Chap. 18.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 8 and 17 of chap-
ter 178 of the Code of 1878, as amended by acts approved January
26, 1877, and February 19, 1884, in relation to petitions for appeals,
writs of error, and supersedeas.

Approved August 26, 1884.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section three of chapter one hundred and seventy-eight, and
section seventeen of chapter one hundred and seventy-eight
of Code of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, as amended
by acts approved January twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and
seventy-;even, and by act approved February nineteenth,
eighteen hundred and eighty-four, be amended and re-enacted
so as to read as follows:
§3. No petition shall be presented for an appeal from, or
writ of error or supersedeas to, any final judgment, decree,
or order, whether the commonwealth be a party or not, which
shall have been rendered more than one year before the peti-
tion is presented, nor to any judgment of a county or corpo-
ration court which is rendered on an appeal from a judgment
of a justice, nor to a judgment, decree, or order of any other
court, when the controversy is for a matter less in value or
amount than five hundred dollars, exclusive of cost, unless
there be drawn in question a freehold or franchise, or the
title or bounds of lands or some matter not merely pecuniary:
provided however, that if the final decree from which an
appeal is asked, is a decree refusing a bill of review to a final
decree rendered more than twelve months prior thereto, no
petition for an appeal from or supersedeas to such decree so
refusing a bill of review, shall be allowed, unless it be pre-
sented within six months from the date thereof.

§ 17. No process shall issue upon an appeal, writ of error,
or supersedeas allowed to or from a final judgment, decree,
or order, if when the record with the petition required by
law is delivered to the clerk of the appellate court, there
shall have elapsed one year since the date of such final judg-
ment, decree, or order; but the appeal, writ of error, or super-
sedeas shall be dismissed whenever it appears tbat one year
has elapsed since the said date before the record, with the
petition required by law, is delivered to such clerk, or before
such bond is given as is required to be given before the appeal,
writ of error, or supersedeas takes effect: and provided fur-
ther, that the time which shall elapse from presenting the
petition for an appeal, writ of error, or supersedeas (and
which shall be endorsed thereon by the judge to whom the
same shall be first delivered), and the delivery of the record
with the petition required by law to the clerk of the appel-
late court as aforesaid, shall be excluded from the computa-
tion of the said period of one year.

2. This act shall be in force frim its passage, but it shall
not apply to any final judgment or decree rendered prior
thereto; but as to such judgments and decrees, petitions for
appeals. from, or writs of error or supersedeas thereto, may
be presented within two years from the date thereof.