Chap. 385.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3780, of the Code of Vir-
ginia, as heretofore amended, in relation to carrying concealed weapons, and
the punishment therefor.

Approved March 14, 1908.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-seven hundred and eighty, of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore
amended, be, and it hereby is amended and re-enacted so as to read as
follows:

§3780. Carrying concealed weapons; how punished ; forfeiture and sale
of weapons.—If any person carry about his person hid from common
observation, any pistol, dirk, bowie-knife, razor, slung-shot, metal knucks,
or any weapon of like kind, he shall be fined not less than twenty dollars,
nor more than one hundred dollars and, in the discretion of the court or
jury trying the case, may be, in addition thereto committed to jail for
not more than six months, and such pistol, dirk, bowie-knife, razor,
slung-shot, metal-knucks, or any weapon of like kind, shall be forfeited
to the Commonwealth and may be seized by an officer as forfeited : pro-
vided, that this section shall not apply to any police officer, town or city
sergeant, constable, sheriff, conservator of the peace, or to carriers of
United States mail in the rural districts, or collecting officer while in the
discharge of his official duty: provided, the circuit judge of an any
county in term time, and the hustings judge of any hustings court in
term time, upon a written application and satisfactory proof of the good
character and necessity of the applicant to carry concealed weapons, may
grant such permission for one year; the order making same shall be
entered in the law order book of such court.

2. The judge or justice of the peace or police justice, having under
his charge or control such forfeited weapons, shall, within sixty days
after such weapons have been forfeited, designate some officer of his
court to take all of such forfeited weapons except such as may be needed
and suitable for the use of police officers or conservators of the peace of
the city or county in which such weapons were seized or forfeited, to
some public place, and there destroy such weapons completely, by break-
ing them into small pieces.

3. Subject to the provisions of section two of this act all weapons
heretofore forfeited to the Commonwealth, under section thirty-seven
hundred and eighty of the Code of Virginia, and now in possession or
under the control of any judge or justice of the peace or police justice,
shall be destroyed in the manner herein provided within ten days after
this act becomes a law.

4. If any judge or justice of the peace or police justice, or any officer
designated by said judge, justice of the peace or police justice, as herein
provided, fail to perform the duties imposed by the provisions of this act,
‘as to the destruction of such weapons, said judge, justice of the peace or
police justice, or officer so failing to perform the duties so imposed, shall
forfeit to the Commonwealth the sum of fifty dollars for each failure

.to so comply herewith, such forfeiture may be recovered in the manner
as are other debts due to the Commonwealth.

5. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act or any part thereof
are hereby repealed.