in a justice's court, at the option of the complaining party.

13. Conservators of the Peace. (104)-Judges of the Supreme and District Court are conservators of the peace throughout the State. "Conservator of the Peace" is an ancient term applied to an officer who has the authority to preserve the public peace, as in the prevention and suppression of rioting, fighting, and brawling.

14. Style of Process. (105)-By "process" is meant any writ or order issued by the court commanding a public officer or private citizen to do or not to do some specified act. "Style," as here used, is the name indicating the authority by which the process is issued and may be enforced. The style of all process is "The State of Iowa. For example, if a writ is issued commanding the sheriff to arrest a person or to do any other official act it will be directed to him in substantially the following form: "The State of Iowa,-To the Sheriff of Blank County: You are hereby commanded," etc. All criminal prosecutions are conducted in the same manner.

15. County Attorney. (112)-At the general election in each even-numbered year the qualified voters of each county elect a prosecuting attorney, whose duty it is to represent the State and County in the various courts and to conduct all criminal prosecutions. A criminal prosecution must always be begun in the county where the offense is committed.

16. Salaries-The salaries of the several officers of the judicial department are as follows:

The compensation of county attorneys varies from $900 to $2500, according to the population and amount of business performed.

17. Grand Jury. (114)—At each regular term of the District Court a Grand Jury is impaneled. It may consist of any number of persons, not less than five nor more than fifteen, as the General Assembly may by law provide.

18. Duty of Grand Jury-It is the duty of the Grand Jury to inquire into all indictable offenses committed within the county and to return indictments against the persons believed to be guilty thereof, if the evidence obtained is sufficient to justify such action. As elsewhere explained, an indictment is simply an accusation made by the Grand Jury charging the person therein named with some specific offense. All offenses the punishment of which may exceed a fine of one hundred dollars or thirty days in the county jail are indictable.

19. Trial Jury-When a person has been indicted and arrested he enters a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty" to the charge made against him.

If the plea is "not guilty," he is put upon trial. For this purpose a Trial Jury is formed entirely distinct from the Grand Jury. All jurors must be citizens, residents, and lawful voters in the county where they serve.

20. Administration of Justice-The method of administering justice in criminal cases may be thus briefly stated: The Grand Jury accuses, the Sheriff arrests, the County Attorney prosecutes, the Trial Jury renders the verdict "guilty" or "not guilty," and the Judge enters judgment according to the verdict so rendered. The Judge also presides at the trial, rules upon objections to the introduction of evidence, and decides all questions of law.

CHAPTER XIV

THE STATE MILITIA

1. Of Whom Composed. (115)-All able-bodied male citizens of the State, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, constitute the Militia, and may at any time be called upon by the State to be organized into companies and regiments, and to receive military drill and instruction.

2. Not Organized-The power of the State in this respect has never been exercised. The danger of war is considered too remote to justify the annoyance and expense of maintaining a general organization, and the militia remains an unorganized but powerful reserve force, liable to be called into service at any time when the public safety seems to require it.

3. National Guard-A small volunteer force known as the National Guard is authorized by the laws of the State. It consists at present of four regiments of infantry of twelve companies each. Each regiment is divided into three battalions of four companies each.

The Governor is commander-in-chief, and may call out any part or all of the Guard whenever it is necessary to repel invasion, or to prevent or suppress insurrection, riot, or other breach of the peace.

4. Exemption. (116)-Persons who are conscientiously opposed to bearing arms may be exempted from military duty in times of peace.

5. Election of Officers. (117)-All commissioned officers of the militia, except staff officers, are elected by the organization with whom they are to serve, and receive their commissions from the Governor.

CHAPTER XV

STATE DEBTS

I. The Public Credit. (118)-The State cannot lawfully give or lend its credit to any individual, association, or corporation. It is also forbidden to assume the debts or liabilities of any individual, association, or corporation unless incurred in time of war for the benefit of the State.

2. Limitation of of Indebtedness. (119) - Debts may be contracted to meet necessary expenses which have not been otherwise provided for, or to supply any deficiency in the ordinary income of the State, but the total amount of such indebtedness must never exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

3. A Wise Restriction-The wisdom of this constitutional safeguard against burdensome public debt has been demonstrated by the experience of many other States which, in the absence of such limitation, have given the aid of their credit to railroad and other private enterprises, and in