Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-11-28
ARTICLE V.
THE JUDICIARY.

SECTION l. The judicial power of this Com
monwealth shall be vested in the Supreme Court
in courts of common pleas, courts of oyer ana
terminer and general Jail delivery, courts of
quarter sessions of the peace orphans courts,
magistrates courts, and in such other courts as
the General Assembly may from time to time es-
tahsh.
SEC. 2. The Supreme Court shall consist Of Sc
ven judges, who shall be elected by the qualified
electors of the State at large. They shall hold
their offices for the term of twenty-one years,
If they so long behave themselves well, but shall
not be again eligible. The judge whose commits
sion shall first expire shall be chief justice, and
thereafter each judge whose commission shall
first expire shall IN turn be chief justice.
SEC. 3. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
shall extend over the State and the judges there
OF SHALL by virtue of their offices be Justices OF
oyer and terminer and general Jail delivery in
the several counties; they shall have original
juridiction in cases of injunction, aud where Il
corporation is party defendant, of habeas cor
pus, of MANDAMUs 10 courts Of inferior iursdic-
ton and of QUO wARRASTo as to all officers of
the Commonwealth whose jurisdiction extends
over the State, but shall not exercise any other
original jurisdiction they shall have appellate
jurisdiction by appeal, cERrIoRARI or writ of er-
ror Ia all cases, as is now or may hereafter be
provided by law.
SEC A. Unit! otherwise direct by law, tho
courts of common pleas shall continue as at pre-
sent established, except as herein changed not
more than four counties shall, at any time, be
included in one judicial district orsauized Ga
said courts.
SEC. S. Whenever county shall contain forty
thousand Inhabitants II shall constitute u sepa-
rate judicial district, and shall elect one Judge
learned in the law; and the General Assembly
shalt provide for additional Judges. Counties
containing "A population less than is sufficient to
constitute separate districts shall be formed into
convenient single districts, Or If necessary, may
be attached TO contiguous districts as the General
Assembly may provide. The office of associate
judge, not learned in the law, is abolished in
counties forming separate districts but the sew
eral associate judges in ollce when this eOns.itu-
ton shall be adopted shall serve for their unsx-
pired terms.
SEC. G. In the counties OF Philadelphia aud AL
leghcuy, all the jurisdiction aud powers now
vested In the District Courts and Courts of Com
mon Pleas, subject to such changes as may be
made by this constitution or by law, shall be In
Philadelphia vested in four, and in Allegheny in
two distinct and separate courts of equal and CO.
ordinate jurisdiction, composed of three judges
each the said courts in Philadelphia shall be
designated respectively us the Court of Common
Pleas number one, number two, number three,
and number four, and in Allegheny as the Court
Of Common Pleas number one and number two,
but the number of said courts may be by LAW in-
creased, from time TO time, and shall In like
manner designated by successive be numbers the
number of judges ia any of said courts, or in any
county where Che establishment OF an additional
court may be authorized by law, may be increas-
ed from time to time; and whenever such in
crease shall amount in the whole To three, such
three judges shall compose distinct and sepa-
rate court as aforesaid, which shall be num-
bered as aforesaid. In Philadelphia all suits shall
be instituted in the said Courts of Commen Pleas,
without designating the number of said court,
aud the several courts shall distribute and appor-
tion the business among them in such manner as
shall be provided by rules of court, and each
court to which any suit shall be thus assigned
shall have exclusive jurisdiction thereof, subject
to change of venue, as shall be provided by law.
In Allegheny each eourt shall have exclusive
Jurisdiction of all proceedings at law and in equi-
ty commenced therein, subjeei 10 change of venue
as may be provided by law.
SEC. 7. For Philadelphia there shall be one
Prothonotary's office, aud one Prothonotsry for
all said courts, aud 10 hold office for three years.
subject T., removal by majority OF the said
judges .sthe said Prothono.ary shall appoint such
assistants as ma he necessary and authorized by
said courts, aud he aud ..s assistants shall re-
celye fixed salaries, 10 be determined by law and
paid by said county all fees collected in said
Office, except such as may he by law due TO the
Common wealth. shall be paid by the prothono-
tafy into tue county treasury. Zach court shall
have hs separate doekets, except sse jcdgment