ART. IV] CONSTITUTION.

57

Sec. 29. The Circuit Court of Baltimore City shall
have exclusive jurisdiction in Equity within the limits
of said city, and all such jurisdiction as the present Cir-
cuit Court of Baltimore City has; provided, the said
Court shall not have jurisdiction in applications for the
writ of habeas corpus in cases of persons charged with
criminal offenses.

Jurisdiction of
Circuit Court.

Sec. 30. The Criminal Court of Baltimore shall have
and exercise all the jurisdiction now held and exercised
by the Criminal Court of Baltimore, except in such
Appeal Cases as are herein assigned to the Baltimore
City Court.

Jurisdiction of
Criminal
Court.

Sec. 31. There shall be elected by the legal and
qualified voters of said city, at the election, hereinbefore
provided for, one Chief Judge and four Associate Judges,
who, together, shall constitute the Supreme Bench of

Supreme
Bench
of Baltimore
City.

Baltimore City, and shall hold their offices for the term
of fifteen years, subject to the provisions of this Consti-
tution with regard to the election and qualifications of
Judges and their removal from office, and shall exercise

Term.

the jurisdiction, hereinafter specified, and shall each
receive an annual salary of three thousand five hundred
dollars,* payable quarterly .which shall not be diminished
daring their term of office; but authority is hereby
given to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to pay
to each of the said Judges an annual addition of five
hundred dollars to their respective salaries; provided,
that the same being once granted shall not be dimin-
ished nor increased during the continuance of said Judges
in office.

Salary.

Sec. 32. It shall be the duty of the said Supreme
Bench of Baltimore City, as soon as the Judges thereof
shall be elected and duly qualified, and from time to
time, to provide for the holding of each of the aforesaid
Courts, by the assignment of one or more of their num-
ber to each of the said Courts, who may sit either sep-
arately or together in the trial of cases; and the said Su-
preme Bench of Baltimore City may, from time to time,
change the said assignment, as circumstances may re-
quire, and the public interest may demand; and the Judge
or Judges, so assigned to the said several Courts, shall,
when holding the same, have all the powers and exercise
all the jurisdiction which may belong to the Court so

*Increased by Act of 1892, ch. 388, to four thousand five hundred dollars.

Assignment of
judges.