CHAP. 374.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 8 of an act to pro-
vide in cities containing 70,000 inhabitants or more for the election
of a special justice of the peace, to be known as the civil justice, to
prescribe his jurisdiction and duties and to fix his compensation; and
to authorize the issue by other justices of the peace in said cities of
warrants cognizable by said civil justice, approved March 5, 1908, as
amended and re-enacted by an act approved February 14, 1910, as
amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 14, 1912, and as
amended and re-enacted by an act approved March 10, 1914.

(H. B. 148.)
Approved March 20, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section eight of an act entitled an act to provide in cities con-
taining seventy thousand inhabitants or more for the election
of a special justice of the peace, to be known as the civil justice,
to prescribe his jurisdiction and duties, and to fix his compen-
sation; and to authorize the issue by other justices of the peace
in said cities of warrants cognizable by said civil justice, ap-
proved March fifth, nineteen hundred and eight, as amended and
re-enacted by an act approved February fourteenth, nineteen
hundred and ten, and as amended and re-enacted by an act ap-
proved March fourteenth, nineteen hundred and twelve, and
amended and re-enacted by an act approved March tenth, nine-
teen hundred and fourteen, be amended and re-enacted so as to
read as follows:

Sec. 8. Jurisdiction.—The said justice shall have jurisdic-
tion of any claim to specific personal property of less than three
hundred dollars, or to any debt, fine, or other money, or to
damages for any breach of contract, or for any injury done to
the person or property, real or personal, which would be recov-
erable by action at law, or suit in equity, if such claims be less
than three hundred dollars, inclusive of interest, at the date of
the institution of the suit; and shall have jurisdiction of all such
claims arising under section three thousand two hundred and
fifteen of the Code of Virginia; and shall also have all the civil
jurisdiction now possessed by the police justices or justices of
the peace, in such cities, and, in addition, in claims arising under
section two thousand nine hundred and fifty-four of the Code
of Virginia, as amended, the jurisdiction of the civil justice is
extended to cases where the value of the property levied on is
less than three hundred dollars, and neither the police justice,
nor any other justice of the peace, in such cities, shall hereafter
exercise such jurisdiction as is herein conferred on said civil
justice, except as hereinafter provided. Said civil justice shall
also have jurisdiction to try and decide attachment cases where
the amount of the plaintiff’s claim does not exceed the general
jurisdiction of said civil justice, and the proceedings on any
such attachment shall conform to the provisions of section
twenty-nine hundred and eighty-eight of the Code of Virginia;
save when an aitachment other than under section twenty-nine
hundred and sixty-one and section twenty-nine hundred and
sixty-two, is returned executed, and the defendant has not been
served with a copy thereof, the said civil justice, upon affidavit
in conformity with section thirty-two hundred and thirty of
the Code of Virginia, and acts of the general assembly amenda-
tory thereof, shall forthwith, cause to be posted at the front
door of his court a copy of said attachment, and shall file a cer-
tificate of that fact with the papers in the case and, in addition
to said posting, the plaintiff in said attachment, or his attorney,
shall give to the clerk of the said civil justice the last known
address or abode of said defendant, verified by affidavit, and
the said clerk shall forthwith mail a copy of said attachment to
said defendant, at his, or her, last known address or place of
abode; or, if said defendant be a corporation, at its last known
address and the mailing of said copy as aforesaid shall be cer-
tified by said clerk in writing, and said certificate shall be filed
with the papers in the case, and after said copy of attachment
has been so posted and mailed as aforesaid, for fifteen days, said
civil justice may proceed to try and decide said attachment.