Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-02-09
co UNITY AND TO WNSHIP
GOVERNMENT.

who do not fully understand the du.
ties of the several county anu town
ship officers, elected in every county
Professor George l.. Marris has com.
piled the following synopsis of their
several duties, which we think off suf
fcient interest to lay before our read
ers:
COUNTY GOVERNMENT "A county
is corporate body, having power to
hold real estate and personal property.
1t may make contracts within the lim-
its of its corporate powers, and it may
sue and be su11 The corporate
powers are exercised by the County
Commissioners.
THE OFFICERS of a county are the
Judges of the Courts, County Com
missioners, District Attorney, Clerk Of
the Courts, Prothonotary, Sheriff,
County Treasurer, Recorder of Deeds,
Register of Wills, County Superin-
tendent of Schools. Coroner, Auditors,
County Surveyor, Overseers of the
Poor, Jury Commissioners
The JUDGES OF THE COURTS are
elected for ten years. They preside
over the several courts of the county,
viz: lst. The Court of Common
Pleas; I'd. The Court of Quarter Ses-
sions of Peace; Sd. The Court OF
Oyer and Terminer and General Jail
Delivery; 4th. The Orphans Court.
THE Court OF COMMON PLEAS, or.
Common Pleas" as it is gener ally
called, has jurisdiction in all civil cases
within the county, that is, in ali cases
of dispute between man and man not
not of criminal character
| THE COURT OF QUARTER SESSION
OF THE PEACE, or Quarter Sessions u
as the name is usually given, tries all
crimes, misdemeanors and offences
against the laws of the Commonwealth
except those ever which the Oyer and
Terminer has exclusive jurisdiction
all high crimes, such as murder, trea-
son against the Commonwealth, rob.
berry, mayhem, arson and burglary,
are tried in the Oyer and Terminer,
which differs from the Quarter Ses.
sions only in the form of trial, the
former adhering to the old forms Of
trial inherited from old English laws.
The ORPHANS COURT has jurisdic-
tion oyer the settling up of the estates
of decedents, over the appointment etc.,
of guardians of minors and the settle.
ment of their accounts.
JURoRs.-A grand jury is usually
composed of twenty-three (23J men,
but may be composed of any number be-
tween twelve (12) and twenty-three
(23) inclusive. 1t does not try cases
but only determines whether there is
sufficient evidence to warrant putting
the defendent on trial, in criminal
cases.
PETIT JURIEs are composed of
twelve (12) men each. They try all
matters of fact in criminal prosecution.
TRAVERSE JURIEs try civil cases.
Trial by jury is inviolate, when the de-
mand of the plaintiff is $40 or more
This is secured by the Constitution of
the United States, not by State en-
actment, trial by jury may be demand
ed in Pennsylvania when the amount
of claim exceeds $5.33
COUNTY CoMMIssIoNERs.-T are
three County Commissioners in each
county, and they are elected for term
| of three years.
1t is their duty to levy the county
taxes and determine the tax rate.
They must keep in repair the Court
House, Jail and work-houses, and
build new ones when properly author
lied to do so. They must also build
county bridges and keep them in re-
pair. Road damages, assessed to pro-
perty owners for lands taken for new
roads or streets within the country, on
warrant of the Commissioners.
All bills against the county must be
approved by them before they are paid
by the county treasurer.
The law also requires the County
Commissioners to publish q statement
of all receipts and expenditures at the
close of each fiscal year
DISTRICT ATToRNEY.-The District
Attorney shall sign all bills of indict-
ment and conduct in Court all GRIM
inal prosecutions in the name of the
Commonwealth.
He is paid by fees, partly out of the
county funds and partly by individu-
ale.
CLERK OF THE COURTs.-The Clerk
of the Courts is clerk of the Criminal
Courts. He must keep judgment dock
cts for the entry of all judgments of
these respective Courts in the order of
time.
This officer also keeps a record of
the jurymen drawn, and certifes the
time of the attendance of each to the
County Commissioners. All papers
appertaining to the opening, widening
and vacating of roads must be kept by
him in road dockets
The Orphans Court Docket contain
a record of the accounts of guardians
! of orphans, executors, administrators,
ETC., after they are confirmed by the
Court
PRoTHoNoTARY.-T name Pro-
thonotary means "frst clerk" this
officer is clerk of the Court of Common
Pleas. All civil actions for more than
500 usually originate from this: s:ofice.
Until recently all claims for more than
500 had to originate in the Office of
he Prothonotary, but by recent act of
the State Legislature, an action for an
amount less than $500 may originate
in this office or by suit before JUS
tice of the Peace. The whole record
of each civil suit arising in the Office of
the Prothonotary is kept in the Office.
All judgments are entered in the order
OF time.
The Prothonotary may enter judg-
ment at the instance of the plaintiff
upon confession of the defendant.
The SHERIFF. is the executive officer
of the Court. All writs issued to him
| hr ho Hourt ,,onot ha ovoorfoI hxy hin,