Chap. 644.—An ACT to prevent cruelty to children, and to regulate and pro-
vide for their control and custody in certain cases.

Approved March 8, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That it shall
be unlawful for any person employing or having the custody of any
child willfully to cause or permit the life of such child to be endan-
gered or the health of such child to be injured, or willfully to cause
or permit such child to be placed in such a situation that its life or
health may be endangered, or to cause or permit such child to be
overworked, cruelly beaten, tortured, tormented or mutilated.

2. It shall be unlawful for any person having the care, custody or
control of any child under the age of fourteen years to sell, appren-
tice, give away, let, or hire out, or otherwise dispose of such child to
any person in or for the vocation or occupation, service, or purpose
of rope or wire walking, begging or peddling, or as a gymnast, con-
tortionist, rider, or acrobat in any place whatsoever, or for any ob-
scene, indecent or immoral purpose, exhibition, or practice whatso-
ever, or for or in any business, exhibition or vocation injurious to
the health or morals or dangerous to the life or limb of such child,
or cause, procure, encourage or permit any such child to engage
therein.

3. It shall also be unlawful for any person to take, receive, hire,
employ, use, exhibit, or have in custody any child under the age
aforesaid for any of the purposes prohibited in the second section
of this act.

4. Any legally incorporated humane society or society for the pre-
vention of cruelty to children is hereby empowered to become the
guardian of minor children in accordance with the general pro-
visions of law applicable to the guardianship of minors. The pow-
ers and duties of such society, as guardian of minor children, shal]
be exercised and performed by its officers and agents, and such
society may adopt by-laws in relation thereto not inconsistent with
the general provisions of law applicable to such guardianships.

5. Whenever it shall be made to appear to any court having
jurisdiction to appoint a guardian that any child under the age
of fourteen years, by reason of orphanage, or of the neglect, crime,
drunkennesss, or other vice of parents, or other persons having
custody of such child, is growing up without education or salu-
tary control, and in circumstances exposing such child to lead a
dissolute and vicious life, such court may order such child to be
committed to the custody of any legally incorporated humane
society or society for the prevention of cruelty to children, and
such society is hereby authorized to receive such child into its
custody and to provide for its care and education in some suit-
able family or institution of instruction; such society may dis-
charge such child from its custody whenever in the judgment of said
society the object of such commitment has been accomplished. At
any time before such discharge said society may surrender such
child to the custody of the court by which such commitment was
ordered. In case of such surrender, or in case there is no such 1n-
corporated society willing to take the custody of such child, the said
court may make such order, as to the custody of such child, as now
is or may be provided by law in cases of vagrant, truant, disorderly,
pauper or destitute children. But nothing contained in this act
shall be construed to oblige any such society to receive the custody
of any child nor to affect in any way the duty of any city or town
to provide for any child having a legal settlement therein. Such
court may at any time, on the petition of such parent or any other
person revoke its order and restore said child to its former custody,
or to the custody of any other person, when it is made to appear that
the welfare of said child will be thereby promoted. All proceedings
under this section shall be by petition after notice to the person
having custody of such child.

6. Whenever any person or persons having the care or custody of
any child within the age previously mentioned in this act shall en-
gage, hire out, or use such child in or for any business, exhibition,
vocation, or purpose prohibited in this act, or shall permit the use
of such child therefor, and shall be convicted of the same, the court
or magistrate before whom such conviction is had may, at his discre-
tion, if he should think it desirable for the welfare of such child,
deprive the person or persons so convicted of the custody of such
child, and thereafter such child shall be deemed in the custody of
the court, and thereupon such proceedings shall be had as to the
commitment, custody, care, and education of such child as are pro-
vided for in section five of this act.

7. A person convicted under any of the provisions of this act
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by
fine not exceeding two hundred dollars or by imprisonment in jail
not exceeding twelve months, or both.

8. In this act the word “person” shall be construed to include
corporations, partnerships, companies, and associations, as well as
individuals.

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