Chap. 122.—An ACT to establish a corporation court for the city of Newport
News.

Approved January 23, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That there
shall be established for the city of Newport News a corporation or
hustings court, to be held by the judge of said city, on the second
Monday in each month, for a term not to exceed twenty days in each
month, but the judge of said court may from time to time change
the day on which said court shall commence; provided that no term
shall be held in the month of August.

2. The said court shall have original jurisdiction concurrent with
the circuit court of the city of Newport News to hear and determine
all cases at law and in chancery, respectively, arising within said
city.

3. The said court shall, within the limits aforesaid, have concur-
rent jurisdiction to hear and determine all motions, matters, and
things made cognizable by any statute authorized by law to be done
or in the circuit or corporation courts of the commonwealth.

4. The said court shall, within the limits aforesaid, have the same
jurisdiction as the circuit courts, and the same jurisdiction as the
county courts over all offences committed within said limits and
within one mile of the corporate limits of said city, and also such
jurisdiction over such offences as is conferred by general law upon
corporation courts. The jurisdiction conferred by this section over
offences committed within said corporate limits shall be exclusive
of all other courts, except that all indictments, presentments, and
informations, together with all civil causes, whether the same be
motions, warrants removed or appealed, and pending in the county
court of Warwick county at the time of the passage of this act,
shall be proceeded with in the county court of said county until the
same are finally concluded and ended.

5. The said court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over
all matters of probate and record arising within the limits of said
city.
6. The said court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction to hear
and determine all cases at Jaw and in chancery and over all matters
and things which may become the subject matter of suits or pro-
ceedings in court arising under the charter of the said city, or other
lawe relating thereto, and of all cases of contested elections in said
city, except so far as is otherwise provided in said charter.

7. The said court, and judge thereof in vacation, shall possess the
same juriediction and powers and shall perform the same duties as
are vested in and imposed upon other corporation courts, and the
judge thereof, by any statute relating to corporation courts or by
general law.

8. All cases and proceedings at law or in chancery now pending
in the circuit court of Warwick county shall be proceeded with in
said circuit court until the same are finally concluded or ended,
unless the same shall be removed to said corporation court by con-
sent of parties in interest.

9. The judge of said corporation court shall receive an annual
salary of not less than nine hundred nor more than fifteen hundred
dollars, to be fixed by the council of the city of Newport News, to be
paid monthly out of the treasury of the city of Newport News; pro-
vided that said judge shall have the same privileges of practicing
law as are conferred by section thirty-one hundred and twenty-nine
of the code of eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, on judges of cor-
poration or hustings courts whose salaries do not exceed one thou-
sand dollars; and the said judge shall qualify by taking the oath
required by law within thirty days after he receives his commission,
said oath to be taken by any notary public or any clerk of any court
of record.

10. The said court and the judge thereof shall have the same juris-
diction and powers, and shall perform the same duties in summon-
ing and empanelling grand juries and other juries, civil and crimi-
nal, as are now by law vested in and imposed upon the circuit or
corporation courts of this commonwealth and the judges thereof.

11. The said corporation court, or the judges thereof in vacation,
shall have general control of the rooms necessary for said court and
clerk’s offices, and shall have the power to procure such stationery,
books, records, furniture, and fixtures at such cost as the judge may
deem necessary and proper for the use of said court, the same to be
paid for by order of the court out of the treasury of the said city,
except when otherwise provided.

12. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed.

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