South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-03-28
SATURDAY, MARCH 2s, 1885.

constructed where necessary, at least IL
feet broad, the materials to be taken
from any adjacent lands, and where ne
cessary, first obtaining the warrant OF
justice of the peace. to impress wheel
carriages or ploughs for making or re-
pairing the same, the owner to be com
pensated out of the next county or road
levy authorizes bitches to be cut thro'
adjacent lands to drain such roads the
surveyors to be compensated out OF the
county or road levy; to employ sufficient
force other than tithabes to labour on
the roads, to be paid out of said levy !;
authorizes the courts to levy money for
the removal, by gunpowder, of obstruc-
tions of rock, and to purchase implements
and tools necessary therefor. Where
bridges and causeways are necessary, d
the surveyor with the ordinary means
cannot make the same, the court to con-
tract for building or repairing the same,
and when between counties both to u
mite and where either refuses to com.
ply, the other may obtain from the supe.
rior court writ of mandamus to compel
compliance; authorizes the county courts
making such improvements to assess and
levy upon each tithable not exceeding
one dollar, and upon all property other
than tithables, not exceeding 35 per cent.
upon the amount assessed by the general
revenue laws; gives the discretion to
the courts to direct the commissioners of
roads annually, or whenever necessary,
to let out the opening or repairing ofthe
public roads, or parts of them, to the
owest bidder. and if the contract be ap-
proved by the court, they are to provide
for the payment of the same out of the
levy to be made the courts to assess the
value per diem of the labour of each
man, that those who chose may pay the
amount so assessed in lieu of contributing
labour; the contractors empowered to
take materials for complying with their
contracts, and in the same way as allow
ed to the surveyors; the courts empow-
ed TO let portions of their roads to con-
tract, and to confide the residue to the
surveyors if deemed expedient. Where
the road levy is resorted to, the courts
to lay off the roads into precincts, and to
allot to some precinct every person sub
ject to such levy; the act prohibits the
telling oftrees, or defacing of indexes
giving directions to travellers, and any
person SO offending, to be liable to pay
S33 33 cents for every offence; and
where any fence is made across any road,
the owner or tenant of the land to pay
81 sc cents for every "a hours the same
is continued. The owner of every dam
over which a public road passes TO keep
the same in repair /; prohibits horse ra-
cling in roads, under penalty not less
than $40 nor more than $50; vests in
the courts the power of establishing pub
lie landings after referring the appiica-
ton to the commissioners of roads, and
receiving favourable report from them;
authorizes any justice of the peace, upon
his own view, to issue warrant against
any surveyor or other delinquent for de-
fault in keeping any road, bridge, cause
way, or mill.dam in repair, and for want
Unreasonable excuse, may give judgment
for the penalty and costs imposed by the
act for such default or the offenders
may be presented by the grand juries
prosecutions to be commenced within SIX
months after the offence committed. The
act to take effect from 18th of Dec. next.
An act to authorize a geological re-
connoissance of the state with view to
the chemical composition of its soils, min
erals and mineral waters-requires the
board fpublc works to appoint geo.
logist to make the said reconnaissance,
and to report to the next general assem-
bly, plan for the prosecution of a geolo-
gcal survey of the state, and allows him
the sum of fifteen hundred dollars for his
compensation.
An act to amend the act concerning
general Observation-Disclosures dispositions
in contested elections to be taken before
any justice of the peace in the county,
&c. upon giving reasonable notice to the
other party, instead of being taken be-
fore commissioners as heretofore-re-
peals the sections ofthe general act au-
thorjzing the appointment of these COM
missioners-the dispositions to be sealed
Up and certified by the magistrate as the
commissioners were required to do-and
requires both parties giving notice of
votes intended to be contested to make
oath that they have reason to believe the
persons objected to are not legally quail
fed to vote.
An act concerning the appointment of
commissioners of the revenue confirms
all appointments of commissioners made
by courts at other terms than September
or October terms as required by law, and
requires that whenever the courts fail to
make appointments at these terms, they
shall be made as soon thereafter as con-
venient at any succeeding term before
the LIST February ensuing.
An act more effectually to prevent
counterfeiting bank notes and current
coin-punishes the counterfeiting Of any
bank note or bill, or any blank bank note
or bill of the bank of Virginia, or Far
mers bank OF Virginia, or of any other
bank, or any note, &c. purporting to be
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