The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-03-23
The Stay Law.
An ACT TO cuANGH TIE JURIsD1CTIoN OF THl
COURTS AND TuA RULES OF PLEADING

COURTS AND TuA RULES OF PLEADH
THEREIN. r =
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General a.
senaJZv of the State Of North Carolina and /
is hereby enactel By the authority Of the SAM
That all warrants issued by q Justice of tn
Peace in civil cases, shall not be returnabl
within twelve months after the execution O
the same before some Justice of Peace 70
the county.
SEC. 2. Be IL. further enacted, That the ju
risdiction of Justices of the Peace shall ex
tend to one hundred dollars, principal mon
ey, on all bonds, bills, promissory notes or &C
counts stated, and shall extend to sixty dol
lars principal money, upon accounts TO
goods, wares and merchandise sold and de
Iivered or for work and labor done, or TO
specific articles, and all balances ofsixty dol
lars and under, due on such last mentioned
debts or demands, and on all judgments rem
dered thereon and on all forfeitures and pen
altes not exceeding one hundred dollars
Provided, That this section shall not be con
strued to take from the Courts the jurisdic
ton in cases of less than one hundred dol
lars, upon which writs have been issued pri
or to the ratification of this act.
SEC. 3. BE it further enacted, That all
warrants issued by a Justice of the Peace,
for any debt or demand within his .jurisdic-
ton, according to the provisions of the above
section: Provided, That said debt or de-
mand is due upon any contract, whether by
bond or note or liquidatcd account, or any
parol agreement made orentered into, and due
prior to the 1st day of May 1865, shall not be
returnable for trial. within twelve months
after the execution ofthe same, and at the re-
turn of the same, if the defendant or defend
ants shall pay to the plaintiff, his agent or at
tOrncy or to the officer executing the war
rant, one tenth of the principal and interest,
and all costs that may have accrued thereon,
he she or they, may have twelve months
longer to plead, at the end ofwhich time being
again notified of the time and place of trial,
if the defendant or defendants shall pay one
fifth of the principal, interest and costs, he,
she, or they shall have twelve months longer
to plead, at the end of which time, if the de-
fendcnt or defendants shall pay one half Of
the residue Of said claim, he, she, or they shall
have twelve months longer to plead at the
end of which time the plaintiff shall have
Judgment for the remainder: Provided,
That executions ON justices judgments on
debts contracted prior to May LIST, 1865, al
ready rendered, shall be stayed for twelve
months from the date of the ratification of
this act.
SEC. T. Be it further enacted, That on all
debts contracted since the first day of May,
1865, and all warrants issuing for the same
shall lie returned and tried according to the
provisions of the Revised Code, chapter sixty
two. (G2) and the remedy in all such cases
shall be the same rs in 1860.
Sec. s. BE at further enacted, That all
writs in actions of debt, covenant, assump-
sit or account, issued to Fall Term, 1866, or
Spring Term, 1867, of the Superior Court,
shall be rcturnable to Spring Term, 1868,
and all of said actions now pending in the
Superior Court shall be continued to Spring
Term, 1868: Procided, That the Sheriff
cution before the first day of January sue
ceeding the rendition of Judgment. 8.
SEC G. Be it further enacted, That all
shall he returnable to Spring Term of the
Superior Court, and shall be seryed at least
thirty days Sundays includedD before the re-
turn day. If during the retur.i term, the
defendant pay to the plaintiff, or into Court
for his use, one tenth of the debt or demand
(prncipal and INTEREST," and all costs to that
time, he shall be allowed until next Spring
Term to plead. At the said Spring Term
should the defendant pay to the plaintiff, or
into Court for his use, one-tifth of the residue
and costs, he shall be allowed until the sue
Spring Term should the defendant pay to the
plaintiff or into Court for his use, one
half OF the residue, he shall be allowed
until the succeeding Spring Term to
plead: Prorided however, the plaintiff if
required shall file his debt or demand
in writing, and ii the defendant shall make
oath that the whole or any part thereof is
not justly due, or that he has u counter claim,
all of which shall be particularly set forth by
affidavit, then the defendant shall only pay
the instalcmcnt required of what he admits
to be due, and the Court shall order Il Jury
at the same or subsequent Term to try the
matters i'll dispute between the parties, and
at the next Spring Term the defendant shall
be allowed to plead only upon the payment
of one fifth If the residue of the admitted
amount, and whatever the Jury may find him
indebted over and above the same: I'r0rided
tWrther, that should the defendant fail to paw
the first or any subsequent instalmcnt, then
and in that case, the plaintiff shall be entitled
to Judgment and execution for said instale-
ment Provided hore0er, any debtor tender
ing or paying to his creditor on any debt
contracted prior to the first day of May A
D. 1865, the one tenth of his Indebtedness
without suit having been brought on the
same, the said one tenth shall be entered as
ness; thereafter the remainder of said indeb-
tedness shall not be sued on for twelve months
after the payment or tender of id one tenth.
SEC. 9TH. BE it further enacted, That so
much of the ordinance of the Convention,
passed on the 23d of June 1866, rs shall
come in conflict with this act, together with
all other laws coming in conflict with the
same, be, and the same are hereby repealed.
Sec. s. BE it further enacted, That the
time elapsed or elapsing from the twentieth
day of May, 1861. until the first day of JAN
uary 1870, shall not be counted so rs to bar
actions, or suits, or to presume satisfaction
or abandonment of rights.
SEC. 9. Be 1t further enacted, That this
act shall be in force from and after its rati-
fication.
RATIFIED February 18th. 1867.
r. Y. MCADEN, s.. II Conn,ons
M. E. MANLY, Speaker Senute