road board and subject to its order; provided, however, that the said bonds shall be so negotiated for no less than their normal or par value, and that the same shall not be issued except upon the approval of the majority of the citizens of the magisterial districts of said county for which said issue is made, who were qualified to vote in the last preceding general election held therein. Such approval or non approval, as the case may be, to be ascertained in an election to be held for that purpose in any magisterial district of said county, upon an order of the circuit court of the said county, or the judge thereof in vacation, at any time after the enactment hereof, upon the petition of fifty qualified voters, of said magisterial district; said elections to be had upon thirty days' notice thereof, duly posted at the door of the court house of the said county, and at the voting precincts in any magisterial districts asking an election hereunder; said elections shall be conducted in the same manner and by the same election officers of any such magisterial district in said county who conducted the general elections next preceding the same.

3. The ballots to be used in such election shall be prepared as are ballots for other general elections, and shall contain the words, For the issue of bonds for public road improvement in ______________ magisterial district (inserting the name of the particular district), and against the issue of bonds for public road improvement in _______________ magisterial district inserting the name of the particular district, and if, upon the canvass of the ballots cast, it shall be found that a majority of those voting are in favor of such bond issue, the fact shall be so reported, as on the results of other general elections, and the board of supervisors, upon receipt of notice of such result, shall proceed immediately to prepare, execute, and negotiate such bonds accordingly.

4. For every magisterial district of said county in which the majority shall vote in favor of such bond issue, there is hereby created and established a district road board, to be known as the _________________ district road board (inserting the name of the particular magisterial district), consisting of the supervisor of the said magisterial district, who shall be chairman of the district road board, and four citizens of the said district to be appointed by the judge of the circuit court of said county. Said members of said district road board shall be selected, as far as practicable, from different sections of their respective magisterial districts, to the end that the entire magisterial district may, as far as practicable, be represented on said boards. In the event of a vacancy on any such district road board whether caused by death, resignation, or removal from office, or from the district for which they were appointed, such vacancy shall be filled by the judge of the said circuit court. The members of the said district road boards, other than the supervisor, shall, before entering upon their duties hereunder, enter into and acknowledge before the clerk of the circuit court for the county of Accomack, a bond in the penalty of five thousand dollars each, with security thereto, to be approved by said clerk, conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties under this act. Said district road boards shall elect one member who shall be secretary, and whose duty it shall be to keep a complete and accurate record of all proceedings of the said board and the moneys received and expended by the said board, and who shall, at the end of each year, cause to be published in the newspapers of said county a statement showing all receipts and disbursements of said board for the preceding year. Said boards shall meet at some convenient place in their respective magisterial districts, and for their service in attendance upon the said meetings, the members thereof in actual attendance shall receive a per diem of four dollars a day; but the members of the said boards shall not receive pay for more than twelve meetings in any one year. The said district road boards are hereby author-ized and empowered to adopt such methods and materials as, in their judgment, may seem best suited to the requirements of their respective districts; employ such engineers, road builders and operatives, upon such terms and for such compensation as to them may seem fit, and make reasonable and proper regulations as to location, construction and maintenance of the roads to be constructed hereunder, and to do generally and perform all acts necessary for the effectuation of the interests and purposes hereof.

5. After issuing the bonds, or any of them, provided for in this act, when the first levy is made by the board of supervisors, a tax shall be levied on all property liable to State taxes in each and every magisterial district in said county voting a bond issue as hereinafter provided for, to pay the interest on the bonds so issued for money to be expended in any certain district, and to create a sinking fund to redeem the principal thereof at maturity; and from year to year such levy shall be made on said property in such district until such debt, together with the interest thereon, is paid.

6. An emergency arising by reason of the importance of the immediate execution of the provisions of this act, the same shall be in force from the date of its passage.