hose cases where the salary is determined by this Constitution, shall be fixed y law; and the salary of no such officer shall be increased or diminished durng the term for which he shall have been elected or appointed.

SEC. 84. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the establishment nd maintenance of an efficient system of checks and balances between the fficers at the seat of government entrusted with the collection, receipt, custody, r disbursement of the revenues of the State.

SEC. 85. All State officers, and their deputies, assistants or employees, harged with the collection, custody, handling or disbursement of public funds, hall be required to give bond for the faithful performance of such duties; the, mount of such bond in each case, and the manner in which security shall be urnished, to be specified and regulated by law.

SEC. 86. The General Assembly shall have power to establish and maintain i Bureau of Labor and Statistics, under such regulations as may be prescribed y law.

SEC. 87. The Judiciary Department shall consist of a Supreme Court of Appeals, circuit courts, city courts, and such other courts as are hereinafter uthorized. The jurisdiction of these tribunals and the judges thereof, except o far as conferred by this Constitution, shall be regulated by law.

SEC. 88. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall consist of five judges, any hree of whom may hold a court. It shall have original jurisdiction in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus, and prohibition; but in all other cases, in which t shall have jurisdiction, it shall have appellate jurisdiction only.

Subject to such reasonable rules, as may be prescribed by law, as to the ourse of appeal, the limitation as to time, the security required, if any, the ranting or refusing of appeals, and the procedure therein, it shall, by virtue f this Constitution, have appellate jurisdiction in all cases involving the contitutionality of a law as being repugnant to the Constitution of this State, or f the United States, or involving the life or liberty of any person; and it shall Iso have appellate jurisdiction in such other cases, within the limits hereinfter defined, as may be prescribed by law; but no appeal shall be allowed to he Commonwealth in any case involving the life or liberty of a person, except hat an appeal by the Conimonwealth' may be allowed by law in any case inolving the violation of a law relating to the State revenue. No bond shall be equired of any accused person as a condition of appeal, but a supersedeas ond may be required where the only punishment imposed in the court below i a finé.

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The court shall not have jurisdiction in civil cases where the matter in ontroversy, exclusive of costs and of interest accrued since the judgment in le court below, is less in value or amount than three hundred dollars, except i controversies concerning the title to, or boundaries of land, the condemnation property, the probate of a will, the appointment or qualification of a perinal representative, guardian, committee, or curator, or concerning a mill, roaday, ferry, or landing, or the right of the State, county, or municipal corpotion, to levy tolls or taxes, or involving the construction of any statute, ordiance or county proceeding imposing taxes; and, except in cases of habeas rpus, mandamus, and prohibition, the constitutionality of a law, or some her matter not merely pecuniary. After the year nineteen hundred and ten Me General Assembly may change the jurisdiction of the court in matters erely pecuniary. The assent of at least three of the judges shall be required or the court to determine that any law is, or is not, repugnant to the Conitution of this State, or of the United States; and if, in a case involving the nstitutionality of any such law, not more than two of the judges sitting ree in opinion on the constitutional question involved, and the case cannot determined, without passing on such question, no decision shall be rendered erein, but the case shall be reheard by a full court; and in no case where te jurisdiction of the court depends solely upon the fact that the constitu

tionality of a law is in involved, shall the court decide the case upon its merits, unless the contention of the appellant upon the constitutional question be sustained. Whenever the requisite majority of the judges sitting are unable to agree upon a decision, the case shall be reheard by a full bench, and any va cancy caused by any one or more of the judges being unable, unwilling, or dis qualified to sit, shall be temporarily filled in a manner to be prescribed by law.

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SEC. 89. The General Assembly may, from time to time, provide for a Special Court of Appeals to try any cases on the docket of the Supreme Court of Appeals in respect to which a majority of the judges are so situated as to make it improper for them to sit; and also to try any cases on said docket which cannot be disposed of with convenient dispatch. The said special court shall be composed of not less than three nor more than five of the judges of the ycircuit courts and city courts of record in cities of the first class, or of the judges of either of said courts, or of any of the judges of said courts, together with one or more of the judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

SEC. 90. When a judgment or decree is reversed or affirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeals the reasons therefor shall be stated in writing and preserved with the record of the case.

