Chap. 22.—An, ACT to amend and re-enact section 57 of an act entitled an act to
provide a new charter for the town of Covington, in the county of Alleghany,
and to repeal all other acts with reference thereto, as approved April 2, 1902,
and amended, Acts 1910, 1916 and 1922; and to provide for the appointment by
the town council of a police justice tor the town of Covington, Virginia,
and to define his powers and duties. [H B 48]

Approved February 17, 1926.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
hifty-seven of an act entitled an act to provide a new charter for the
town of Covington, in the county of Alleghany, and to repeal all other
acts with reference thereto, as approved April second, nineteen hun-
dred and two, and amended by acts of nineteen hundred and ten,
nineteen hundred and sixteen, and nineteen hundred and twenty-two,
be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 57. The council shall have the power to tax all real and
personal property situated in said town and not exempt from taxation
under the Constitution, or segregated for State taxation only, includ-
ing any taxable real or personal property omitted from the State as-
sessment; to levy a tax on licenses to auctioneers, to public theatri-
cals, or other performances or shows; to keepers of billiard and pool,
and such like tables, ten-pin alleys; to hawkers and peddlers, to agents
for the renting of real estate, to commission merchants, and any other
business for the conduct of which the council may see fit to require a
license and levy a tax, within the limits of the Constitution and the
segregation laws of the State; provided, however, that the said town
council shall have the right to impose a license tax of not less than
one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars upon all
auctioneers who shall bring into said town merchandise to be sold at
auction, and said town council shall have the right to impose a license
tax of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred
dollars upon any person, firm, or corporation who, not being regularly
in business in said town, shall consign their goods to others to be sold,
or shall come into said town themselves at various times and intervals
to offer their goods, wares and merchandise for sale, by auction or
otherwise, without the intention of continuing their business perma-
nently or regularly in said town; provided, that any farmer may sell
the products of his farm in the said town without any license. The
jurisdiction of the corporate authorities of said town for imposing and
collecting a license tax on shows, performances, and exhibitions shall
extend one mile beyond the corporate limits of said town.

Section 70. There shall be elected by the town council a police
justice for the town of Covington who shall possess all the jurisdiction
and exercise all the powers and authority in criminal cases of a justice
of the peace; he shall also try all violations of the town ordinances and
inflict such punishment, and impose such fines as shall be prescribed
for a violation of the same. He shall also possess and exercise all the
authority in civil cases of a justice of the peace as are now, or shall be
provided by law; and in both civil and criminal cases he shall be en-
titled to the fees prescribed by law to justices of the peace; provided,
however, the council, should it see fit and proper, may pay such po-
lice justice a regular monthly salary, in which event all fees received
by such police justice shall be paid by him into the town treasury.
He shall keep his office and court at such place as may be prescribed
by the council, and if from any cause he shall be unable to act in any
case, the mayor of the town shall appoint a justice of the peace of the
Covington magisterial district to discharge the duties of such police
justice prescribed herein during such disability.

The police justice shall keep a regular account of all fines, for-
feitures and costs imposed or arising in the administration of his office,
which he shall report weekly to the clerk of the council, and should
the council elect to pay him a salary, the same shall not be diminished
during the term of his office. The police justice elected by any coun-
cil shall hold office for the term for which said council has been elected
and shall not be removed except for misfeasance or malfeasance in
office.

2. All provisions of this act in conflict herewith are hereby re-
pealed.

3. An emergency existing, this act shall take effect from its pas-
sage.