Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-03-29

The following bill was passed a. the re-
/ cent session of the Legislature, and is new
Law, having takcn efiecs frem its passage:
| A bill for the protection of shseo. asd
1 imposing ajax on dogs, aad ropealing ek.p-
ter-64 of the Aets of 1873.
BE az Enacted by The Legislature of Wess
1 Virginia:
1. That it shall be the duty of every as.
SCISSOR annually to list all dogs ever fsur
wesks old owned or kept within his district.
particularly noting the number owned or
kept about any one house, giving sueh de<
scrietion OF each as he can conveniently OBJ
tain, distinguishing between males and fs-
males. And for this purpose he may exams
inc on oath any Persen found in his district.
The fact that any dog is kept or allowed to
dclent evidence to authorize the assessor to
return the person inhabiting said house as
the owner of such dog
Two copies Of such list for each mapistc,
rial district shall be returned by the assessor
to the clerk of tho county court of his county
on or before the time fixed for LAYING the
county levy 10 each year. r.s
z. The couRty court shall annually lew a
license tax ON every dog so listed of fifty
cents on males aud enc dollar on females
| ANY eourt may discriminate as to each owner
amount of tax on each additional dog And
the tax so levied shall be paid by the per-
sons respectively in whose name the dogs
shsll be listed.
3. The clerk shall, within one month
after such assessment is esn pleted, extend
on the lists meat atiosed in tho first section tho
amount OF such tax chsrgsable to the persons
mentioned thereio, ous of which lists he
shall, as soon as completed, deliver to a con-
stable OF the msgistsriel district for which
the list was made. And it shall bo the duty
ct any constable to whom such list is so doliv>
erea sr rendered to proceed to collect the
tsxes mentioned iu such lists from the sew
ers! persons named therein respectively, and
for this purpose every constable shall have
the same power to distrain for suoh taxes
that sherifs now have in respect TO State
taxos, and they shall account for add pay
over the taxes mentioned 10 such lists iB the
same manner TINT sherifs are required to ao-
count for county levies.
The constable having Bnch list shall kill.
or cause to be killed, ovory dog on which
the taxes assessed as aforesaid arc not paid
on or before the first day of March of the
year next after that in which tho assessment
is made, having first demanded the amount
OF such tax frsa the keeper of suoh dog
For every dog kiilad he shall receive credit
for the tax charged on tho animal killed and
o.e do!lUr from the funds collected hy him
ho shall have the same commissions for eol>
leetrons under this act that shori9s are al
lowed for collecting county leviss.
4: TIE county court shall, out Of the fund
arising under this act, pay a reasonable coza>
pansa'lon for the assossnent provided for sn d
to the clerk for his services; aRd tho residse
may be appropriated in sueh manner as the
court may deem for the best interests of the
eit'zeos of the county. or it may appropriate
The ssR1e, or such part of it ss may be neess>
say, to res,unerate the owners of sheep for
losses sustained by dogs. II any county
where tbs county court directs that any part
Of tho funds raised under this act may be
appropriated to pay for sheep destroyed by
dogs, tae ifth and sixth sections Of this act
shall govera the distribution thereof.
S. Upon complaint, before any justice, of
any porssa that sheep ewned by him aud
kept within the county, have been destreJ cd
by dog or dogs, the justice sLall issue bis
warrent appointing three district free holders
residing in the eeunty, whose duty it shall
be. having first been duly sworn for ,ha.
purpose, TO proceed forthwith upon actual
view, and such information as may be aeces.
sible, to asccrtain as to the truth of the CON :
plant, the character of'the injury, and the
amount of tho damage, If any. which has
hsen sustained. and make report thereof in
writing to the county court of such county.
And in discharging the duties imposed by
this. section, each of such appraisers is
hereby authorized to administer osths.
6. At the end Of every year and at such
times IS the court may direct, every con.ta>
BILE ehargeable with any money under this
act shall report to the court the amount of
money in his hands arising from the tag on
dogs, and from fnes imposed under this act,
and for whieh he is accountable, and paw the
same into the county treasury the county
court shall then, sr as soen thereafter as
practicable, audit the claims reported to the
court under this act, aud allow so much of
each claim as to the court seems lust and
right, and after auditing such claims as
shall be paid out of said fund, if it is sufi .
cient to pay the whole thereof, shall give
orders thereon to the persons entitled thers>
to. which shall be promptly paid by the
sheriff out of said funds. But if it shall
appear that there is not sufficient funds in
the hands of the sheriff to pay the amount
OF claims audited, the ceurt shall give such
orders as will divide the fund pro rata
amongst these entitled; which shall be in full
of such claims.
Z. That appr.isc rs to be appointed under
section FIVE shall not certify aay appraise.
nent to the court unless il be proved to
their satisfaction that the persen claiming
such damages has made proper return to
the assessor of the degs swRed or kept by
him.
8. Tbat all dogs on which taxes are paid
are hereby declared to be IS much the sub,
ject of larceny as personal property.
9. That if any person shall permit any
dog to be kept or remain abeut his or her
premises that is not returned by him or he,
to the proper assessor for taxation, or on
which the tsxes levied under this act shall
not be paid on or before the 1st day oi
March of the year next after an assessment