Chap. 217.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 4 of an act of the gen-
eral assembly of Virginia, entitled an act to provide a new charter for
the city of Portsmouth, approved March 10, 1908, by adding a new chap-
ter thereto, to be known as chapter 9, in relation to a civil and police
justice, providing for his election or appointment and qualification, de-
scribing his powers, duties, jurisdiction, term of office and compensa-
tion, and repealing section 7 of chapter 2 of said city charter, approved
March 12, 1912. (H. B. 261.)

Approved March 24, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section four of an act of the general assembly of Virginia, entitled
an act to amend and re-enact an act entitled an act to provide a
new charter for the city of Portsmouth, approved March tenth,
nineteen hundred and eight, by adding a new chapter thereto, to
be known as chapter nine, in relation to a civil and police justice,
providing for his election or appointment and qualifications, de-
scribing his powers, duties, jurisdiction, term of office and compen-
sation, and repealing section seven of chapter two of said city
charter, approved March twelfth, nineteen hundred and twelve, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 4. Civil jurisdictionThe said justice shall have jurisdic-
tion of any claim to specify personal property, or to any debt, fine,
or other money, or to damages for any breach of contract, or for any
injury done to property, real or personal, which would be recovered
by action at law or by suit in equity; provided, however, that the
value of such specific personal property, or such claim does not
exceed in value the sum of three hundred dollars, inclusive of in-
terest, at the date of the institution of the suit; and shall also have
ali of the civil jurisdiction now possessed by the police justices or
justices of the peace in such cities in respect to cases and proceed-
ings of forcible or unlawful entry and detainer; and neither the
mayor nor any other justice of the peace in the city of Portsmouth
shall hereafter exercise such jurisdiction as is herein conferred on
the aforesaid civil and police justice, except as hereinafter provided.