Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-04-12

FULL TEXT OF THE ACT
Calls For Rigid Enforcement Of Mea-
sure-No Exceptions Made by the
Law

The custer law, which will go into
effect June IS, is causing some con-
sternation throughout the state. The
demand for the literal enforcement
of the Sunday law is causing es-
pecial apprehension, and under this
new stateute any person can press
charges against a city or state official
of derilection of duty.
The following is the act as it will
appear in the Acts of Assembly, to
be issued at an early date by the State:
Section BE it enacted by the
General Assembly of Virginia, That
every person holding any office of
trust or profit under and by virtue
of any of the laws Of the State OF
Virginia, either State, county or mu-
nicipal, 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 willfully miscon-
any form of gambling, or who shall
knowingly or wilfully neglect to per-
form any duty enjoined upon such
officer by any law of the State Of
Virginia, or who shall in any public
place be in a state of intoXicatIon
produced by ardent spirits voluntar-
lily taken, or who shall engage III
any form of gamblinf, or who shall
commit any act constituting viola
ton of any penal statue involving
moral turpitude, shall forfeit his Of
flee and shall be ousted from office
in the manner hereinafter provide.
Section 2-Any person, corporation
or organization may file with the cir
cult court of the county, or corpora
ton or hustings court of the city IN
which the officer proceeded against
resides and holds Office, complaint
in writing stating with reasonable
accuracy and detail the grounds or
reasons for the removal of the Off
Ger of whom complaint is made.
which complaint shall be sworn 10
by the person or persons, or by some
officer of the organization making il.
As soon as the complaint is filed
with the court, or the judge thereof
in vacation, who is hereby author
lied to try said complaint, the court
or Judge thereof in vacation before
which or whom the complaint Is
filed shall forthwith cause Il rule to
be issued requiring the officer conf
planned of to show cause, if any be
,can, why he should not be removed
from office. The rule shall be re-
turnablc. in not less than five nor
more than ten days, and shall be
served upon the officer with copy of
the complaint, and upon its return
duly executed, unless good cause
shall be shown the complaint, which
shall have precedence of all other
cases on the docket, shall be tried
forthwith, and if upon such trial it
Shall appear that the officer has
failed, neglected or refused to per-
form his duty under Section l OF
this act he shall be removed from
office.
Section BIN any trial of proceed
ings under this act the attorney for
the Commonwealth, unless the COM
plant is against him, and in prose
cutions arising under the prohibition
law of the State pertaining to ar
dent spirits as enacted by the Cen
eral Assembly of 1915, and all other
prohibition laws pertaining to ardent
spirits as therein defined, the Com
missioner of Prohibition, if an attor-
ney-at-law, or some attorney repre-
sentine his Office, shall represent the
complainant, who may in addition
employ counsel to- be- associated with
them. The complaint shall not be
dismissed except by consent of the
Attorney for the Commonwealth, the
Commissioner of Prohibition, if an
attorney-at-law, or some attorney
representing his office (when said
commissioner or his representative
are appearing for the prosecution),
and the counsel for the complainant,