The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-04-24

iUtlluVIS, anu vi All county anu us
trict officers, subject to such regula-
tons, by appeal or otherwise, as may
be prescribed by law. Such courts
may exercise such other powers, and
perform such other duties, not of n
judicial nature, as may be prescribed
by law. And provision may be made,
under such regulations as may be
prescribed by law, for the probate Of
Wills, and for the appointment and
qualification of personal representa-
tives, guardians. committees and
curators during the recess of the reg
ular sessions of the county court
Such tribunals as have been hereto
fore.established by the legislature UNI
der and by virtue of the thirty fourth
section of the eighth article of the
Constitution of one thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two, for police
and fiscal purposes, shall, until other
wise provided by law, remain and
continue as at present constituted in
the counties in which they have been
respectively established, and shall
be and act as to police and fiscal
matters in lieu of the county court
created by this article until other
wise provided by law. And, until
otherwise provided by law, such clerk
as is mentioned in the twenty-sixth
section of this article, shall exercise
any powers and discharge any duties
heretofore conferred on, or required
of any court or tribunal established
for judicial purposes under the said
article and section of the Constitu
ton Of one thousand eight hundred
and seventy.two, or the clerk OF such
court or tribunal respectively, re-
speeding the recording and preser-
vation of deeds and other papers pre-
sented for record, matters of pro
bate, the appointment and qualilca-
tion Of personal representatives. guar
dams, committees, eurators and the
settlements of their accounts and
in all matters relating to apprentices.
%. All actions, suits and proceed
ings not embraced in the next pre-
ceding section, pending in n county
court when this article takes effect,
together with the records and papers
pertaining to said actions, suits and
proceedings, as have already been
disposed of by said courts shall be
transmitted to and filed with the
| clerk of the circuit court Of the
county, to which office all process
outstanding at the time this article
goes into operation shall be returned;
and said clerk shall have the same
power and shall perform the same du-
ties in relation to such records, papers
and proceedings as were vested in
and required Of the clerk Of the coun-
ty court, on the day before this arti
Gle shall take effect. All such actions,
suits and proceedings so pending as
aforesaid, shall be docketed, proceed
ed in, tried, heard and determined
in all respects by the circuit court,as
if said suits and proceedings had
originated in said court.
26. The voters of each county shall
eleet a clerk Of the county court
whose term of Office shall be years.
His duties aud compensation, and
the manner of his removal. shall be
prescribed by law, and the clerks of
said courts, now in office, shall re-
main therein for the term for which
they have been elected, unless sooner
removed therefrom, in the manner
prescribed by law.
81. Each county shall be laid off
into districts not less than three nor
more than ten in number,and as near
" equal as may be in territory and
population. There shall be elected
in each district containing a popula-
ton not exceeding twelve hundred,
one Justice of the peace, and if the
population exceeds that number, two
such justices shall he elected therein.
Every Justice shall reside in the dis
trict for which he was elected, and
] hold bis office for the term of four
years, unless sooner removed in the
manner prescribed by law. The dis
tricts as they now exist shall remain
till changed by the county court.
%. The civil jurisdiction of JUS
tice of the peace shall extend to ac-
tions of assumpsit, debt, detinue and
trover, if the amount claimed, exclu-
sive of interest, does not exceed three
hundred dollars. The jurisdiction
of justices Of the peace shall extend
throughout their county; they shall
be conservators of the peace, and
have such jurisdiction and powers
in criminal cases as may be pre-
scribed by law. And justices Of the
peace shall have authority to take
the acknowledgment of deeds and
other writings, administer oaths, and
take and certify dispositions. And
the legislature may give to justices
such additional civil jurisdiction and
powers within their respective coun-
ties as may be deemed expedient, un-
der such regulations and restrictions
as may be prescribed by general
law, except that in suits to recover
money or damages their jurisdiction
and powers shall in no case exceed
three hundred dollars. Appeals
shall be allowed from judgments OF
justices of the peace in such man
ner as may be prescribed by law.
| 80. The Legislature shall upon the
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