west, to the southeast corner of the southwest fourth of said section 30; thence in a northerly direction with the east boundary line of the southwest fourth of section 30; township 5 south, range 4 west, for a distance of 999.08 feet; thence in an easterly direction along the north boundary line of what is known as the Dancy sixty acre tract to the center line of the L. & N. Railroad right of way; thence in a northwesterly direction with the center line of the said L. & N. Railroad right of way to its intersection with the center line of 5th. Street South if extended westwardly; thence in an easterly direction with the center line of said 5th Street South if extended westwardly to the center line of said 5th. Street South; thence in an easterly direction with the center line of said 5th. Street South to its intersection with the center line of 8th. Avenue East, which is the point of beginning. Ward Number Two. Beginning at a point which is the intersection of the center line of the Somerville Road with the center line of 5th. Street South; thence in a westerly direction with the center line of 5th. Street South and 5th. Street South, if extended westwardly to the intersection of the center line of said 5th. Street South, if extended westwardly, with the center line of the L. & N. Railroad right of way; thence in a southeasterly direction with the center line of the said L. & N. Railroad right of way to the north boundary line of what is known as the Dancy sixty (60) acre tract; thence in an easterly direction along the north boundary line of said Dancy sixty (60) acre tract for a distance of 422.92 feet to the west boundary line of section 29, township 5 south, range 4 west; thence in a southerly direction with the west boundary line of said section 29, for a distance of 999.54 feet to the south boundary line of said section 29; thence in an easterly direction along the south boundary line of said section 29 for a distance of 1319.96 feet; thence in a northerly direction for a distance of 1343.18 feet; thence in an easterly direction 1351.91 feet; thence in a northerly direction for a distance of one-fourth of a mile to the northeast corner of the southwest fourth of said section 29; thence in an easterly direction along the south boundary line of the northeast fourth of said section 29 for a distance of 2669.7 feet to the west boundary line of said section 29; thence in a northerly direction along the east boundary line of said section 29 to the northeast corner of said section 29; thence north 86 degrees 13 minutes 45 seconds east along the south boundary line of section 21, township 5 south, range 4 west, for a distance of 1532.33 feet; thence north 4 degrees 8 minutes 50 seconds west to a point which is the center line of 7th. Street South, if extended eastwardly; thence in a westerly direction with the center line of 7th. Street South, if extended eastwardly, and with the center line of 7th. Street South to its intersection

with the center line of Somerville Road; thence in a northerly direction with the center line of said Somerville Road to its intersection with the center line of 5th. Street South, which is the point of beginning. Ward Number Three: Beginning at a point the intersection of the center line of 8th. Avenue East, if extended northwardly, with the intersection of the center line of what is known as Skillington Street; thence in a southerly direction with the center line of 8th. Avenue East to its intersection with the center line of 5th. Street South; thence in an easterly direction with the center line of said 5th. Street South to its intersection with the center line of the Somerville Road; thence in a southerly direction with the center line of the Somerville Road to its intersection with the center line of 7th. Street South; thence in an easterly direction with the center line of 7th. Street South and the center line of 7th. Street South, if extended eastwardly, to the west boundary line of what is known as the Wilder lands; thence north 4 degrees, 8 minutes 50 seconds west 727 feet; thence north 85 degrees 4 minutes 10 seconds east 887.06 feet; thence north 3 degrees 0 minutes 20 seconds west 2395 feet to a Huckleberry tree; thence north 31 degrees 41 minutes 10 seconds east 329.89 feet to a stake on the south bank of the Tennessee River; thence in a northwesterly direction down the Tennessee River as it meanders to the center line of what is known as Skillington Street if extended to the Tennessee River; thence in a southwesterly direction along the center line of what is known as Skillington Street if extended to the Tennessee River and along what is known as Skillington Street to its intersection with the center line of 8th. Avenue East if extended northwardly, which is the point of beginning. Ward Number Four. Beginning at a point the intersection of the center line of 8th. Avenue East with the center line of Moulton Road; thence in a westerly direction with the center line of said Moulton Road to its intersection with the center line of the L. & N. Railroad right of way; thence in a northwesterly and northeasterly direction with the center line of said L. & N. Railroad right of way to its intersection with the center line of Vine Street; thence in a northwesterly direction with the center line of Vine Street and the center line of the Courtland Road to the west boundary line of the present corporate limits of the City of Decatur, Alabama; thence in a northwesterly direction with the west corporate line of the City of Decatur, Alabama, to the north corporate limit of the City of Decatur, Alabama; thence in an easterly direction with the north corporate limits of Decatur, Alabama, and the south boundary line of the Tennessee River to the center line of what is known as Skillington Street, if extended northwardly to the Tennessee River; thence in a southwesterly direction with the center line of what is

known as Skillington Street, if extended northwardly to the Tennessee River and what is known as Skillington Street to its intersection with the center line of 8th. Avenue East if extended northwardly; thence in a southerly direction with the center line of 8th. Avenue East if extended northwardly and the center line of 8th. Avenue East to its intersection with the center line of Moulton Road, which is the point of beginning. Ward Number Five. Beginning at a point which is the intersection of the west boundary line of 14th. Avenue West with the center line of Moulton Road; thence in an easterly direction with the center line of said Moulton Road to its intersection with the center line of the L. & N. Railroad right of way; thence in a northwesterly and northeasterly direction with the center line of the L. & N. Railroad right of way to its intersection with the center line of Vine Street; thence in a northwesterly direction with the center line of Vine Street and the center line of Courtland Road to the west corporate limit of the city of Decatur, Alabama; thence in a southeasterly, northwesterly and southerly direction along the west corporate limits of the City of Decatur, Alabama, to the intersection of the west boundary line of 14th. Avenue West with the center line of the Moulton Road, which is the point of beginning. The said board of commissioners shall have no power to change or rearrange the said wards, or increase or decrease the number thereof during their term of office, but the same shall remain as they are herein divided and bounded, unless changed after the city assumes a regular commission form of government, or aldermanic form of government after October 1, 1926.

