Chap. 170.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 19-f, 19-h, 57 and 105 of an
act entitled an act to provide a new charter for the city of Richmond, ap-
proved March 24, 1926, as heretofore amended. [S B 257]

Approved March 24, 1934

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That sections
iineteen-f, nineteen-h, fifty-seven and one hundred and five of an act
sntitled an act to provide a new charter for the city of Richmond, ap-
proved March twenty-four, nineteen hundred and twenty-six, as here-
-ofore amended, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 19f. To establish, construct, maintain, keep in order, alter
or repair landings, wharves, docks, canals and streets and approaches
thereto and the lands contiguous or appurtenant thereto, which are now
owned or controlled by the city of Richmond, or which may hereafter be
acquired by gift, purchase, condemnation or otherwise for such pur-
pose, either within the corporate limits, or within five (5) miles thereot ;
and to that end the city of Richmond is expressly authorized to acquire
by condemnation or otherwise, docks, wharves, canals, approaches
thereto or lands to be used in connection therewith and to control,
operate and maintain the same for such purpose, and in connection
therewith may prescribe and collect reasonable charges from vessels
coming to or using the same, or may lease the use of such landings,
wharves, docks or canals upon such terms and conditions as to them
may seem proper, and may regulate the use of other wharves and land-
ings located within the corporate timits or within five (5) miles thereof,
and shall have power to prevent or remove obstructions from the harbor
of James river and in and upon landings, wharves, docks or canals and
collect the cost of such removal from the person or persons responsible
therefor: and the said city shall be authorized to close or discontinue
the use of any such wharf, landing, dock or canal now owned or here-
after acquired by the said city, and upon the closing or discontinuance
of such use the same shall thereupon be forever discharged from any
public use or easement or from any obligation theretofore imposed by
reason of such public use or easement, by statute or otherwise. Pro-
vided, that before the dock or any part thereof, conveyed by the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railway Company to the William R. Trigg Company
by deed dated the first day of June, nineteen hundred and one, in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the Act of Assembly, approved February
fifteenth, nineteen hundred and one, shall be closed or filled in, the city
of Richmond, at its sole cost and expense, shall make provisions fo!
disposing of the water required by said act to be delivered into saic
dock and shall, at its cost and expense, maintain the provision so made
and in the event of such abandonment, closing or discontinuance of the
use of such landing, wharf, dock or canal, the said city shall have the
right to use or dispose of the land upon which the said landing, wharf
dock or canal may be located, together with all lands or other right
appurtenant thereto, to the same extent as if the said landings, wharves
docks, canals or lands, or right thereto belonging had never beet
charged with any public use or easement. The said city shall also hav
the power to improve and keep in good, safe and navigable conditio1
James river, in the corporate limits and within twenty (20) mile
thereof, and to that end, may acquire by condemnation or otherwise
all lands or interest therein, deemed necessary by the council for th
improvement of James river and the improvement of navigation, and ir
that connection, where deemed desirable, may acquire lands for the con
struction of canals or the widening of the river, and may hold suct
lands for such purpose, or lease, sell or otherwise dispose of same fot
the better improvement of James river, the maintenance of navigation
and to improve the harbor facilities and may provide and operate suck
connections by ferries, bridges or otherwise, as may be necessary fot
transportation between the sections of land divided by such canals.
They may also appoint a port authority for the port of said city, whc
shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as the council may
prescribe. The city council of said city shall, in addition, have and ex-
ercise all the powers and be charged with all the duties imposed upon
it by chapter one hundred and forty-five of the Code of Virginia, nine-
teen hundred and nineteen, as the same now exists or as the same may
be hereafter amended, which powers it may delegate to some proper
committee of persons to be designated by the said council.

Section 19-h. To construct and maintain or authorize the construc-
tion or maintenance of bridges and viaducts over James river or other
stream or creek, or over any ravine, where any portion thereof is within
the city limits, and construct and maintain, or authorize the construction
and maintenance of subways, vaults, areas, or cellars under the streets
or other places, or elsewhere within the limits of the city, and charge
and collect compensation for use of same, and to prevent injury to or
obstruction of the streets, alleys, or other public places or property of
the city, and may charge or authorize the charging of tolls for the use
of any such bridge or viaduct by the public, and require compensation
for the use thereof by transmission or transportation companies, unless
and to the extent that the right to charge such compensation shall be
restricted or prevented by any contract heretofore or hereafter made
with any of such companies.

