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CHAP. XVI.

An act against the embezzling of Records.

(Passed the 10th of November, 1789.)

be stolen any

record, writ

BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That if any Felony to steal record, or parcel of the same writ, return, panel, process, or procure to or warrant of attorney, in any court within this Commonwealth be willingly stolen, taken away, withdrawn, or or process avoided, by any clerk, or by any other person, because whereby any whereof, any judgment shall be reversed, such stealer, be rejudgment taker away, withdrawer, or avoider, their procurers, versed. counsellors and abettors, being thereof indicted, and duly convicted, by their own confession, or by inquest to be taken of lawful men, shall be judged for felons, and shal! incur the pain of felony.

CHAP. XVII.

An act repealing a part of the ordinance by which certain English Statutes were declared to be in force within this Commonwealth.

(Passed the 25th of November, 1789.)

SECT. 1. WHEREAS by an ordinance of convention, Preamble. intituled "An ordinance to enable the present magistrates and officers to continue the administration of justice, and for settling the general mode of proceedings in criminal and other cases, till the same can be more amply provided for;" it is among other things enacted, that "all statutes or acts of Parliament made in aid of the common law, prior to the fourth year of the reign of king James the first, and which are of a general nature, not local to that kingdom, shall be the rule of decision, and shall be considered as in full force, until the same shall be altered by the legislative power of this colony;" and whereas the good people of this Commonwealth may be ensnared by an ignorance of acts of Parliament, which have never been published in any collection of the laws; and it has been thought adviseable by the General Assembly during

English statutes no longer to be in force in this state.

All rights arising under

them and offences committed against

their present session, specially to enact such of the said statutes as to them appeared worthy of adoption, and did not already make a part of the public code of the laws of Virginia.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That so much of the above recited ordinance, as relates to any statute or act of Parliament, shall be and is hereby repealed; and that no such statute or act shall have any force or rity within this Commonwealth.

autho

SECT. 2. But all rights arising under any such statute or act, and all crimes and offences committed against the same, at any time before the commencement of this act, shall remain in the same condition in all respects, as if this act had never been made. This act shall commence in force on the first day of January, in the year one thoumencement of sand seven hundred and ninety-one.

them before the com

this act to re

main in the

same condi

tion.

When this act

commences in

force.

No question to

be removed

by adjourn the court of appeals.

ment before

The present

CHAP. XVIII.

An act for amending the acts concerning the
Court of Appeals.

(Passed the 19th of November, 1789.)

SECT. 1. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That it shall not be lawful for the high court of chancery, or the general court, to remove before the court of appeals, by adjournment, any question, matter or thing whatso

ever.

SECT. 2. The court of appeals as it is now constituted court to take by law, shall have jurisdiction and take cognizance of cognizance of all suits, motions and process, which were depending bedepending be- fore the court of appeals on the twenty-second day of fore the for- December, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and are yet undetermined.

all business

mer.

The salaries of the judges.

SECT. 3. The salary of a judge of the court of appeals shall be the same, and shall be paid in the same manner, with the salary of a judge of the general court.

SECT. 4. So much of the ninth section of the act, intituled "An act for amending the act intituled an act constituting the court of appeals," as provides for the case of a judge of the court of appeals, being interested in any suit, is hereby repealed.

SECT. 5. Although one or more of the judges of the How suits to court of appeals be interested in the event of any suit, be tried where matter or thing depending therein, the same shall be the judges of finally decided by the other judges, if there be a number appeals are of judges not so interested, sufficient to constitute a interested.

court.

SECT. 6. If on an appeal from the high court of chancery, or on any question concerning any decree or order made therein, or process to be directed thereto, a majority of, or all the judges of the court of appeals be interested, then in the former case, the remaining judges of the court of appeals not so interested, and as many of the judges of the general court not so interested, as will make the number at least five; and in the latter case, so many of the judges of the general court, not so interested, as will make the number five at least, shall constitute a court for the purpose aforesaid.