Eleventh: If any paragraph, portion or division of this Act should be declared to be unconstitutional by the courts, it shall only affect such paragraph, part or provision, and the remainder of the Act shall be and continue in full force and effect.

Twelfth: The validity of this Act is conditioned upon the passage and approval and constitutionality of an Act to alter, extend, or rearrange the boundaries of the City of Decatur, Alabama, wherein the corporate limits of the City of Decatur are extended so as to include the territorial area of the City of Albany, Alabama, and if such Act shall not become a law, this Act shall be of no effect.

Thirteenth: All laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Approved August 28, 1923.

No. 203.)

AN ACT

(H. 407. Fite.

To establish an inferior statutory court to be called the Birmingham Court of Common Claims; to provide for the judges, clerks, and other officers, their appointment, duties and compensation; to provide for the jurisdiction, practice and procedure of said court; to provide for the transfer of causes from said court to the circuit court; and to provide for appeals from said court to the circuit court, and the procedure in the circuit court on appeal or transfer of said causes;

Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama:

Section 1. That there is hereby established in and for Jefferson County, except that part of Jefferson county herein particularly described, an inferior court of law which shall be called the Birmingham Court of Common Claims.

Section 2. This court shall have and exercise concurrently with all other courts having like jurisdiction in said county, for and in all of Jefferson county, except territory hereinafter exIcluded and defined, all the jurisdiction and power which now are, or which hereafter may be by law conferred upon the circuit court of this state, in actions at law, where the amount involved does not exceed five hundred dollars.

Section 3. The jurisdiction of this court will not extend over that portion of Jefferson county which is included in the following precincts, to-wit: William's Precinct No. 1, Jonesboro Precinct No. 2, Parsons' Precinct No. 3, Aaron's Precinct No. 4, Short Creek Precinct No. 5, Bethlehem Precinct No. 7, Meak's Precinct No. 24, Toadvine Precinct No. 27, Bessemer Precinct No. 33, Givins' Precinct No. 35, Huey's Precinct No. 40, Parkwood Precinct No. 41, Mulga Precinct No. 49, Virginia Mines Precinct No. 51, Fairfield Precinct No. 53, and Brighton Precinct No. 55.

Section 4. This court shall have no jurisdiction of criminal offenses and no jurisdiction in equity, and no jurisdiction of suits in ejectment.

Section 5. This court shall have authority: (1) To exercise original jurisdiction of all suits and actions at law, including libel, slander, assault and battery, when the matter or sum in controversy does not exceed five hundred dollars. (2) To punish contempt by fine not exceeding fifty dollars, and by imprisonment, not exceeding five days. (3) To prescribe rules and regulations as to pleading and practice as to the time of filing and settling pleading, and to make any necessary orders, rules, and regulations for the dispatch of the business of the court.

Section 6. The judges of this court shall not have authority to grant writs of certiorari, supersedeas, quo warranto, mandamus, nor writs of injunctions, or ne exeat.

Section 7. Such judges and courts have authority to grant writs of attachment and garnishment.

Section 8. Such court shall have jurisdiction over cases under the Workmen's Compensation Act when the matter or sum in controversy does not exceed five hundred dollars.

Section 9. There shall be two divisions of this court, to be known respectively as the first and second division, and there shall be a judge for each division. The judges of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be ex-officio judges of this court. The judge of the first division of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be ex-officio judge of the first division of this court, and the judge of the third division of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be the ex-officio judge of the second division of this court.

Section 10. That each of said ex officio judges of the Birmingham Court of Common Claims shall receive as compensation for his services as such ex officio judge of this court, the sum of $1,200 per annum, payable in equal monthly installments of $100 each, out of the county treasury, of Jefferson county, Alabama, upon his warrant drawn upon the county treasurer, which shall be in addition to his salary received for his services as judge of his respective division of the municipal court of Birmingham.

Section 11. The clerk of the first division of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be ex officio clerk of the first division of this court, and shall receive as compensation for his services as such ex officio clerk of this court the sum of $600 per annum, payable in equal monthly installments of $50 each, out of the county treasury of Jefferson county, Alabama, upon his warrant drawn upon the county treasurer, which shall be in addition to his salary received for his services as clerk of the first division of the municipal court of Birmingham.

Section 12. The clerk of the third division of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be ex officio clerk of the second division of this court, and shall receive as compensation for his services as such ex officio clerk of this court the sum of $600 per annum, payable in equal monthly installments of $50 each, out of the county treasury of Jefferson county, Alabama, upon his warrant, drawn upon the county treasurer, which shall be in addition to his salary received for his services as clerk of the second division of the municipal court of Birmingham.

Section 13. The assistant clerk of the first division of the municipal court of Birmingham shall be ex officio assistant clerk of the first division of this court, and shall receive as compensation for his or her services as such ex officio assistant. clerk the sum of $600 per annum, payable in equal monthly installments of $50 each, out of the county treasury of Jefferson.