Chap. 126.—An ACT to amend sections 8 and 17 of chapter 178 of
Code of 1873, in relation to petitions for Appeals.

Approved February 19, 1884.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section three of chapter one hundred and seventy-eight of the
Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, and section sev-
enteen of chapter one hundred and seventy-eight of Code of
eighteen hundred and seventy-three, as amended by act ap-
proved January twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and seventy-
seven, Acts eighteen hundred and seventy-six—seven, be amen-
ded and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§3. No petition shall be presented for an appeal from or
writ of error or supersedeas to, any final judgment, decree or
order, whether the commonwealth be a party or not, which
shall have been rendered more than one year before the peti-
tion is presented, nor to any judgment of a county or corpo-
ration court which is rendered on an appeal from a judgment
of a justice, nor to a judgment, decree or order of any other
court, when the controversy is for a matter less in value or
amount than five hundred dollars, exclusive of costs, unless
there be drawn in question a freehold or franchise, or the title
or bounds of lands, or some matter not merely pecuniary :
provided, however, that if the final decree .for which an ap-
peal is asked, is a decree refusing a bill of review to a final
decree rendered more than twelve months prior thereto, no
petition for an appeal from or supersedeas to such decree so
refusing a bill of review, shall be allowed, unless it be exhibi-
ted within six months from the date thereof.

$17. No process shall issue upon any appeal, writ of error
or supersedeas allowed to or for a final judgment, decrce or
order, if, when the record is delivered to the clerk of the
appellate court, there shall have elapsed one year since the
date of such final judgment, decree or order; but the appeal,
writ of error, or supersedeas, shall be dismissed whenever it
appears that one year has elapsed since the said date before
the record is delivered to such clerk, or before such bond is
riven as is required to be given before the appeal, writ of
error or supersedcas takes effect: provided however, that
section twenty-six of chapter one hundred and eighty-two of
the Code of eighteen hundred and sixty, instead of this see-
tion, shall remain in full force and apply to cases in which the
appeal, writ of error or supersedeas, may be toany judgment
or decree rendered before the passage of this act: and pro-
vided further, that the time which shall elapse from present-
ing the petition for an appeal, writ of error or supersedeas,
which shall be endoysed thereon by the judge to whom the
same shall be first delivered, and the delivery of the record to
the clerk of the appellate court as aforesaid, shall be excluded
from the computation of the said period of two years.

3. This act shall take effect on the first day of July, eigh-
teen hundred and eighty-four, and shall not apply to any
judyment or decree rendered prior to that date.