ARTICLE IV.
JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT.
Part I.General Provisions.

SECTION 1. The judicial power of this State shall be vested
in a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, such
Courts 'for the city of Baltimore as are hereinafter provided
for, and Justices of the Peace; all said Courts shall be Courts
of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the au-....
thentification of all process issuing therefrom. The process
and official character of Justices of the Peace shall be au-
thenticated, as hath heretofore been practiced in this State,
or may hereafter be prescribed by law.

SEC. 2. The judges of all of the said courts shall be citi-
zens of the State of Maryland, and qualified voters under this
Constitution, and hall have resided therein not less than five
years, and not less than six months next preceding their elec-
tion or appointment in the judicial circuit, as the case may
be, for which they may be respectfully elected or appointed.
They shall be not less than thirty years of age at the time of
their election or appointment, and shall be selected from
those who have been admitted to practice law in this State,
and who are most distinguished for integrity, wisdom and
sound legal knowledge.

Sac. 3. The judges of the said several courts shall be
elected in the counties by the qualified voters in their re-
spective judicial circuits as hereinafter provided, at the gen-
eral election to be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday
in November next, and in the city of Baltimore, on the fourth
Wednesday of October next. Each of the said judges shall
hold his office for the term of fifteen years from the time of
his election, and until his successor is elected and qualified,
or until he shall have attained the age of seventy years,
whichever may first happen, and be re-eligible thereto until
he shall have attained the age of seventy years, and not
after; but in case of any judge who shall attain the age of
seventy years whilst in office, such judge may be continued in
office by the General Assembly for such further time as they
may think fit, not to exceed the term for which he was elected,
by a resolution to be passed at the session next preceding his
attaining said age. In case of the inability) of any of said
judges to discharge his duties with efficiency, by reason of
continued sickness, or of physical or mental infirmity, it
* shrill be in the power of the General Assembly, two-thirds of
the members of each House concurring, with the approval of
the Governor, to retire said judge from office.