Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-09-22
R E SOL u TION
Relative to an Amendment of the
Constitution,

u ESOLVED by the Senate and House Of Repre-
l. seatatires Of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
in General assembly met, That the Constitution
OF this Commonwealth be amended in the Sc
cond section of the fifth article, so that it shall
read as follows The Judges of the Supreme
Court, of the several Courts of Common Pleas,
and of such other Courts of Record as are or
shall be established by law, shall be elected by
the qualified electors of the Commonwealth in
the manner following, to wit: The Judges of
the Supreme Court, by the qualified electors of
the Commonwealth at large. The President
Judges of the several Courts of Common Pleas
and of such other Courts of Record as are or
shall be established by law, and all other Judges
required TO be learned in the law, by the quail
fed electors of the respective districts over
which they are to preside act as Judges.
And the Associate Judges of the Courts of Com
mon Pleas BY the qualified electors of the coun-
ties respectively. The Judges OF the Supreme
Court shall hold their Offices for the term of fif
teen years, if they shall so long behave them
selves WELL Subject to the allotment hereinaf-
ter provided for, subsequent to the first cleo
ton J The President Judges of the several
Courts of Common Pleas, and of such other
courts of Record as are or shall be established
BY law and all other Judges required to be
learned in the law, shall hold their Offices for
the term of ten years, if they shall so long be-
have themselves WELL The Associate Judges of
Offices for the term of five years, if they shall
50 long behave themselves we'll: all of whom
shall be commissioned by the Governor, but for
any reasonable cause which shall not be sufi-
cient grounds of Impeachment, the Governor
shall remove any of them on the address of two
thirds of each branch of the Legislature. The
first election shall take place at the general
election of this Commonwealth next after the
adoption of this amendment, and the commits
sIons of all the judges who may be then in Of
fee shall expire the first Monday of Decem-
Der following, when the terms Of the new judges
shall commence. The persons who shall then
be elected Judges Of the Supreme Court shall
hold their Offices as follows one of them for
three years, one for six years, one for nine
years, one for twelve years, and one for fifteen
years the term of each TO be decided by lot by
the said judges, as soon after the election as
convenient, and the result certified by them TO
the Governor, that the commissions may be is
sued in accordance thereto. The judge whose
commission will first expire shall be Chief Jus
tice during his term, and thereafter each judge
whose commission shall first expire shall in
turn be the Chief Justice, and if two or more
commissions shall expire on the same day, the
Judges holding them shall decide by lot which
shall be the Chief Justice. Any vacancies hap
pening by death, resignation, or otherwise, IN
any of the said courts, shall be filled by ap
pointment by the Governor, to continue till the
first Monday of December succeeding the next
general election. The Judges of the Supreme
Court and the Presidents of the several Courts
Of Common Pleas shall, at stated times, receive
for their services an adequate compensation, to
be fixed by law, which shall not be diminished
during their continuance in Office, but they shall
receive no fees perquisites of office, nor hold
any other Office of profit under this Common
wealth, or under the government of the United
States, or any other State of this Union. The
Judges of the Supreme Court during their con-
tinuance in Office shall reside within this Com
monwealth, and the other Judges during their
continuance in office shall reside within the dis
trct or county for which they were respective
ly elected.
WILLIAM F. PACKER,
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives..
GEO. DARSIE,
Speaker Of the Senate.