Chap. 259.—An ACT to Establish a Separate Circuit Court in and for
the City of Fredericksburg, and to Prescribe where the Clerk’s Office
of the Circuit Court of Spotsylvania County shall be kept.

Approved March 26, 1875.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That there shall
be a separate circuit court of common law and chancery
jurisdiction, in and for the city of Fredericksburg, which
shall be held at the courthouse used as such in said city, by
the judge of the tenth judicial circuit. The said circuit court
shall have the same powers and jurisdiction, in all respects,
within the limits of said city, and within one mile beyond
said limits, that the several circuit courts within this com-
monwealth have within their respective counties and corpo-
rations, except that said court shall have no jurisdiction of
any criminal prosecution for offences committed within the
limits of said city, but the exclusive jurisdiction of all such
criminal! prosecutions shall continue, as now, in the corpora-
tion court of Fredericksburg: and provided further, that th¢
corporation court of Fredericksburg shall have concurren
jurisdiction with the said circuit court in all matters at com
mon law and in equity.

2. There shall be held two regular terms, every year, 0
said circuit court for the city of Fredericksburg, one on thé
thirtieth of April, the other on the twentieth of November.

3. The clerk of the corporation court of Fredericksburg
shall be the clerk of the said circuit court of the city o!
Fredericksburg. He shall perform similar duties, receive the
same compensation, and be liable to the same obligations and
penalties as other clerks of circuit courts in the common.
wealth; and, as touching his authority, duty, and rights, be
governed by the samo general laws.

4. The sergeant of the city of Fredericksburg, and his
deputies, shall attend the said circuit court as its officers, and
do and perform tue duties, have’and exercise the powers, re-
ceive the compensation, and be liable to the obligations and
penalties of a sheriff and his deputies, in relation to the other
circuit courts of the commonwealth.

5. The jail of the said city shall be used as the jail of said
circuit court, and the keeper of said jail shall act as jailor of
said court, and be amenable and obedient to the lawful orders
of said court, and for all servjees performed by him under
said orders of said court, or of its officers, shall receive the
same compensation that is prescribed by law for like services
rendered by jailors of otber circuit courts of the common-
wealth.

6. All suits, motions, and other proceedings at law or in
equity, which are now pending in the circuit court of Spot-
sylvania county, in which the parties thereto, or the defen-
dants therein, reside within the corporate limits of the city
of Fredericksburg, or respecting land or other realty lying
within said limits, shall be removed to the said circuit court
of the city of I redericksburg ; and any other motions, suits,
or proceedings at law or in equity now pending in said first
named court, shall, at the request or by the consent of all
the parties thereto, entered of record in said court, be re-
moved to said circuit court of the city of Fredericksburg;
and all needful and proper further proceedings, judgments,
orders, and decrees therein, shall be taken, bad, and rendered
in the latter court, which shall have as full power to conduct,
render, and enforce the same, and to enforce all orders, judg-
ments, and decrees made or entered therein prior to such
removal, as the court which made and rendered the same
had under the laws now in force. The provisions of section
three of chapter one hundred and seventy of the Code of
Virginia, edition of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, shall
apply and be observed as to all motions, suits, or other pro-
ceedings so removed under the provisions of this act.

7. The office of the clerk of the circuit court of the city
of Fredericksburg shall be kept at the same place in the said
city with that of the clerk of the corporation of Fredericks-
burg; and ail the records, books, and papers of said circuit
court shall be kept therein.

8. From and after the date when this act takes effect, the
circuit court of Spotsylvania county shall not hold any ses-
sion of said court in the said city of Fredericksburg; and
from and after said date the clerk of said court shall keep
the clerk’s office, and all the records, books, and papers of
said court at the courthouse of Spotsylvania county.

9. All jurors required far the trial! of cases in said circuit
court of the city of Fredericksburg shall be selected by
drawing ballots from the box of the corporation court of
Fredericksburg, in the manner provided by law for obtaining
juries for the trial of civil cases in the circuit courts.

10. All acts and parts of acts in conflict or inconsistent
with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.