The Government Class Book Part 26

Justices of the peace are elected in the several towns for four years.

Judges of the court of appeals and justices of the supreme court may be removed by the legislature; county judges by the senate on recommendation of the governor.

A secretary of state, a controller, a treasurer, an attorney-general, and a state engineer and surveyor, are chosen for two years; three ca.n.a.l commissioners and three inspectors of state prisons, for three years, one of each every year.

Sheriffs, clerks of counties, coroners, and district attorneys, are elected for three years in the several counties. Sheriffs are ineligible for the next three years.

_Amendments_ must receive the sanction of two successive legislatures, and of a majority of the electors voting thereon at an election.

New Jersey.

New Jersey, as a colony, adopted a const.i.tution in 1776, under which the state was governed until the present const.i.tution, framed in 1844, was adopted.

_Electors._ White male citizens, who have resided in the state a year, and in the county five months.

_Legislature._ A senate and general a.s.sembly. The senate consists of one senator from each county, elected for three years; one-third of the senators elected every year. Age, thirty years; residence in the state four years, and in the county one year. Members of the general a.s.sembly, not to exceed sixty, are apportioned among the counties according to population. Residence in the state two years, in the county one year. A majority is a _quorum_.

The final pa.s.sage of bills requires a majority of the members elected.

The same majorities may pa.s.s bills disapproved by the governor. Bills become laws if not returned by the governor within five days, unless their return is prevented by adjournment.

_Executive._ The governor is elected for three years, and is ineligible for the next three years. He must be thirty years of age; have been twenty years a citizen, seven years a resident of the state. The pardoning power is exercised by the governor in conjunction with the chancellor and the judges of the court of errors and appeals. No lieutenant-governor.

The state treasurer, and the keeper and inspectors of the state prison are appointed annually by joint a.s.sembly of the two houses. The secretary of state, attorney-general, and prosecutors of the pleas, are appointed by the governor and senate, for five years.

_Judiciary._ A court of errors and appeals; a court of chancery; a prerogative court; a supreme court; circuit courts; and inferior courts.

The court of errors and appeals consists of the chancellor, the justice of the supreme court, and six judges, or a majority of them. The court of chancery consists of the chancellor, who is also the ordinary, or surrogate-general, and judge of the prerogative court, to which appeals are made from the orphans' court. The supreme court consists of a chief justice and four a.s.sociates. The circuit courts are held in every county by one or more justices of the supreme court, or a judge appointed for that purpose. Chancellor and justices of the supreme court hold for seven years; judges of the court of errors and appeals for six years; and all are appointed by the governor and senate. The inferior court of common pleas shall not have more than five judges, one to be appointed every year by the senate and a.s.sembly.

Justices of the peace, from two to five, are elected in each towns.h.i.+p and city ward, for five years.

Sheriffs and coroners are elected annually in their respective counties, and may be re-elected until they shall have served three years; after which they are ineligible for three years.

_Amendments_ must be agreed to by two successive legislatures, a majority of all the members elected to each house concurring, and be ratified by the electors at an election held for that purpose.

Amendments, (if more than one,) must be submitted separately; and not oftener than once in five years.

Pennsylvania.

A Const.i.tution was adopted in 1776; another in 1790; the present one in 1838.

_Electors._ White freemen, having resided in the state one year, in the election district ten days, and paid a tax within two years; if between twenty-one and twenty-two years, they need not have paid the tax. An elector having removed from the state and returned, may vote after six months residence in the state, and ten days in the district, and the payment of taxes.

_Legislature_--called _general a.s.sembly_. Representatives are chosen annually, and apportioned every seven years among the counties according to the number of taxable inhabitants; number not less than sixty, nor more than one hundred. Age, twenty-one; residence in the state three years, one in the district. Senators are chosen for three years, (one-third every year,) in districts, not more than two in any district, unless the taxable inhabitants in any city or county ent.i.tle it to elect more; but no city or county may elect more than four. The whole number may not be less than one-fourth nor greater than one-third of the number of representatives. Twenty-five years; state residence, four years; district, one year.

_Quorum_, a majority of each house. Bills pa.s.sed against the veto by two-thirds majorities. Bills not returned by the governor within ten days, become laws, unless their return is prevented by adjournment.

