Chap. 526,—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 2500 of the code of Vir-
ginia, and to amend and re-enact section 2501 of the code as amended and
re-enacted by an act approved February 10, 1890, entitled “An act to amend
and re-enact section 2501 of the code, in relation to certificates of acknowl-
edgment.”

Approved February 28, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
twenty-five hundred of the code of Virginia and section twenty-five
hundred and one of the code of Virginia, as amended by an act of
the general assembly of Virginia, approved February tenth, eighteen
hundred and ninety, entitled an act to amend and re-enact section
twenty-five hundred and one of the code of Virginia, in relation to
certificates of acknowledgment, be amended and re-enacted so as to
read as follows:

§ 2500. When and where writings admitted to record.—Except
where it is otherwise provided, the court of any county or corpo-
ration (other than the city of Richmond) in which any writing is
to be or may be recorded, and the chancery court of the city of
Richmond, when any such writing is to be or may be recorded in the
said city, or the clerk of any such court, in his office, shall admit to
record any such writing as to any person whose name is signed
thereto, when it shall have been acknowledged by him or proved by
two witnesses as to him in such court, or before such clerk in his
office, and when such writing is signed by a person acting on behalf of
another, or in any representative capacity, such acknowledgment before
such court or clerk may be in accordance with the provisions of section
twenty-five hundred and one.

§ 2501. Certificates of acknowledgment upon which writings are
admitted to record; who may take them.—Such court or clerk shall
also admit any such writing to record as to any person whose name
is signed thereto upon a certificate of his acknowledgment before
the said clerk, or before the clerk of any court of record in this state, or
before the clerk of any court without this state but within the United States,
or before a justice, a commissioner in chancery of a court of record,
or a notary, within the United States, written on or annexed to the
same, to the following effect, to wit:

County (or corporation) of ,towit: I, clerk (or dep-
uty clerk) of court (or a justice of the peace, or commissioner
in chancery of the court, or notary public), for the county (or
corporation) aforesaid, in the state (or territory or district) of ;
do certify that E. F. (or E. F. and G. H., and so forth), whose
name (or names) is (or are) signed to the writing above (or hereto
annexed) bearing date on the day of , has (or have) ac
knowledged the same before me, in my county (or corporation } afore
said. Given under my hand this day of
Or upon the certificate of acknowledgment of such person befor
any commissioner appointed by the governor, within the Unite
States, so written or annexed, to the following effect, to wit:

State (or territory or district) of ,»towit: I , & com
missioner appointed by the governor of the state of Virginia, for th
said state (or territory or district) of , certify that E. F. (0

E. F. and G. H., and so forth), whose name (or names) is (or are
signed to the writing above (or hereto annexed), bearing date o
the day of , has (or have) acknowledged the same befor
me in my state (or territory or district) aforesaid. Given unde
my hand, this day of

Or upon the certificate of the clerk of any court of record in thi
state, or the clerk of any court out of this state and within th
United States, that the said writing was proved as to him by two wit
nesses before such clerk or before the court of which he is clerk, o
upon the certificate, under the official seal, of any ambassador, minis
ter plenipotentiary, minister resident, charge d’affaires, consul-genera
consul, vice-consul, or commercial agent appointed by the goverr
ment of the United States to any foreign country, or of the prope
officer of any court of such country, or of the mayor or other chie
magistrate of any city, town, or corporation therein, that the sai
writing was acknowledged by such person or proved as to him by tw
witnesses before any person having such appointment, or before suc
court, mayor, or chief magistrate; and where any such writing purpor
to have been signed in behalf or by authority of any person or corporatior
or in any representative capacity whatsoever, the certificate of the acknou
ledyment by the person so signing the said writing shall be sufficient for tl
purposes of this and the preceding section, and for the admission of sai
writing to record as to the person or corporation on whose behalf it 18 signe
or as to the representative character of the person so signing the same, ¢
the case may be, without expressing that such acknowledgment was in b
half or by authority of such other person or corporation, or was in a re;
resentative capacity. In the case of a writing signed in behalf or by ai
thority of any person or corporation, or in any representative capacity,
certificate to the following effect shall be sufficient :

State (or territory or district) of , county (or corporation) of
to-wit : I, , a (here insert the official trtle of the person ce
tifying the acknowledgment) on and for the state (or territory or distric
and county (or corporation) aforesaid, do certify that (here %
sert the name or names of the persons signing the writing on behalf of ti
person or corporation, or the name of the person signing the writing in
representative capacity) has (or have) acknowledged the same before me -
my county (or corporation) aforesaid. Given under my hand, this
day of

And where authority 1s given in this or the preceding section to t
clerk of a court in or out of this state but within the United States, su
authority may be exercised by his duly qualified deputy.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.