FREE BURGHS” IH THE UNITED STATES 
119 
to find an occasional ]iarticipation of ui’ban residents and rural 
residents in local affairs, but on examination of charters it will 
be found that this extends onl}’- to subjects expressly named in 
any instance. 
If one will examine the scheme of government for the cit}* 
and count}'- of St. Louis, Missouri (1876), he will find that all 
power of county officers was abrogated. The same act restored 
their power for the rural portion, now St. Louis county, leaving 
the city to be provided with a separate government in the same 
act. The situation in Virginia may be clearer if the legislature 
is deemed to have abolished all county authority in any city 
under consideration, and then to have I’estored by name such 
items of power as circumstances demanded. 
The present cities of Virginia have the following character- 
istics : 
The Code defines a city as a town having over 5,000 inhabitants 
and a hustings court, and defines a town as an incorporated town 
having less than 5,000 population.* 
The cities have distinct courts. Their citizens do not pay 
county taxes on city property. They do not serve on county 
juries. Deeds and other papers affecting city property are re- 
corded by city officers and not by county officers. 
Generally, residents of cities do not participate in county elec- 
tions. Exceptionally, they may hold county offices, more excep- 
tionally, they may vote for county officers. 
Generally, city police courts have jurisdiction one mile beyond 
corporate limits. Exce]>tionally, there is a limited concurrent 
jurisdiction of city and county courts, as over waters adjacent to 
the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth and to Norfolk county. 
Generally, the county and the city have each a set of public 
buildings within their respective borders. Exceptionally, au- 
thority is given to a county for buildings in a city, as when, at 
the chartering of the city of Manchester, Chesterfield county was 
authorized to continue to use its })ublic buildings therein till 
other arrangements could be made. This authority sometimes 
embraces arrangement for joint occupancy, as when Norfolk 
county was authorized to arrange with the city of Portsmouth 
for the location and construction of a jail. 
Generally, a county odiccr may not serve writs in a city. Ex- 
ceptionally, he can serve writs in the city on residents of bis 
» Tho venerable city of WilliuinsburK has a smaller population, but its site is expressly 
set apart for a city. 
