more than five hundred votes have been cast in
any election district, it shall be the duty of the,
existing board of commissioners for the county
in which such district may be situated, to divide
the same into two others in the manner above
prescribed.
Sec. 4th. The commissioners of the respective
counties shall, on or before the first day of June
in each year, designate three justices of the
peace, in and for each election district, to serve as
judges of all elections to be holden in such dis-
trict, until the same period of the following year.
Sec. 5th. There shall be elected by the quali-
fied voters of each county, on the first Wednes-
day of November eighteen hundred and fifty-one,
and every two years thereafter a county treasur-
er, whose duties be the same as those of the trea-
surer of Baltimore county now are, or as may be
hereafter be prescribed by law.
Sec. 6th. The county commissioners shall fill
all vacancies occurring in their own number
or in the subordinate county officer?, not other-
wise provided for herein, until the expiration of
their respective terms of office.
Sec. 7th. The county commissioners shall fix
the rates of compensation for all the county and
local officers within their respective jurisdiction,
but no alteration in these rates, made after the
election of any such officer, shall take effect un-
til after the expiration of the term for which he
had been elected.
Sec. 8th. On the first Wednesday in Novem-
ber, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, and on the
same day in every second year thereafter, the
qualified voters of each election district in the
State shall elect one person as supervisor of
roads, one person as assessor and one person as
tax collector for said district. The term of of-
fice of the supervisors, assessors and tax collect-
ors shall commence on the first day of January
succeeding their election, and continue for two
years thereafter, or until their successors shall
have qualified. The powers and duties of super-
visors, assessors, and tax collectors shall be such
as these now are, or may hereafter be prescribed
by law.
See. 9th. All city, town and village officers,
whose election or appointment is not provided for
in this Constitution, shall be appointed according
to the provisions of the charters of such cities
and towns, or the acts of Assembly now in force.
But the Legislature may modify and alter said
charters and acts so as to render the same uni-
form throughout the State, and to confer on the
corporate authorities of such cities and towns,
and in the officers of such villages additional
powers of local legislation and administration.
Sec. 10th. It shall be the duty of the city council
of Baltimore, at its first session after the adop-
tion of this Constitution, and every tenth year
thereafter, to provide for a new division of said
city into twenty wards, compact in form and
nearly as may be equal in population. Each of
such wards shall be subdivided by the same au-
thority into two election districts. And when-
ever at any election held thereafter, more than
seven hundred and fifty votes shall appear to |
have been cast in any such election district, the
city council shall at its next ensuing session,
provide for the further sub-division of the same
into two other election districts.
Sec. 11th. For each election district in the
city of Baltimore, the Mayor, by and with the
consent of the council, shall appoint, on or be-
fore the first day of June in each year, three per-
sons who shall be Justices of the Peace, if there
be any such residing within said district, to act
as Judges of all elections to be holden therein,
until the same period of the following year. Any
vacancies in offices of Judges of election in said
city may be filled by the Mayor alone.
Sec. 12th. The legislature may declare the
cases in which any office shall be deemed vacant,
where no provision is made for that purpose in
this Constitution.
Sec. 13th. Provision shall be made by law for
the removal for mis-conduct, malfeasance in of-
fice of all officers, (except judicial,) and also for
supplying all vacancies in office not herein provi-
ded for.
Sec. 14th. When the duration of any office is
not provided for by this Constitution it may be
declared by law, and if not so declared, such of-
fice shall be held during the pleasure of the au-
thority making the appointment.
Two o'clock, p. m., having arrived,
The Convention took a recess until 4 o'clock,
p. m.
EVENING SESSION.
THURSDAY, May 8th, 1851.
The Convention met according to order, at 4
o'clock, p. m.
And resumed the consideration of the report of
the committee on the Judiciary.
The question pending was on the following
amendment, offered by
Mr. BOWIE on the 6th inst., to the substitute
offered by Mr. STEWART, of Baltimore city, for
the 12th section of the report.
"And the said court shall also have exclusive
jurisdiction as a court of law over all cases of mis-
demeanors, quo warranto of appeal from the deci-
sion of commissioners, for the opening of streets
in the city of Baltimore, of petitions for freedom,
and petitions to cancel or enforce contracts of
apprenticeship, of all issues from the Orphans'
court of Baltimore city, and from the Superior
court, and shall also have jurisdiction over all
other controversies proper to be decided in a
court of law, which have not heretofore been as-
signed to the court of Common Pleas, and the
said court as incidental to its powers as a court
of law, is hereby vested with full power and authority,
to cause a Jury to be summoned whenever
a jury may be required for the business of said
court."
The question being on the amendment,
On motion of Mr. GWINN,
The Convention was called, and the door-
keeper sent for the absent members.
On motion of Mr. BRENT, of Baltimore
city, |
