Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-12-05
THE JUDICIARY.

SECTION /. The judicial power of this Com
mouwcalth ehull be vested in the Supreme Court
in courts of common pleas, courts of oyer ana
tcrmincr and general Jail delivery, courts of
quarter sessions of the peace, orphans courts,
mngistrates' courts, and in such other courts as
the General Assembly may from time TO time cs-
tahlish.
SIC. .. 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 twcnty-onc 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. 8. 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 aud termner and general Jail delivery in
the several counties; they shall have original
juridiction in cases of injunction, and where a
corporation is party defendant, Of habcas cor
pus, of MASDAMUs TO courts of inferior iurisdic-
ton and OF oUo wARRANTO 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, CERTIoRARI or writ OF er-
ror IN all cases, AS Is now or may hereafter be
provided by law.
SIC. 4. Until otherwise directed by law, the
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 ono judicial district organized fol
said courts.
| SEC. 5. Whenever a county shall contain fort :
thousand inhabitants it shall constitute II scpa-
rate judicial district, aud shall elect judge
/ learned in the law; and the General Assembly
! shalt provide for additional Judges. Counties
containing population less than Is sufficient 10
constitute separate districts shall be formed into
convenient single districts, or, If necessary, may
be attached to contiguous districts as the General
1 Assembly may provide, The office of associate
/ judge, not learned in the law, is abolished in
counties forming separate districts but the sew
era associate judges in Office when this tonsitu-
J tion shall be adopted shall serve for their uneX-
/ pired terms.
SEC. q. In the counties OF Philadelphia aud Al
. leghony, all the jurisdiction and powers now
yested In the District Courts and Courts of Com
mon Pleas, subject To such changes as may he
made by this constitution or by law, shall be in
/ Philadelphia vested in four, aud 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 bg
/ designated respectively as the Court of Common
/ Pleas number one, number two. number three
I aud number four, and in Allegheny as the Court
I 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 be designated 10y succC ssivG numbers ;IhC
number Of judges in any of said courts, or m any
/ county where the establis hmeut of AN additional
( court may hc authorized by law, may be incTeas
! ei from time TO timc and Whenever such In
T crease shall amount in the whole To three, sucl
I three judges shall compose distinct and sepa,
I rate court as aforesaid, which shall he mum
bered as aforesaid, In Philadelphia all suits sha
be instituted in the said Courts Of Commen Pleas
| without Designating. the number of said court
aud the several courts shall distribute and appoT
tion the business among them in such manner a:
shall be provided by rules of court, and eacl
court 20 which any suit sha. be thus assigned
shall have exclusive jurisdiction thereof subject
to change of venue, as shall be provided by law
In Allegheny each courl shall have exclusy,
jurisdiction of all proceedings al law and in equi
ty commenced therein, subject TO change of VENUE
as may be provided by law.
SEC. :. For Philadelphia there shall be on
Prothonotary's office, aud one Prothonotary fo
all said courts and To hold Office for three years
subject To removal by a majority of the salC
judges the said Prothono.ary shall appoint sucl
assistants as may be necessary and authorized b!
said courts, aud be and his assistants shall re
ceive fixed salaries, to be determined by law an,
paid by said county all fees collected In sai'
office, except such as may ne by law due to tn
Commonwealt shall be paid by the PrnthonO
tary into the county treasury. Each court shal
have it's separate doekcts,- except the judgmrn
docket, which shall contain the Judgments AM
liens Of all tho said courts, as is or may be di
reeied by law.
SIC. .. The sald courts in the counties Of Phi