SECT. 7. If on an appeal, writ of error or supersedeas to or from any judgment or order made in a district court, or any question concerning the same, or concerning any process to be directed thereto, a majority or all of the judges of the court of appeals be interested, then in the former case, the remaining judges of the court of appeals not being interested, the judge of the high court of chancery not being so interested, and as many of the judges of the general court, who are not so interested, and did not render the judgment or direct the order, as will make the. number five at least, shall constitute a court for the purpose aforesaid; and in the latter case, no judge of the court of appeals shall sit; but any five of the judges last mentioned, and not so disqualified as aforesaid, shall constitute a court.

SECT. 8. If on a writ of error or supersedeas to any judgment or order made in the general court, or any question concerning the same, or any process to be directed thereto, a majority or all of the judges of the court of appeals be interested therein, then in the former case, the remaining judges of the court of appeals, not being so interested, together with the judge of the high court of chancery, and as many of the judges of the general court, not being so interested, as will make the number five at least, shall constitute a court for the purpose aforesaid.

SECT. 9. Whensoever a majority or all of the judges of the court of appeals shall be interested in any of the cases abovementioned, the same shall be entered of reVOL. XIII.-D

the court of

When and where the

cord in the said court; and the clerk thereof shall thereupon issue a summons to the judge of the high court of chancery, and judges of the general court, requiring them if not disqualified as aforesaid, to attend at the capitol in the city of Richmond, on the twentieth day of June, or judges are to if that happen on a Sunday, then on the day following, or on the twentieth day of November, or if that happen on a Sunday, then on the day following, whichsoever shall first happen, and stating the names of the parties and the court whose decision is to be examined.

meet for that

purpose,

allowance to

SECT. 10 Each judge not disqualified as aforesaid, them for their shall be allowed for his attendance twenty shillings per day, and for travelling to and from the city of Richmond, two dollars for every twenty miles.

attendance and travelling.

How their

judgments are to be enforced.

When re

cords, on ap

SECT. 11. A court constituted in any of the cases above described, shall hear, determine and finally decide, all suits, process, matters and things submitted to their cognizance and jurisdiction aforesaid, and the judgment, decree, sentence or order of the said court, shall be enforced and executed by process from the clerk of the court of appeals, in the same manner as if it had been rendered or made by the court of appeals itself.

SECT. 12. Whensoever any appeal, writ of error or supersedeas shall be granted, and a transcript of the repeals, &c. are cord be not sent to the court, on or before the second term to be sent up of the court of appeals, after the same shall have been granted, such appeal, writ of error or supersedeas shall be dismissed, unless good cause be shewn to the contrary.

to the court of

appeals.

Consequence of the dismis sion of an appeal, writ of error, &c.

SECT. 13. After the dismission of an appeal, or writ of error, or supersedeas in the court of appeals, high court of chancery, general court, or any district court, no appeal, writ of error, nor supersedeas shall be allowed.

SECT. 14. So much of all acts, as comes within the purview of this act, is hereby repealed.

CHAP. XIX.

An act against Forgery.

(Passed the 25th of November, 1789.)

without bene

BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That if any Forgery, of person shall falsely make, forge or counterfeit, or cause what deeds, or procure to be falsely made, forged or counterfeited, or &c. felony willingly act or assist in the false making, forging or coun- fit of clergy. terfeiting, any deed, will, testament, bond, writing obligatory, bill of exchange, promissory note for payment of money, or any acquittance or receipt either for money or goods, with intention to defraud any person whatsoever, or shall utter or publish as true any false, forged or counterfeited deed, will, testament, bond, writing obligatory, bill of exchange, promissory note for payment of money, indorsement or assignment of any bill of exchange or promissory note for payment of money, acquittance or receipt either for money or goods, with intention to defraud any person, knowing the same to be false, forged or counterfeited; then every such person being thereof lawfully convicted according to the due course of law, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and suffer death as a felon without benefit of clergy.

CHAP. XX.

An act concerning the lost deeds, wills, records, and other writings of the county of Henrico.

(Passed the 25th of November, 1789.)

SECT. 1. WHEREAS by an act of the General As- Preamble. sembly intitled "An act for the relief of persons who have been or may be injured by the destruction of the records of county courts," and made among other purposes for perpetuating the testimony of witnesses in relation to any deed, will, inventory or other writing recorded in the county courts, where the original is lost, and no attested copy thereof can be produced, it was enacted, that it should be lawful for the governor with the advice of council, to issue one or more commissions as the

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