_Executive._ The governor is elected for three years, and may not hold the office more than six years in nine Age, thirty years; a citizen and inhabitant of the state, seven years. No lieutenant-governor.

A secretary is appointed by the governor during pleasure. A treasurer is chosen annually by joint a.s.sembly.

_Judiciary._ Supreme court, the judges elected for fifteen years; courts of oyer and terminer and general jail delivery in the counties, held by judges of the supreme court and court of common pleas; a court of common pleas in each judicial district, which may not include more than five counties, the presiding judge to hold his office for ten years, the a.s.sociates for five years; a court of quarter sessions and orphans'

court for each county, held by judges of the common pleas; a register's court for each county, composed of the register of wills and judges of the common pleas; and courts held in the several towns.h.i.+ps, wards, and boroughs, by justices of the peace or aldermen elected by the voters therein, for five years. Judges of the supreme court are elected by the people of the state at large; others are chosen in the districts or counties over which they preside.

Sheriffs and coroners are elected in their counties for three years.

Sheriffs may not be twice chosen in any term of six years.

_Amendments_ must be agreed to by majorities of all the members of two successive legislatures, and ratified by a majority of the electors voting thereon. Amendments must be voted on separately; and none may be submitted to the electors oftener than once in five years.

Delaware.

The first const.i.tution of this state was adopted in 1776; the present, in 1831, and has been amended.

_Electors._ White males twenty-two years of age, having resided in the state one year, in the county one month, and within two years paid a county tax a.s.sessed at least six months before the election. If twenty-one, and under twenty-two years of age, they may vote without having paid any tax.

_Legislature_--called _general a.s.sembly_. Representatives are chosen in counties for two years; must be twenty-four years of age; have been citizens and inhabitants of the state three years, of the county one year. Senators are elected in the counties for four years; the number not to be greater than one-half, nor less than one-third of the number of representatives. A senator must be twenty-seven years of age; have been a citizen and an inhabitant of the state three years, of the county, one year; and possess a freehold estate in the county of two hundred acres of land, or real and personal property, or either, worth 1,000, at least.

A majority of each house is a quorum. Bills are not submitted to the governor.

_Executive._ The governor is elected for four years, and is not eligible a second time. Thirty years of age; a citizen and inhabitant of the United States twelve years, of the state, six years. No lieutenant-governor.

A secretary of state, appointed by the governor during his continuance in office; a state treasurer, biennially, by a concurrent vote of the two houses. [By this mode of election, the two houses do not meet and vote jointly, but they vote separately, as in pa.s.sing laws.]

_Judiciary._ Five judges appointed by the governor, of whom one is chancellor, and holds the court of chancery. Of the other four, one is chief-justice, and the other three are a.s.sociate justices, of whom one resides in each county.

The superior court, and the court of general sessions of the peace and jail delivery, consist of the chief-justice and two a.s.sociates. The court of oyer and terminer consists of all the judges except the chancellor. The court of errors and appeals issues writs of error to the superior court, receives appeals from the court of chancery, and determines finally all matters in error in the judgments and proceedings of the superior court; and when thus acting, it consists of the chancellor and two of the other judges. In other cases, it is differently const.i.tuted. The orphans' court in each county is held by the chancellor and the a.s.sociate judge residing in the county. The register's court in each county is held by the register of the county.

Judges of the courts are appointed by the governor during good behavior; and they may be removed by him on the address of two-thirds of all the members of each branch of the general a.s.sembly.

In pursuance of the power vested in the legislature to establish inferior courts, a court of common pleas is established in each county.

Justices of the peace in each county are appointed by the governor for seven years, and may be removed as the judges.

The attorney-general, registers, and prothonotaries are appointed for five years, removable in like manner.

The sheriff and the coroner of each county are elected by the citizens thereof; but the legislature may vest their appointment in the governor.

The sheriff may not be chosen twice in any term of six years.

_Amendments_ are proposed by two-thirds of each house, with the approbation of the governor, and ratified by three-fourths of each branch of the next general a.s.sembly. Or, a convention to amend may be called by the legislature, in pursuance of the sense of the people expressed at a previous election.

Maryland.