Chap. 41.—An ACT to amend the charter of the city of Richmond.
Passed April 13, 1867.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That the third
and eiehty-erghth sections of the charter ot the city of Rich-
mond, as amended by the act passed by the general assembly
of Virginia on the nineteenth day of March, eighteen hun-
dred and sixty-seven, and the second section of said act, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Ҥ 3. For the said corporation, there shall be a mayor;
there shail be a board called the council of the city of Rich-
mond, which shall be composed of not less than fifteen nor
more than twenty-five members, of whom not less than three
nor more than five shall be for each ward; and there shall be
a court which shall be called the court of hustings for the
city of Richmond, and the members of said court shall con-
sist of a judge, the mayor, and not less than fifteen nor more
than twenty-five other persons, of which other persons there
shall in like manner be not less than three nor more than five
from each ward; and there may be a court which shall be
called the criminal court of the city of Richmond, which shall
be held by the judge thereof. The council may from time to
time prescribe how many persons shall compose the council,
and bow many persons other than the mayor and judge shall
compose the hustings court: provided, that the said members
shall not be less than fifteen nor more than twenty-five.”

Ҥ 88. The attorney for the commonwealth for the court
of hustings of the city of Richmond, shall perform the duties
connected with any matter coming within the jurisdiction of
the said court, whether held by the mayor or recorder and
aldermen, or by the judge thereof, which are required of the
attorney of the commonwealth of a circnit court, and shall
receive like compensation therefor. The records and pro-
ceedings of the said hustings court, when held by the judge
thereot, and of the said criminal court, shall be kept as the
records and proceedings of a circuit court are required to be
kept; and the duties, liabilities, compensation and mode of
proceeding against the clerks and other officers and agents of
the said courts, and the attorneys’ fees taxed, shall be the
same as In like cases in a circuit court.

“}2. The council of the city of Richmond may, as soon
as it deems proper, proceed to organize the criminal court of
the city of Richmond; but until the criminal court of the
city of Richmond is organized, as provided by this act, the
hustings court of the city of Richmond shall continue to hold
its regular monthly and quarterly terms, and to have and ex-
ercise all the powers and jurisdiction which it had and exer-
cised under the law as it was prior to the ninetcenth of
March, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven; and grand jurics
shall be summoned to attend the terms of the said hustings
court, as provided for by the law prior to March nineteenth,
eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.”

“. The judge of the hustings court is authorized to com-
mence the April term of said court immediately after the
passage of this act; and all process returnable to said court,
and all proceedings in the clerk's oftice shall be held as valid
and binding as if the act passed March the nineteenth,
eivhteen hundred and sixty-seven, had not been passed.

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