CHAP. 115.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 3976, 3977,
and 3984 of the code of Virginia, in relation to grand jurors.

Approved February 26, 1890.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That sections thirty-nine hundred and seventy-six, thirty-
nine hundred and seventy-seven, and thirty-nine hundred
and eighty-four of the code of Virginia be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§3976. The judge of the said courts shall annually, in
the month of August, select from the qualified voters of
their respective counties and cities forty-eight persons of
honesty, intelligence, and good demeanor, and suitable in
all respects to serve as grand jurors, who shall be the
grand jurors for the county or city for twelve months next
thereafter. Such jurors shall be selected from the seve-
ral magisterial districts of the counties and wards of the
cities, in proportion to the population thereof, and the
judge making the selection shall at once furnish a list of
those selected to the clerk of his court. The clerk, not
more than twenty days before the commencement of each
term of his court, at which a regular grand jury is re-
quired, shall issue a venire facias to the sheriff of his
county or sergeant of his city, commanding him to sum-
mon twelve of the persons selected as aforesaid, to be
named in the writ, to appear on the first day of the court
to serve as grand jurors. Nosuch person shall be required
to appear more than once until all the others have been
summoned once, nor more than twice until the others
have been twice summoned, and so on. The clerk, in
issuing the venire facias, shall apportion the grand jurors,
as nearly as may be, ratably among the magisterial dis-
tricts or wards: provided, that the county court of James
City county, or the judge thereof, in vacation, shall select
the grand jurors for such court from said county and the
city of Williamsburg, in such proportion from each as he
may think proper.

$3977. A regular grand jury shall consist of not less
mné nor more than twelve persons, and a special grand
jury of not less than six nor more than nine persons. Each
grand juror shall be a citizen of this state and a resident
of the county or corporation in which the court is to be
held, and in other respects a qualified juror, and not a
constable, ordinary keeper, overseer of a road, and not
the owner or occupier of a grist-mill; and when the grand
juror is for a county court, not an inhabitant of a city.

s3984. At least seven of a regular grand jury, and five
of a special grand jury, must concur in finding or making
an indictment or presentment. They may make a pre-
centment or find an indictment upon the information of
two or more of their own body, and when a presentment
or indictment is so made or found on the testimony of
witnesses called on by the grand jury, or sent to it by the
court, the names of the grand jurors giving the informa-
tion, or of the witnesses, shall be written at the foot of
the presentment or indictment.

2. Thie act shall be in force from its passage.

CHaPp. 116.—An ACT to authorize and direct the county and‘cor-
poration courts to strike from the list of lands purchased by the
commonwealth at delinquent tax sales those tracts which were
improperly on the land books, or which cannot be located.

Approved February 25, 1890.

Whereas the auditor of public accounts in his annual
report for the fiscal year ending September thirtieth,
eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, on the first page of his
report, states that from information derived by him from
the county and city treasurers of the state, it was believed
that the greater number of the tracts of land purchased
br the commonwealth for delinquent taxes thereon from
eighteen hundred and sixty-five to eighteen hundred and
elghty-three were improperly on the land books and could
not be located ; and whereas the said auditor, in his said
report, suggests that the county and corporation courts
shall be directed by statute to examine the lists of these
lands so purchased by the commonwealth and strike from
them all tracts of land which could not be located, or
which, for any reason, were improperly thereon; and
whereas there is reason to believe that some of the tracts
purchased by the commonwealth at sales of lands delin-
quent for the taxes of eighteen hundred and eighty-four,
eighteen hundred and eighty-five, eighteen hundred and
eighty-six, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and eigh.
teen hundred and eighty-eight were also improperly or
the land books; therefore, for the purpose of carrying out
the suggestions made in said report, and correcting the
lists of all delinquent lands sold since the year eighteen
hundred and sixty-nine:

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia,
That the judges of the county and corporation courts of
the commonwealth of Virginia be, and they are hereby,
authorized and directed to make a careful examination of
the lists of lands purchased by the commonwealth at the
sale of lands delinquent for the years eighteen hundred
and sixty-five to eighteen hundred and eighty-three, and
for the years eighteen hundred and eighty-four, eighteen
hundred and eighty-five, eighteen hundred and eighty-
six, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and eighteen
hundred and eighty-eight, and strike from them all tracts
which cannot be located, or which for any reason ar:
improperly thereon; and where any tract so stricken from
the list of lands purchased by the commonwealth at the
sale of delinquents for any given year wasembraced in the
list of lands returned delinquent for the taxes for the
succeeding year, and was not sold at the sale of delin-
quents of such latter year, for the reason that it had been
previously purchased by the commonwealth, the court
shall direct to be stricken from the list of delinquents
for said latter year.

2. That the commissioners of the revenue and the treas-
urers of each county and corporation be required to
attend their respective county and corporation courts,
when directed by the judges thereof, to give al] the infor-
mation within their reach or control until said lists are
properly purged and corrected.

3. That the judges of the county and corporation courts
be required tocommence revising and correcting said lists
at the March term of their respective courts, eighteen hun-
dred and ninety, and continue the same from month to
month until said lists are fully revised and corrected.

4. When said lists have been fully revised and corrected
by the courts the respective clerks shall make off and
send to the auditor of public accounts lists of the tracts
stricken from each of said lists.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.
CHaP.117.—An ACT for the relief of George W. King.

Approved February 26, 1890.

Whereas George W. King, after enlistment in the war
etween the United States and the Confederate States, was
tdden over by Ransom’s North Carolina cavalry, necessi-
ating the amputation of his right leg; and whereas the
yniv reason the said King is not embraced in the provis-
ons of an act entitled an act to give aid to soldiers, sail-
ors, and marines of Virginia, maimed or disabled in the
war between the states, and to the widows of Virginia
soldiers and sailors who lost their lives in said war in the
military service, approved March fifth, eighteen hundred
and eighty-eight, is that he was not technically wounded
in service; and whereas he served as a soldier during the
whole period of the war, and is justly entitled to be em-
braced in the provision of said act; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general‘ assembly of Virginia,
That the auditor of public accounts be directed to place
the name of George W. King on the pension roll, enti-
tling him to receive the sum of thirty dollars a year.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.