Section 105. There shall be appointed by the city council one police
justice, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, and until
ais successor shall be elected and qualified, unless sooner removed from
office. The police justice shall hold daily (Sunday excepted), in said
‘ity, in such place as the city council may provide. The jurisdiction of
he police justice shall extend to all cases arising within the jurisdic-
ional limits of the city of which a justice of the peace may take cog-
lizance under the laws of the State, and to all cases arising under the
charter and ordinances of the city.

Provided, however, that there shall be a police court, known as police
ourt, part two, which shall be held by a police justice within the former
erritory of the city of Manchester, for the trial of all cases, civil and
riminal, arising within the limits of the city of Richmond. so far as
aid limits lie on the south side of James river, and so tar as such cases
ire properly triable by a police justice, and within said territory the civil
‘urisdiction of said police justice of police court, part two, shall be
he same as the civil jurisdiction that the civil justices of the city of
Richmond now exercise or as may be hereafter conferred upon them,
und such police justice of police court, part two, shall be elected in the
same manner and for the same term as is provided in this charter for the
police justice of the city of Richmond.

Such justices shali have such other powers and jurisdiction as
may be conferred upon them by the city council, not in conflict with
the Constitution and laws of the United States and of the State of Vir-
ginia. The city council may provide for the appointment of such clerks
and officers for said courts of the police justices and make such rules
concerning admission to the court rooms and the maintenance of good
order therein during the sitting of said courts as they may deem proper.
If any person who has heen duly summoned as a witness to attend and
give evidence before the said justice, as the case may be, touching any
matter or thing under the charter or any ordinance of the city shall fail
to attend in obedience to said summons, he or she may be fined at the
discretion of said justice, in a sum not exceeding twenty dollars. The
clerk to the civil justice court, as provided for in section thirty-one
hundred and eighteen of the Code of Virginia, shall be appointed by the
civil justice and the civil justice number two for a term of four years
unless sooner removed by said justices in the exercise of their discretion.

A clerk to the juvenile and domestic relations court, as provided for
‘n section nineteen hundred and fifty-two of the Code of Virginia, shall
be appointed by the judge of the juvenile and domestic relations court,
and such clerk shall serve during the term of such judge unless sooner
removed by such judge in the exercise of his discretion.

Section 57. As soon as said commissioner of the revenue shall have
ascertained the nature, taxability and value of all real and personal prop-
erty taxable in said city, he shall make complete schedules of the same,
the values of the several properties entered in such schedules and the
levies imposed thereon, and leave them in his office open to the inspection
and examination of all persons interested therein, and he shall give
notice by six days’ publication in two of the daily newspapers of said
city of the time and place when and where such inspection and examina-
tion may be made. Such schedules shall be kept open for the perioc
of ten days from the time of the first publication of such notice, so that
any person feeling aggrieved by the assessment of any levy on his
property may appear and make his objection. The said commissione:
of the revenue shall hear and consider all objections that may be made
and shall have the power to alter, add to, take from and otherwise cor.
rect and revise the assessment and levy, either or both; and he shal
have power to examine any person on oath as to the value of his per,
sonal property or correctness of the levy thereon, and also to examine
under oath, such other persons as witnesses in relation thereto, as hi
may deem proper, and for that purpose may administer oaths and issu
process to compel the attendance of witnesses before him. Provided,
however, that in every case the assessment of the value of real estate
and personal property for purposes of State taxation shall be the same
as the assessment thereof for purposes of State taxation, where there
shall be a State assessment of such property. Any person who shall
refuse to make, under oath, a full disclosure of all the facts necessary
to enable said commissioner of the revenue to make a fair and just
assessment of his taxable property, when duly called upon by said
commissioner of the revenue so to do, or to answer such questions as
may be put to him in relation thereto, shall be assessed a gross sum, in
the judgment of the commissioner of the revenue, double the correct
assessment of his taxable property.

3. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its passage.