Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-02-07

The FENCE LAw.-As a matter OF great IN
terest to our country readers, we give oelo" the
act of the General Assembly relating to fences
and for the protection of crops, passed Janua-
ry 26, 1866:
I. Be st enacted by the General Assembly,,
Thatin any county of this Commonwealth winch
shall adopt the provisions of this act IN the
manner hereinafter specified, the boundary lines
Of each lot or tract of land in said county shall
he. and they are hereby, constituted a lawful
2 Il shall not be lawful for the owner Or
MANAGER of any horse, mule, swine, sheep, goat,
or neat cattle Of any description, 10 permit the
said animals to run at large beyond the limits
Of their own lands.
2 IF any Of the animals enumerated IN the
foregoing section shall hereafter be found gong
at large, or upon the lands OF any person other
than the owner, the owner or manager or said
animals shall be liable for all damage or IN 'ury
done by the said animals to the owner OF the
crops or lands upon which they may trespass,
whether the said animals wander from the pre-
misses Of their owner III the county IN when the
trespass WAS committed or from another county.
4. In case OF trespasS, as aforesaid, the ag-
oripved narty may make complaint to a Justice
ut fnG county, ia Hl1iCii AN LiNOPo'r ~ $780,
ted who shall issue his warrant Immediately,
ret,1rnabie within five days from the date there.
IF and at the time and place named IN SAID
warrant the case will be tried, and the amount
of damage sustained ny the complainant SHALL
he asceTtainel AID judgment given Tor the
same. with legal costs, as In the case OF other
warrants. And upon a repetition OF the offence
and for every succeeding one judgment shall tie
owen for double the amount Ofdamage sustain
eed hv the complainant provided that where the
iudomant OF the Justice shall be for a sum ex-
caeding fljty dollars, the defendantup upon appeal
toihe CouDty Court, shall be entitled TO demand
. rial by iur7 in said Court, and the judgment
Of the said Court upon tEe appeal shall be ac-
cording to said verdict, subject to the right OF
said Court to set the verdict aside, according TO
the rules of law. A lien upon the trespassing
animals for the payment OF the damages; with
costs. thus ascertained, shall attach from the
date Of the warrant, and shall supersede al! 9th
er liens. except when the Commonwealth or
the United States have & previous claim TOR
public dues upon said nlmals
$. The County Court otany county III this
Commonwealth, after due summons to the JUS.
tees thereof to attend at some regular court OF
said county !or the purpoSe-a majority OF the
acting justices being present and a majority OF
those present concurrjug-may declare the pro-
visions Of this act or any one Or more OF them,
r. he in force il their county, or in any selected
noTtjou thereof, as 10 any or all ct the animals
enumerated IN this bill; in which case, the first
section of chapter ninety-nine Of the Code OF
1860 Shall be imperative in said county, Or in
such Selected portions hereof-othsrwise shall
continue in full force. Nothing in this act shall
deprived the injured party Of bis action Of tres.
bass, when the damages are laid in a sum ex-
eeeding hejurisdiStion ofajustice 81 the peace;
but this act ,l:al not apply to the county OF
Accornac. ,,,
s, That the act passed February Sth, 1864,
entitled AN act for the protection CT crops IN
Fairfax, Alexandria and Prince WILLIAM coun-
ties'' be, and the same is hereby repealed.
+, This act shall be in force from it's passage.