Chap. 261.—An ACT to amend and reenact sections 242. 243, 244, 245, 246, 250,
252, and 267 of the Code of Virginia, relative to the duties of the secret ary of
the Commonwealth.

Approved May 16, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sections
two hundred and forty-two, two hundred and forty-three, two hundeed
and forty-four, two hundred and forty-five, two hundred and forty-six,
two hundred and fifty, two hundred and fifty-two, and two hundred and
sixty-seven of the Code of Virginia be amended and re-enacted so as to
read as follows:

$242. Oath of secretary.—The secretary of the Commonwealth, before
he aets as such, shall, in addition to the other oaths prescribed by law,
take an oath to keep secret such matters as he may be required by the
governor to conceal.

$243. To administer oaths and take acknowledgments.—He shall have
wuthority to administer any oath and take and certify any acknowledg-
ment that a justice is authorized to administer or take.

S244. To be keeper of State seals; his general duties.—Ile shall be
Keeper of the seals of the Commonwealth; keep a record of all executive
acts, arrange and preserve all reeords and papers belonging to the execu-
tive department; be charged with the elerieal duties of that department,
and render to the governor, in the dispatch of executive business, such
services as he may require. Ie shall record or register all papers or docu-
ments required by law to be registered or recorded in his oflice, and when
required furnish a copy of any record in his oflice, under the seal of the
Commonwealth.

He is authorized to authenticate records of any court of the State and
of any department of the government, and he is directed, when any such
record is to be used bevond the limits of this State, to authenticate the
came in the manner and give the certificate required by the laws of the
jurisdiction in which sue h record is to be used, as far as is practicable.

He shall keep a register of all city, county, and district officers, and
when required give a certificate of the election and qualification of any
such officer.

He shall make an annual report to the governor, embracing (a) a list
of all charters of incorporation recorded, and all trade marks, labels, and
so forth, and proprietary containers registered: provided, that the first
list of charters of incorporation made shall embrace all such charters
heretofore recorded; (&) the boards of visitors of all public institutions,
and other boards appointed by the governor; (c) all commissions issued
under appointments made by the governor; (d) accounts of all fees and
taxes collected, funds received from sales of State publications, receipts
and disbursements for contingent expenses of his office; (e) and such
other matters as the governor may require. Said reports shall be trans-
mitted by the governor to the general assembly, printed as other such an-
nual reports are printed, bound in a separate volume and disposed of
according to law.

£245, When absent, chief clerk to act——During the necessary absence
of the secretary of the Commonwealth from his office his duties shall be
nerformed by his chief clerk, but when such absence is for more than one
day at a time, notice thereof shall be given to the governor.

§ 246. Secretary to have charge of supreme court reports and furnish
copies to judges and others —tHe shall be charged with the custody, dis-
posal, and sale of the published reports of the decisions of the supreme
court of appeals; shall make exchanges of the same for the publications
of other States and countries, and place the law books acquired by such
exchange in the State law library. One copy of each volume of said re-
ports hereafter published shall be furnished to each of the following per-
sons, namely: to the judges and the reporter of the supreme court of
appeals, to the judges of the circuit and corporation courts, including
the judges of the chancery court and law and equity court of the city of
Richmond, and the judge of the court of law and chancery of the city of
Norfolk, to the attorney-general (to be kept in his office), to the clerk
of each of the circuit courts of the United States held in this State, for
the use of said courts and the members of the bar practicing therein.
Eight copies of each volume of said reports hereafter published shall be
furnished to each university and college in the State in which a law school
is established.

§ 250. Donations to universities, and so forth, having law schools.—
The secretary of the Commonwealth shall furnish the universities and
any incorporated college of the State in which a law school is established,
and which has not heretofore been furnished out of any surplus copies
on hand, with one copy of the journal of the senate and house of dele-
gates, and journal of the constitutional convention, of the acts of assem-
bly, and of the Codes; and every incorporated college and academy in
the State with a copy of the maps.

§ 252. Sale of State publications.—All books, maps, and documents
published by the State and not otherwise disposed of by law shall be
turned over to the secretary of the Commonwealth and sold by him for
the benefit of the State library fund at prices to be fixed by the State
library board, with the consent of the secretary of the Commonwealth,
subject to the provisions of an act approved April second, nineteen hun-
dred and two, ratifying the contract between the joint library committee
of the general assembly of Virginia, dated February twenty-first, nineteen
hundred, and the Michie Company, and to provide for similar contracts
with other persons.

Such sales may be made through book dealers, and a reasonable com-
mission allowed them on such sales, and when such books, maps, and
documents are placed in the hands of such dealers, the secretary of the
Commonwealth shall require of such dealers bond, with good security,
payable to the Commonwealth and conditioned to secure the payment of
the price of said publications or the return thereof to the secretary of the
Commonwealth on demand. The secretary of the Commonwealth is au-
thorized to make exchanges of such publications, the publications se-
cured by such exchanges to be placed in the State library or the State law
library. All costs and expenses attending said sales and exchanges shall
be paid by said secretary out of the proceeds of such sales. The said sec-
retary shall keep and preserve at least twenty-five copies of each of said
publications.

§ 267. The secretary to furnish the Code and acts of general assembly
to county and corporation officers—Whenever the secretary of the Com-
monwealth shall be satisfied that any justice or other county or corpora-
tion officer entitled by law to receive the sessions acts or the Code is desti-
tute of the same or any of them, and cannot otherwise procure them, he
shall, on application of the county or corporation court, furnish the same:
provided. he does not thereby diminish the supply of the work so issued
in his custody below twenty-five copies.

2. All laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

3. This act shall be in force and effect from its passage.