Chap. 491.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 1955, 1957, 1963, and 1967 of
the Code of Virginia.

Approved December 24, 1903.

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, ‘That sections
sifvratum hundred and fifty-five, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven, nine-
teen hundred and sixty-three, and nineteen hundred and sixty-seven of
the Code of Virginia be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 1955. Board of commissioners; their appointment; meetings; quo-
rum.—The circuit court of Elizabeth City county shall appoint three per-
sons, only one of whom shall be a branch pilot, and the corporation court
of Norfolk city four persons, only two of whom shall be branch pilots, to
constitute a board of commissioners to examine persons, applying for
branches as pilots. The board shall hold its meetings in the city of Nor-
folk, four members whereof shall constitute a quorum. They shall have
full authority to make such rules as they may think necessary for the
preper 3 government and regulation of pilots licensed by them.

$1957. Examination of pilots; their bonds; renewal of branch.—
Even person applying to the board to be examined shall produce a cer-
tificate of the circuit court of the county or corporation court of the cor-
poration in which he resides that he is of honest demeanor and a citizen of
the State, and furnish proof of his having served as an apprentice to some
pilot of the State for five years. If the board find him qualified to act as
a pilot they shall take from him a bond, in the penalty of five hundred
dollars, and grant him a branch on his paying to the board five dollars.
They chall return the bond to the clerk of ‘the corporation court. Every
pilot holding a branch shall renew the same every twelve months; for
which renewal he shall pay one dollar.

$ 1963. Penalty for piloting, and so forth, vessel without authority, or
eamplaging unauthorized person as pilot; how offenders proceeded against.
If any person, not authorized by law, or any pilot, after removing from

the State, undertake to conduct or pilot a vessel to or from sea, or to or
from any port or place in Virginia, or if any master or person on board
any steamboat or towboat tow a vessel to or from sea, or to or from any
port or place in Virginia, except as authorized by this chapter, without
having a pilot. on board of such vessel (if one shall offer his service), he
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall, at the discretion of the jury, be imprisoned in jail not more than
three months or fined not exceeding two hundred dollars. Any master
employing any person not authorized by law, or any pilot who has re-
moved from the State, to act as a pilot of his vessel, shall pay one hun-
dred dollars to any regular branch pilot who shall sue for the same. War-
‘ants for such offenders may be issued, upon the oath of any party com-
plaining, by a justice of any county or mayor or justice of anv city in this
State, in which such offender may be at the time; and, upon proof of
probable cause, the offender shall be bound, with surety in due form of
law, to appear at the next term of the circuit court of said county or cor-
poration court of said city fer trial of such misdemeanor: and the cirenit
court of said county or corporation court of said city shall have juriedic-
tion for the trial thereof.

§ 1967. Issue of license to coasting vessel by pilots’ agents at Norfolk
and Richmond; pay of agents.—Pilots shall appoint agents, one for Nor-
folk city and one for Richmond, who shall grant licenses to coasting ves-
sels trading in all the rivers of this State; for which licenses such agents
shall receive ten cents per ton for one year; and coasting vessels having
such licenses shall be free to sail without pilots to or from sea; but all
vessels, sailing under a coasting license, of the burden of seventy tons or
more, coming from or going to sea, without having obtained a license
from such agent, shall be subject to the same regulations and pilotage as
registered vessels belonging to citizens of the United States.

2. This act shall be in force on and after February first, nineteen hun-
dred and four.