SEC. 91. The judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be chosen by the joint vote of the two houses of the General Assembly. They shall, whe chosen, have held a judicial station in the United States, or shall have prac ticed law in this or some other State for five years. At the first election under this Constitution, the General Assembly shall elect the judges for terms of four six, eight, ten, and twelve years respectively; and thereafter they shall be elected for terms of twelve years.

SEC. 92. The officers of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be appointed by the court or by the judges in vacation. Their duties, compensation, and tenure of office shall be prescribed by law.

SEC. 93. The Supreme Court of Appeals shall hold its sessions at two of more places in the State, to be fixed by law.

SEC. 94. The State shall be divided into twenty-four judicial circuits, as follows:

The county of Norfolk shall constitute the first circuit.

The counties of Nansemond, Southampton, city of Suffolk and the city of Norfolk shall constitute the second circuit.

The counties of Prince George, Surry, Sussex, Greensville and Brunswi shall constitute the third circuit.

The counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Nottoway, Amelia, Powhatan a the city of Petersburg shall constitute the fourth circuit.

The counties of Prince Edward, Cumberland, Appomattox, Charlotte and Buckingham shall constitute the fifth circuit.

The counties of Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Halifax, Campbell, and the city of Lynchburg shall constitute the sixth circuit.

The counties of Pittsylvania, Henry, Patrick, and the city of Danville sh constitute the seventh circuit.

The counties of Madison, Greene and Albemarle shall constitute the eighth circuit.

The counties of Culpeper, Orange, Louisa and Goochland shall constitute the ninth circuit.

The county of Henrico and the city of Richmond shall constitute the tent circuit.

The county of Elizabeth City and the city of Newport News shall cons tute the eleventh circuit.

The counties of Richmond, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Lancaster an Essex shall constitute, the twelfth circuit.

The counties of Gloucester, Mathews, King and Queen, King William Middlesex shall constitute the thirteenth circuit,

The counties of New Kent, Charles City, York, Warwick, James City, and

the city of Williamsburg shall constitute the fourteenth circuit.

The counties of King George, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and Haa over shall constitute the fifteenth circuit.

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The counties of Prince William, Fairfax and Alexandria, and the city of xandria shall constitute the sixteenth circuit.

The counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren and Shenandoah shall constitute seventeenth circuit.

The counties of Augusta, Highland and Rockbridge shall constitute the hteenth circuit.

The counties of Bath, Alleghany, Craig and Botetourt, and the city of fton Forge shall constitute, the nineteenth circuit.

The counties of Roanoke, Montgomery, Floyd, and the city of Roanoke shall stitute the twentieth circuit.

The counties of Pulaski, Carroll, Wythe and Grayson shall constitute the enty-first circuit.

The counties of Bland, Tazewell and Giles shall constitute the twenty-second cuit.

The counties of Washington, Smyth and Scott shall constitute the twentyrd circuit.

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The counties of Lee and Wise shall constitute the twenty-fourth circuit. The counties of Rockingham and Page shall constitute the twenty-fifth cir

The counties of Rappahannock, Fauquier and Loudoun shall constitute the nty-sixth judicial circuit.

The counties of Buchanan, Russell and Dickinson shall constitute the twentyenth circuit.

The counties of Isle of Wight and Princess Anne and the city of Portsuth shall constitute the twenty-eighth circuit.

The counties of Amherst, Nelson and Fluvanna shall constitute the twentyth circuit.

