Judges may thereafter be increased or decreased by the
General Assembly by law but no such decrease shall affect
the term of any Judge then in office or his right to stand for
election for further terms as hereinafter provided. The
Judges of said Court shall have the qualifications prescribed
by Section 2 of this Article and shall have practiced law in
the City of Baltimore for a total period of at least five
years; shall hold office subject to the provisions of Sections
3 and 4 of this Article with regard to retirement and re-
moval from office; and shall receive from the Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore City such compensation as shall
be fixed by law by the General Assembly, which shall not
be diminished during continuance in office.

The Governor shall appoint to said Court, to take office
on the first Monday of May, 1941, one Associate Judge for
a term expiring December 31, 1942, one Associate Judge
for a term expiring December 31, 1944, and a Chief Judge
for a term expiring December 31, 1946; and, upon the
creation of any additional office on said Court by increase
in the number of Judges pursuant to this Section, shall
appoint an Associate Judge for such term, not exceeding
eight years and expiring on the thirty-first day of Decem-
ber immediately following a Congressional election, as the
law creating such office shall prescribe. If any vacancy
occurs during any such original term, the Governor shall
appoint a successor to serve for the remainder of such
term. After the expiration of said original terms, the
terms of office of said Court shall be for eight years from
the expiration of the preceding term, and shall be filled
as follows:

(1) Any incumbent Judge of said Court shall be eligible,
at the Congressional election immediately preceding the
expiration of his period of appointment or term, for elec-
tion or re-election to succeed himself (a) for a full term
of eight years, except as provided in (b) hereof; or (b)
for the unexpired remainder of the current eight year term,
if his appointment will expire before the end of such term.
No person other than an incumbent Judge shall be eligible
for election, to said Court.

(2) Whenever a vacancy shall occur on said Court from
any cause the Governor shall appoint to said Court a Judge
who shall hold office under such appointment until the
thirty-first day of December immediately following the first
Congressional election occurring six months or more after
the date of his appointment. No Judge of said Court, who
has stood for election to succeed himself and not been