Chapter 162.
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CHAP. 162.— AN ACT regulating the appointment of justices of the peace, commissioners of deeds, and constables within and for the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.June 7, 1878. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,District of Columbia.Justices of the peace.Appointment.Number. That the President of the United States shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint fifteen justices of the peace within and for the District of Columbia.
Said justices of the peace shall be assigned as follows: two in the city of Georgetown, one in Tennallytown, one in Brightwood, Term.Jurisdiction.one in Uniontown, and ten in the city of Washington. Their term of office shall be four years, subject to removal for cause. They shall respectively have the jurisdiction, exercise the powers and functions, and perform the duties as now provided by law for said officers respectively. Unfinished business.Said justices of the peace, shall be the successors of the justices of the peace who now hold office in said District, and shall proceed in and close up all such unfinished business of their predecessors as may be brought to their attention by any party in interest, who shall present a transcript of the same, as hereinafter provided.
And in like manner they shall proceed in and close up all unfinished business of any Transcripts of unfinished business.predecessor in office appointed under this act. Upon resignation or the expiration of the term of office, they shall make, certify, and deliver transcripts of any proceeding on their docket to any party in interest, or shall deliver said docket, together with all papers in all unfinished business, to their successors in office, at their option, and account for all Succession to dockets.moneys in their hands.
Upon the death or removal of any justice of the peace appointed under this act, his docket, books, and papers of office shall be delivered to his immediate successor in office. Sec. 2. The terms of office of all justices of the peace, now in officeJustices now in office.Term. within and for the District of Columbia shall end on the thirtieth day after the approval of this act. They shall issue no process returnable Deposit of dockets.on or after that day, and shall deposit their docket, books, papers, and records pertaining to their office in the office of the clerk of the supreme court of the District of Columbia, who shall, on demand of the parties in interest, deliver to them transcripts, duly certified, together with all papers left or filed with them by said parties in said case or proceeding.
Sec. 3. The supreme court of the District shall have authority toConstables.Appointment.Term. appoint not exceeding twenty constables, who shall hold office for four years, subject to be removed by said court for cause, upon hearing. And said constables shall be the successors of the constables now Constables now in office.holding office in the said District. The term of office of all constables now in office in said District shall end on the thirtieth day after the approval hereof, and they shall, on or before said day, return all process which may be held by them duly executed (except as hereafter provided), and pay over to the proper parties all moneys in their bands; all constables may duly execute and return all writs and processes in their hands at the time of such expiration of their term of office.
Sec. 4. The supreme court of the District of Columbia shall haveBonds of justices and constables. the power to fix the amount and form of the bonds, and approve the same, to be given by said justices of the peace and constables, and make 101 FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 162, 168, 169. 1878. snob further regulations as may be necessary to complete the transferTransfer of business. of the existing business from the present justices of the peace to those appointed under this act, and for the return of any writ, execution, or other process by the present justices of the peace to those appointed under this act, and may remove constables from office for willful violationRemoval of constables. of taw, or for misconduct, or for incompetency.
Sec. 5. The President of the United States is hereby authorized toCommissioners of deeds.Appointment. appoint as many commissioners of deeds throughout the United States as he may deem necessary, with powers to take the acknowledgment of deeds for the conveyance of property within the said District, administer oaths, and take depositions in cases pending in the courts of said District in the manner prescribed by law; to whose acts, properly attested by their hands and seals of office, full faith and credit shall be given.
The PresidentNotaries public. shall also have power to appoint such number of notaries public., residents of said District, as in his discretion the business of the District may require; said commissioners of deeds and notaries public to holdTerm. their offices for the period of five years, removable at discretion. Sec. 6. laws and parts of laws inconsistent with any of the provisions of this act be, and the same are hereby repealed. Approved, June 7, 1878.