Chap. 7.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 17 of an act approved
February 28, 1918, entitled an act to amend and re-enact an act ap-
proved March 21, 1916, relating to Confederate pensions. [S B 23]

Approved March 15, 1923.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section seventeen of an act approved February twenty-eight,
nineteen hundred and eighteen, entitled “An act to amend and
re-enact an act approved March twenty-first, nineteen hundred
and sixteen, relating to Confederate pensions,” be amended and
re-enacted so as to read as follows:
Section 17. Court to appoint board of pension commis-
sioners; their duties —That there shall be appointed by the cir-
cuit court of each county in term time, or vacation, and by the
corporation or hustings court of each city, or by the judge
thereof in vacation, immediately after the approval of this act
and in the month of January in each year thereafter, a board of
three commissioners, residents of such county or city, none of
whom shall be either State, city, or county officers, and any two
of whom may act, and two of whom shall be ex-Confederate
soldiers, or one or two shall be the son or sons of ex-Confederate
soldiers in the event an ex-Confederate soldier or soldiers can-
not be conveniently obtained to serve, and all of whom shall be
freeholders and persons of good reputation, who are to serve
without compensation, and to constitute a board, whose duty it
shall be to examine into the merits of the applications, a list of
which shall have been furnished them by the clerk of the said
court, as hereinbefore provided, and who shall, if there be any
just cause against the allowance, of any claim, on the first day
of the next succeeding regular term of any such court, make a
report in writing to the said court, setting forth the objections
to the*allowance of any claim so referred to them, and furnish
to the said court such information or testimony as they may
have in support of any objection, and whose duty it shall be
also, on or before the fifteenth day of February in each year, to
meet in the clerk’s office of such court, and examine the pension
roll certified to the clerk by the auditor of public accounts, under
the provisions of this act, and report, in writing, to the said
court, or the judge thereof in vacation, the names of such pen-
sioners as have died during the preceding year, as also the names
of such pensioners as should be dropped from the said roll be-
cause improperly placed thereon, and the reasons why such
pensioners should be dropped and the evidence in support of
the same. And the said court, or the judge thereof in vacation,
shall forthwith cause, by rule or other process, any pensioner,
who is so reported to be improperly placed upon the pension
roll, to appear before the said court, or the judge thereof in
vacation, to show cause why his or her name should not be
stricken off, and further aid to him or her discontinued under
the provisions of this act, and if, after a full hearing, the said
court, or the judge thereof, be satisfied that the said applicant
is improperly on the pension roll, shall certify that fact to the
auditor of public accounts, and shall also certify a list of those
who have been reported as having died during the preceding
year. Any pensioner whose name shall be so dropped from the
pension roll may apply to be restored to said roll, as hereinbefore
provided in the case of an original application. The said board
of commissioners shall organize immediately after their ap-
pointment by the election of one of their number as chairman,
who shall preside over the meetings of the board, and perform
such other duties as the board may prescribe; and the members
of said board are hereby authorized and empowered to ad-
minister any oath required under this act.

9 An emergency existing, to enable the beneficiaries with-
out delay to receive their pensions, this act shall be in force
from its passage.