Case Name: M'Gruder v. Lyons
Court: Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia
Jurisdiction: Virginia
Decision Date: 1851-01
Citations: 7 Gratt. 233
Docket Number: 
Parties: *M’Gruder v. Lyons.
Judges: (Absent Cabell, P., and Brooke, J.)
Reporter: Virginia Reports
Volume: 48
Pages: 92–93

Head Matter:
*M’Gruder v. Lyons.
January Term, 1851,
Richmond,
(Absent Cabell, P., and Brooke, J.)
Court of Appeals—Statute Regulating Jurisdictional Amount—Retrospective Effect. —Tb e act in the Code limiting appeals to the Court of appeals to $200, applies to cases decided before the act went into effect, where the application for an appeal is made since.
This was an application for an appeal from a decree of the Circuit court of Albemarle county. The decree was rendered prior to the 1st of July 1850, when the new Code went into operation; and it was for a less sum than 200 dollars.
Statutes — Remedial — Retrospective Effect.—The citations of authorities against construing statutes retrospectively where they disturb vested rights do not apply to remedial statutes; by all the authorities the remedial statutes are an exception to the rule. Lackland v. Davenport, 84 Va. 640,5 S. E. Rep. 540, citing McGruder v. Lyons, 7 Gratt. 233; Perry v. Com., 3 Gratt. 632; Danville v. Pace, 25 Gratt. 1 (see foot-note). The principal case is cited as authority for the above proposition in Price v. Harrison, 31 Gratt. 121 (see foot-note); Crawford v. Halsted, 20 Gratt. 225 (see foot-note).

Opinion:
AIyI/E$N, J.,
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The act concerning appeals and writs of error and supersedeas, Code of Virginia, ch. 182, 3, p. 683, provides that no petition shall be presented for an appeal from or writ of error or supersedeas to a judgment of a County or Corporation court, when it is rendered on an appeal from a judgment of a justice; nor to a judgment, decree or order of any other Court, where the matter in controversy is merely pecuniary, and not of greater amount than two hundred dollars, exclusive of costs. The words are general, and as they merely apply to the remedy, they extend to and comprehend all petitions to this Court, or a Judge thereof in vacation, for an appeal, writ of error or supersedeas, whether the judgment, decree or order was prior to or after the 1st July 1850, when the new Code took effect. The 18th sec., ch. 16, p. 101, and 2d sec., ch. 216, p. 800, of the Code, providing that the repeal of previous acts should not affect any right established, accrued or accruing before *the 1st July 1850; or any prosecution, suit or proceeding pending on that day, do not operate so as to save to the party a remedy by way of appeal, writ of error or supersedeas, to this Court, allowed by previous acts, but taken away by the law now in force. The Court is therefore of opinion, that this Court has no jurisdiction to grant an appeal, writ of error or supersedeas to a judgment, decree or order rendered or made before the 1st July 1850, where the matter in controversy is merely pecuniar}', and not of greater amount than 200 dollars, exclusive of costs, unless the petition had been presented to the Court, or some Judge thereof in vacation, previous to that day.
Appeal refused.