1714                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 791

Part IV—Courts of Baltimore City
31.

There shall be [elected by the legal and qualified voters of] in said
city the number of Associate Judges required by the General As-
sembly, who, together, shall constitute the Supreme Bench of Balti-
more City, and shall hold their offices [for the term of fifteen years,]
subject to the provisions of this Constitution with regard to the
[election] appointment, confirmation and qualifications of Judges,
and their removal from office, and shall exercise the jurisdiction,
herein [after] specified, and shall each receive an annual salary which
shall not be diminished during their term of office.

32. Duties of Supreme Bench of Baltimore City as to assignment
of judges to courts of Baltimore City.

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 number
to each of the said Courts, who may sit either, separately, or to-
gether, in the trial of cases; and the said Supreme Bench of Baltimore
City may from time to time, change the said assignment, as circum-
stances may require, 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 being held; and it shall also be the
duty of the said Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, in case of the
sickness, absence or disability of any Judge or Judges, assigned as
aforesaid, to provide for the hearing of the cases, or transaction of
the business assigned to said Judge or Judges, as aforesaid, before
some one, or more of the Judges of said Court.

39. Powers of General Assembly.

The General Assembly shall, as often as it may think the same
proper and expedient, provide by law for [the election of] an addi-
tional judge of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, and whenever
provision is so made by the General Assembly, [there shall be elected
by the voters of said City] the Governor shall appoint another Judge
of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City pursuant to the provisions of
this Article; [who shall be subject to the same constitutional pro-
visions, hold his office for the same term of years, receive the same
compensation and have the same powers as are, or shall be provided
by the Constitution, or laws of this State, for the Judges of said
Supreme Bench of Baltimore City,] and the General Assembly may
provide by laws, or the Supreme Bench by its rules, for requiring
causes in any of the Courts of Baltimore City to be tried before the
Court without a jury, unless the litigants or some one of them shall
within such reasonable time or times as may be prescribed, elect
to have their causes tried before a jury. And the General Assembly
may r