Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-12
''0USTER" LAW
OF VIRGINIA
Statute Will Be Enforced
in Some Cities of
Commonwealth
LID ON IN RICHMOND
Text of Act as, Passed BY the Last
Session of the General Assembly
Being Studied.

Richmond, June 12-Police promis-
pc of rigid enforcement of Sunday
and other statues of a more or less
obsolete character, beginning with
Sunday, were the topic of much debate
Yesterday and were alluded to in a
number of sermons. Ministers gener-
ally were disposed to urge upon their
people a more strict personal obser-
vance of the Sabbath than in recent
years has been the case.
The General Assembly amended
the Sunday law in only one respect,
and that was to legalize the delivery
of ice cream on Sunday if made on
some other day than the Sabbath.
The present situation is caused not
by a new Sunday law, for the statute
has been on the books since the Acts
of 1877 (page 304), with slight revi-
sion in 1908. The act that has caused
the commotion was offered in the
Senate at the recent session of the
General Assembly by Senators Mapp,
Walker, Saunders and West, and,
with other bills championed by the
AntiSaloon League of Virginia, it
was referred to the Committee on
Social and Moral Welfare, of which
Senator Mapp was chairman.
The act as passed appears as chap
ter 451 of the Acts of 1916, and pro-
vides:
"That every person holding an Of
fee of trust or profit under and by
virtue of any of the laws of the State
of Virginia, either State, county or
municipal, except such officers as are
by the Constitution removable only
and exclusively by methods other than
those provided by this act, who shall
knowingly or wilfully misconduct HIM
self in office or who shall knowingly
or wlfully neglect to perform any
duty enjoined upon said officer by any
law of the State Of Virginia, or who
shall in any public place be in state
of intoxication produced by ardent
spirits voluntarily taken, or who shall
engage in any form of gambling, or
who shall commit any act constituting
violation of any penal statute involv'
ing moral turpitude, shall forfeit his
office and shall be ousted from Office
in the manner hereinafter provided.
"Any person, corporation or organi-
cation may file with the Circuit Court
of the country or Corporation or Hust-
ings Court of the city in which the
officer proceeded against resides and
holds office a complaint in writing
stating with reasonable accuracy and
detail the grounds or reasons for the
removal of any officer of whom COM
plant is. made, which complaint shall
be sworn to by the person or persons
or by some officer of the organiza-
ton making it"
The act says that the Judge shall
try the complaint promptly, the case
to have "precedence over all other
ses on the docket and "shall be
tried forthwith" and continues:
"If upon such trial it shall, appear
that the officer has failed, neglected or
refused to perform his duty under sec
ton l of this act, ne shall be removed
from Office"
Section 8 provides specially that in
any proceeding under this act grow
ing out of the prohibition law, the
State Commissioner of Prohibition or
some attorney representing his office
shall represent the complainant. The
act say in this case that the complaint
shall not be dismissed, except by con-
sent Of the attorney for the Common
wealth, the Commissioner of Prohibl-
ton or his representative, and the
counsel for the complainant if he has
one, or any two of these prosecutors.
Fearing proceedings by political op'
ponents looking to their removal from
office under the new custer law, May
ors of cities in all parts of the State
Aave given directions to the police
that all statutes must be strictly Ell
forced.
Newport News, Va, June 12-