Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-11-25
THE NEW ROAD LAW

good condition:
l. Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, Of Virginia, That it shall DO the duty Of
the township board in each township in the
several counties Of this State to meet as soon
as may be after the passage of this act, and
divide their respective townships into one or
more road districts, and to spread upon their
records the order making such d.
vision, which shall define clearly the boun-
daries of each district and where a public
road is the boundary line Of any such dis
trict, shall declare to which district the same
ers parts thereof to be designated by them
shall belong, and shall number tho same as
road district No. --- - of the township of
-, and said board may, from time to
time, alter or change the boundaries of such
distr cts; but when such change is made,
the order making the same Shall be record
ed as above directed, and copy thereof
posted at some public place in each district
affected thereby but no snch change shall
be made in the boundaries Of any road dis
trict for sixty days prior to any annual
township election.
2. Each commissioner ofroads elected on
the fourth Thursday in May, eighteen hun
dred and seventy, shall, on or before the
first day of January, eighteen hundred and
seventy one, and every commissioner Of
roads hereafter elected shall qualify at the
time and in the manner prescribed for the
qualification of township officers, and shall,
at tt time OF his qualification, orif be shall
have already qualified, give bond in the
penalty of not less than five hundred dollars
nor more than two thousand dollars.
=. 8. It shall be the duty Of each township
board, as sooa as their township shall have
been laid off into road districts, to appoint
an oversesr Of roads for each road district
in their township, who shall, before enter
ing upon the discharge Of tho duties of his
Office, qualify and give bond in The manner
prescribed in this act for other overseers of
roads to qualify and give bond, and shall
hold his Office until the first day of July,
eighteen hundred and seventy-one provid-
ed, that in townships where, from any cause,
there are no officers, or not quorum to
constitute the township beard, then the
judge of the county courts shall appoint the
necessary oyerseers in any township. His
duties, powers, liabilities and compensation
shall be the same as other overseers under
this act
4 There shall be elected annuslly in each
road district of the several townships in this
State, at such time as may be designated by
the township board, but not later than the
fourth Saturday in May, one overseer of
roads, who shall BIZ resident of the road
district in which he is elected, and who shall
qualify On Or before the first day Of July
next after his election, by taking the oaths
of Office prescribed by law before one Of the
justices Of his township, and entering into
bond in q penalty to be prescribed by the
township board. but not less in any case
than double tn, amount and value Of any
taxes and moneys which will prob
ably come into his hands during the year,
conditioned that he will account for such
taxes, moneys and property that pass into
his hands as such overseer, and in all other
faithfully discharge the duties of
his Office; which bond shall be acknowledged
before the township board with sureties to
DO approved by them, and shall be filed and
kept by the township clerk with the town
ship records.
5. For all elections held under this Sec
ton, it shall be the duty Of the township
board Of roads in each township to designate
the place for holding the same in the several
road districts in its township; and shall
cause the overseers Of roads to post notices
thereof at three or more public places in
their several districts for at least ten daya,
next preceding any such election. Such
board shall also appoint discreet citizen
from each road district in his township Cat
least ten days before such election to act
as judge of election. The judge Of election
SO appointed shall obtain from the clerk Of
his township certified list of the qualified
voters in his road district, which list shall
be evidence Of the right Of the persons
named therein to vote at such election, and
person not named therein shall not be entitled
to vote at such election hejudge of cleo
ton shall appoint clerk to keep the poll
book ct the election for which he is appoint
ed. The poll for such election shall be open
cd at twelve o'clock NJ and closed at six
o'clock P. NJ. Of the day on which such
election is held Such election shall be con
Quoted, and returns thereof made, signed
and certified in the same manner as nearly
as may be, and under the same penalties as
prescribed for elections held under the gen
eral election laws of the Commonwealth h
provided, that the returns Of such election
Shall be made by the judge Of election to the
L. bo oh ii E1o 4bo
among the records Of his township and no.
tify the person elected of his election.
6. No person shall be eligible either to
the Office Of commissioner Of roads, Or Of
overseer Of roads, who is at the time super
viser, justice of the peace, or township
clerk in the same township, Ror shall the
same person be both commissioners of roads
and overseer of roads in his township.
7. Each township board, at its annual
meeting ia July, shall assess and levy tax
upon the property, real and personal, of the
township, assessed for State revenue, an
amount which, With the labor contributed
under the fifteenth section of this act, shall
be sufficient to pay the expense of keeping
all the public roads in its township liz good
repair, and Of such width and condition as
may be required by law; provided, that the
assessment on property shall not be more,
in any one year, than ten cents on the hun
dred dollars the assessment to be made up
on the same basis as that upon which State
revenues ara levied.
3. When the assessment has been made,
the board shall require the clerk to provide
q suitable book for each road overseer, and
write in it tho name of each oyerseer, and
each person that belongs to his district, and
onposite the name Of each person the tax
which has been assessed upon him, Such
list Of taxes shall be delivered to each over
seer, to be collected By him 10 the manner
nrovided for in this act