The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-05-01
THE CONSTnTUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS.

AMENDMENTS.
In the last issue of the NEW Do
MINIoN we published the two Consti-
tutional amendments to be voted on
at the next general election, at large,
that .ourreaders might read and study
them for themselves, and now, for
the same reasons, we compare the
provisions of these amendments with
Article s and section 13 of Article 3
of the present Constitution, to be
abrogated or annulled by these
amendments, if adopted at the polls.
BY the Sth Article, as it now stands,
the Supreme Court of Appeals con
sists of four judges, for terms of II
years, at salaries of $2250, and to
hold at least two terms each year.
The amendments as to this Court
make no material changes as to the
number of judges, term of office, sal
aries, terms or Jurisdiction, except
that the salaries will be fifty dollars
less.
CIRCUIT COURTS.
AS it now is, we have nine judges
of the Circuit Courts; term eight
years; salaries, $4,000 per annum.
The amendment will give us fourteen
judges at 81, 800 per annum, except
that the salaries of the two judges
of the first Circuit may be increased
above this.
The jurisdiction of the Circuit
Courts will be the same under the
amendments as now, except that by
the amendments they will have ex-
elusive jurisdiction of all appeals
from justices judgments, as well as
the exclusive supervision of all pro
ceedings before all inferior tribunals
by mondamus, prohibition and cetti-
orari, which it does not now have
except as to proceedings in the Coun-
| ty Courts. There shall be at least
three terms year in each county
under the amendments, instead Of
two as now. And we opine it ought
to be five, in order to try the appeals
from justices that will come to it,
with the Justices Jurisdiction in
creased from 500 to $500 by the
amendments. But the duration of
these terms are unlimited.
COUNTY COURTS.
The Amendment will abolish our
present County Court system of a
President at $500 per day, and two
justices at $500 per day each, elected
for four years, and will establish a
new County Court in each county, to
be composed of three commissioners,
elected for term of six years, to be
called County Courts, to hold four
regular sessions each year, with pro
visions tor special terms or sessions,
said terms to be unlimited as to time:
said Commissioners each to receive
$500 per day while sitting as Court.
The jurisdiction of this new Court
will be substantially the same as the
present County Court, except that it
cannot hear or try any civil causes
between parties, of any kind, and
will have no appellate jurisdiction
whatever. All the appellate juris-
diction, as well as the right to try
causes of judicial nature, are by
the amendments transferred to the
Circuit Courts.
By the Amendment these three
Commissioners, coming from some
place in the county, will, for six
years, have the superintendent and
| administration OF the internal police
and fiscal affairs of the county, in
GLIDING the laying of the county,
school and road levies, and the dis
tribution thereof; instead of fourteen
justices of our county as now, com
ing fresh from the people, and from
all sections of the county, bringing
with them the wants and will of their
people-and if our readers will ex-
cuse US for the depression, we would
invoke the Gods to spare us from
any more Boards Of Supervisors to
superintend our fiscal affairs, for well
do we remember how by its manipu.
lations Of our fiscal affairs, our poor
levy was made to exceed $4,000 per
annum, while the present County
! Court, the first year after it came in