Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-05-04
COUNTY oRGANIzATIoN.

AN ACT
Proriding for ds Election, Qualification, Pow
ers, Duties and Compensation Of Justices Of III
| Peace, Clerks of Circuit and County Courts
Attorneys for The Commonwealth, lSheTIDS s, Com
| nliSSiomers of HE Reuen1se, Surueyors, ConStG
| bZes and OrerSeers Of The Poor.
1. Be il Resolped 5y the General Assembly
| That on the fourth Thursday in May next, there
| shall be elected by the voters in each county, a
clerk of the county court, surveyor, an attor7
! ney for the COMMONWEALTH, a sheriff. aud com.
| missioner, or SO many commissioners OF the re-
| venue as may be authorized by law; and In each
| of the corporations of Richmond, Norfolk, Frede-
rcksburg, Lynchburg, Winchester, Danville,
| Staunton and Williamsburg, by the voters theTe-
: of respectively, commissioner oithe revenue /;
| in each county for which circuit court is held,
a clerk for such court; in the cityo Richmond,
sheriff, in each city in which A5cft init court is
| held, an attorney for the Commonqfeel IN and E
| clerk for such court; and in any
! non III witch SiECuIT court Is ktffss
| for the Commonwealth for such corP1sation, and
clerk for each court in any county and city
for whichtogether circuit court is held, an at.
torney for the Commonwealth and a clerk for
such court in each district laid off by commits
s;oners under the actproyiding ordistrfcling the
counties, passed April I'd, 1852, four justices of
the peace; in every such district, one constable,
and in every such district, by the voters without
the limits of a town that provides for IFS poor,
one oyerseer of the poor, or such additional num-
Der as the court of the county may direct /; and
an election shall be held in like manner on the
same day in every sixth year thereafter for such
clerks and surveyors; and on the same day in
every fourth year thereafter for justices of the
peace, attorneys for the Commonwealth, and
overseers of the poor; and on the same day in
every second year thereafter, for sherida, COM
missioners of the revenue and constables: Pro
uided, That the constables elected undertbis act
shall have power TO perform the duties of their
office in districts other than those in which they
we're elected: And Provided tttrflLer, That the
voters of the cities of Norfolk, Petersburg and
Williamsburg, and of the towns of Fredericks.
burg, Lynchburg, Winchester, and Danville,
shall not be authorized to vote for surveyor for
the several counties in which they are respec.
lively located.
2. The number of commissioners Of the reve-
nue. for each county shall be that prescribed by
law; and there shall be elected, as aforesaid, for
each revenue district laid off prescribed by
law, one commissioner, who shall, during his
term of Office, reside in the district for which he
was elected, and his removal therefrom shall va
cate his office ProUided That The voters resd
ing within any corporation, who are hereby aU.
thorized to elect a commissioner OF the revenue
for such corporation, shall not vote for the com
missioners Of The revenue for the county within
the limits of which such corporation may lie.
g. On or before the first day of May next, the
Governor or, il he be absent from the seat Of 90
vernment, the Lieutenant Governor, shall ap-
point three commissioners in every such county,
city and corporation who shall superintend the
elections authorized by this act at the court.
houses of their respective counties, cities and
corporations /; and said commissioners shalt APP
point, for each separate place of votTng therein,
three commissioners, TO superInleud tile election
at snch place OF voting; and shall also designate
the officers 10 conduct the elections st The
houses and precincts but in the absence OF any
such officer the commissioners for any precinct
i.Lo the OfE fO conduct tho alartiOO
at such precinct. The commissioners so appoint-
ed shall, until their successors are appointed,
superintend all elections 10 fill vacRnEIes happen
| ing in anv of said offices. The said tommsson-
ers and officers shall respectively take the oaths,
perform the duties, have the power', be govern
ed by the regulations, and liable TO the penalties
prescribed by the Code OF Virginia for commits.
sioncrs superintending and officers conducting
elections, except so far as the sane are ucon-
sisteut with the constitution or this act. The
said commissioners shall employ writer's, and at
such rate of compensation as the court of each
county or corporation may direct; and they shall
respectively take an oath, to be administered by
said commissioners, TO record the votes faithfully
and impartially.
the corporations Of Richmond, LynEhburg, Will
liamsburg and Norfolk, shall, before any general
election after the first authorized by this act, ap
point five commissioners to superinend and Off
GERS to conduct such election at each place Of
voting in such county or corporation, to be sub.
iect in all respects TO the provisions of this act
concerning the commissioners and officers mem
toned in the preceding section. Nothing inthis
act shall be held to repeal the provision of an
act passed April 2Oth, 1852, entitled " an act TO
elect certain State and municipal officers within
the city of Petersburg"
| 5. II only one of the commissioners appointed
to superintend any of the said elections attends,
he may associate with himself any freeholder oil
the district who may be presents ifnone OF the
commissioners attend, or if none should have
been appointed, then any three freetoders in the
district where the election is held, icing present
and agreeing TO act, shall be commissioners
ADy such commissioner commissioners ap-
! pointed or agreeing TO act in the manner pre-
scribed by this section shall take the same oaths,
perform the same duties, have the same powers,
aud be subject TO the same penalties as it he or
| they had been originally appointed.
/ 6. The same provisions which govern the
/ opening and closing the polls in oIAer general
| elections in this Commonwealth, shall regulate
/ the elections provided for in this act.
T. In the case of an election of an officer by the
! voters Of corporation, the officers conducting
the same in the respective wards, or by the vo-
ters OF The whole county, the officer conducting
/ the same at the courthouse, and in the case of
an election in district, the officer OF officers
ductiug the same, shall, within FIVE days from the
! commencement of the election, examine the poll,
+ ascertain the result, and declare the person or
| persons for whom the greatest number OF votes
was given to be elected; or il the greatest mum.
ber Of votes be equal for TWO or more persons. the
officer or officers conducting the election in each
L ward county or district, shall decide forthwith by
! lot 10 whom the certificate shall be given and
he or they shall forthwith set up athe front door
| of the courthouse notice ufthe said election.
3. The officers and other persons holding and
conducting such elections shall make true dupli-
cate returns of the elections Of justices Of the
| peace, one of which returns shall be immediate.
/ fV transmitted by mail, by the officer conducting
| said election, to the Governor. and the other re-
! turn shall be handed by such officer TO the clerk
Of the county court TO be filed in his offices and
the said clerk shall forthwith send certified copy
/ weaIih.' The said officers and other persons
shall make uuereturns Of the other oiieers elect