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Mr. Brown, moved that the report and amendment be made the
order of the day for to-morrow, the 12th inst.;
Mr. Bowie, moved to lay said report and amendment on the
table
Determined in the affirmative.
The President laid before the Convention a report from the clerk
to the commissioners of the tax for Charles county, in compliance
with the order of the Convention of the 2nd inst.;
Which was read and referred to the committee appointed on the
Attorney General and his Deputies.
Mr. Bowie, submitted the foltowing resolutions:
Which was twice read and adopted.
Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary inquire into
the propriety of making the following alterations and reforms in
the judicial department of the government of the State
1st. The State to be laid off into five judicial districts, three on
the Western, and two on the Eastern Shores, one person from
among those who are learned in the law, not under thirty, or more
than sxty-five years of age, to be elected by the legal voters of
each judicial district, as a Judge of the said State in and for said
district, to serve for the period of ten years, or until he arrives to
the age of sixty-five years, which ever may first happen, and no
longer; and to be ineligble thereafter. The five Judges thus elect
ed, to constitute a Supreme Court of Appellate Jurisdiction, for
the State at large, to be styled the Court of Appeals of Maryland,
and three of whom may hold a court, who shall have the same
appellate jurisdiction as the present Court of Appeals of Mary
land now have, and they shall hold their sittings twice a year for
the Western Shore at the city of Annapolis, and twice a year for
the Easter n Shore at Easton, and shall have such salaries as may be
hereafter fixed by the Legislature, but said salaries when estab
lished by law, shall not be increased or diminished, during the
term for which they were elected.
2nd. One person from among those learned in the law, to be
elected by the legal voters of each county in the State, as a Judge
of the said State, in and for said county, who shall not be under
thirty or more than sixty-five years old, and who shall serve for
ten years, or until he arrives to sixty~five years of age, which ever
may first happen and no longer, and to be ineligible thereafter.—
The Judges thus elected to constitute the county court of this
State, and to have the same criminal, common law and Chancery
Jurisdiction and powers, that the county courts of the State
now have, and also to have the same jurisdictions and powers in
all matters of administrations, last wills and testaments and guar
dianships, and all other matters, that the Orphans courts of the
State now have. The said Judges shall hold two terms in each
year in their respective counties, for the trial of criminal and com
mon law causes, and shall meet at least once a month or as much
oftener as the legislature may direct for the despatch of all Chan
cery business, and for the transaction of Orphans court business,