Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-06-21
Proposed Amendment to the
Constitution of Ohio.
House Joint Resolution No. 70.

JOINT RESOLUTION
Proposing an amendment to article four of the
constitution of the state.
SECTION l. Be 1t enacted By tile General As
senl6Ly Of the State of Ohio, (three-fifths of the
members elected to each house agreeing there
to-, That u proposition to amend the cOnstitu-
ton OF the state of Ohio be, and the same is
hereby submitted to the electors of the state
at the election to be held on the second Tues
OF October, A. d. 1888, as follows:
That sections one, two and six of article four,
entitled judicial be amended so as to read
as follows:
Section 1. The judicial power of the state is
vested in supreme court, circuit courts,
courts of common pleas, courts OF probate,
justices of the peace, and such other courts
inferior to the supreme court, as the general
assembly may from time to time establish.
I Section 2. The supreme court shall, until
otherwise provided by law, consist Of five
judges, majority of whom competent to sit
shall be necessary to form quorum Ut to pro-
nOunce a decision, except as hereinafter pro-
Vided. 1t shall have original jurisdiction in
quo aod1rGntO, DsdndaDauS, hGbedS corpus and
prOcedendO, and such appellate jurisdiction as
may be provided by law. 1t snail hold at
least one term in each year at the seat of gov>
where, as may be provided by law. The
judges of the supreme court shall be elected
by the electors of the state at large, for such
term, not less than five years, as the general
assembly may prescribe, and they shall be
elected and their official term shall begin at
such time as may be fixed by law. In case
the general assembly shall increase the num-
Der of such judges, the first term of each of
such additional judges shall be such, that in
each year after their first election, an equal
number of judges of the supreme court shall
be elected, except in elections to fill vacancies;
and whenever the number of such judges shall
be increased, the general assembly may au>
thOrize such court to organize divisions there>1
of, not exceeding three, each division to con>
sist of an equal number of judges; for the ad-
judicatiOn of cases, majority OF each division
shall constitute aTquorum, and such an assign
ment of the cases to each division may be
made as such court may deem expedient, but
whenever all the judges, of either division
hearing a case shall not concur as to the judg-
'ment to be rendered therein, or whenever a
case shall involve the constitutiOnality of an
act of the general assembly or of an act of
congress, it shall be reserved to the whole
court for adjudication. The judges of the
supreme court in Office, when this amendment
takes effect, shall continue to hold their
offices until their successors are elected and
qualified.
Section 6. The circuit courts shall have like
original jurisdiction with the supreme court,
and such appellate jurisdition as may be pro-
vided by law. Such courts shall be composed
of such number of judges as may be provided
by law, and shall be held in each county, at
least once in each year. The number of cir
cults, and the boundaries thereof, shall be
prescribed by law. Such judges shall be elect>
ed in each circuit by the electors thereof, and
at such time and for such term as may be pre-
scribed by law, and the same number shall be
elected in each circuit Each judge shall be
competent to exercise his judicial powers in
any circuit. The general assembly may change
from time to time, the number or boundaries
of the circuits. The circuit courts shall be
the successors of the district courts, and all
cases, judgments, records, and proceedings
pending in said district courts, in the several
counties of any district, shall be transferred
to the circuit courts in the several counties
and be proceeded in as though said district
courts had not been abolished, ard the district
courts shall continue in existence until the
election and qualification of the judges of the
circuit courts.
And be it further resolved, that at said elec
ton, the voters desiring to vote in favor of
said amendment shall have placed upon their
"OINS,
amendment, yes," and the voters who do not
favor the adoption of said amendment, may
place on their ballots the words Judicial con
stitutional amendment, no." and if majority
of all the votes passed [cast] at said election,
shall be in favor of said amendment, then |
said sections one two and six herein set forth, |
shall be and constitute the selection so amen
ded in said Judicial article CfOur) of the con-
stitution of the state of Ohio, and said original
sections one, two, and six, and also sections
five and eleven of said article, shall be repeal>
ed and annulled. 1. N. HATHAWAY,
Speaker pro tenn. Of the House Of Representatives.
X. &. RICHARDS,
President Of The SeRdle
Adopted March 30, 1888.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONO.
OFFICE OF THR SECRETARY OF STATE.
l, JAMES W. NEWMAN, Secretary of State of
the State of Ohio, do hereby certify, that the
foregoing is a true copy of Joint Resolution
adopted by the General Assembly of the State
of Ohio, on the 30th day of March, A. d. 1888,
as taken from the original rolls filed in this
office.
In TESTIMONY WHEREOF, have hereuntol
subscribed my name, and affixed the great
seal of the State of Ohio, at Columbus, the
Both day of March, A. d. 1888.
JAMES W. NEWMAN,
lsEAI- Secretary Of State.