The counties of Bedford and Franklin shall constitute the thirtieth circuit. The counties of Accomac and Northampton shall constitute the thirty-first cuit.1

SEC. 95. After the first day of January, nineteen hundred and six, as the lic interest requires, the General Assembly may rearrange the said circuits 1 increase or diminish the number thereof. But no new circuit shall be ated containing, by the last United States census or other census provided law, less than forty thousand inhabitants, nor when the effect of creating will be to reduce the number of inhabitants in any existing circuit below ty thousand according to such census.2

SEC. 96. For each circuit a judge shall be chosen by the joint vote of the > houses of the General Assembly. He shall, when chosen, possess the same difications as judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals, and during his connance in office shall reside in the circuit of which he is judge. At the first tion under this Constitution, the General Assembly shall elect, as nearly as cticable, one-fourth of the entire number of judges for terms of two years, fourth for four years, one-fourth for six years, and the remaining fourth eight years, respectively; and thereafter they shall be elected for terms of ht years.

SEC. 97. The number of terms of the circuit courts to be held for each nty and city shall be prescribed by law. But no separate circuit court shall held for any city of the second class until the city shall abolish its existing court. The judge of one circuit may be required or authorized to hold irt in any other circuit or city.

SEC. 98. For the purposes of a judicial system, the cities of the State shall divided into two classes. All cities shall belong to the first class which con, as shown by the last United States census or other census provided by $7, ten thousand inhabitants or more, and all cities shall belong to the second ss which contain, as thus shown, less than ten thousand inhabitants. In h city of the first class, there shall be, in addition to the circuit court, a

The list of judicial circuits here given was fixed by an act approved March 27. enacted under authority of Section 95 of this Article, by which the number of uits was increased from 24 to 31.

See Note No. 1.

corporation court. In any city containing thirty thousand inhabitants or moTE the General Assembly may provide for such additional courts as the publ interest may require, and in every such city the city courts, as they now exist shall continue until otherwise provided by law. In every city of the secund class, the corporation or hustings court, existing at the time this Constitut goes into effect, shall continue hereafter under the name of the corporation court of such city; but it may be abolished by a vote of a majority of the qual ified electors of such city, at an election held for the purpose, and whenever the office of judge of a corporation or hustings court of a city of the second class, whose salary is less than eight hundred dollars, shall become and remin vacant for ninety days consecutively, such court shall thereby cease to eris In case of the abolition of the corporation or hustings court of any city of the second class, such city shall thereupon come in every respect within the jun diction of the circuit court of the county wherein it is situated, until otherwise provided by law, and the records of such corporation or hustings court thereupon become a part of the records of such circuit court, and be trus ferred thereto, and remain therein until otherwise provided by law: and d ing the existence of the corporation or hustings court, the circuit court of t county in which such city is situated, shall have concurrent jurisdiction =! said corporation or hustings court in all actions of law and suits in equity

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SEC. 99. For each city court of record a judge shall be chosen by the jea vote of the two houses of the General Assembly. He shall, when chosen, p sess the same qualifications as judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals, *: during his continuance in office shall reside within the jurisdiction of the s over which he presides; but the judge of the corporation court of any corporat tion having a city charter, and less than five thousand inhabitants, may red outside its corporate limits; and the same person may be judge of such } poration court and judge of the corporation court of some other city hav less than ten thousand inhabitants. At the first election of said judges wi this Constitution, the General Assembly shall elect, as nearly as practicab one-fourth of the entire number for terms of two years, one-fourth for years, one-fourth for six years, and the remaining fourth for eight years; thereafter they shall be elected for terms of eight years. The judges of courts in cities of the first class may be required or authorized to hold circuit courts of any county and the circuit courts of any city.

SEC. 100. The General Assembly shall have power to establish such c or courts of land registration as it may deem proper for the administration *** any law it may adopt for the purpose of the settlement, registration. tras or assurance of titles to land in the State, or any part thereof.

SEC. 101. The General Assembly shall havé power to confer upon the cere of the several circuit courts jurisdiction, to be exercised in the manner a under the regulations to be prescribed by law, in the matter of the adres of wills to probate, and of the appointment and qualification of guardians sonal representatives, curators, appraisers, and committees of the estate persons who have been adjudged insane or convicted of felony, and in t matter of the substitution of trustees,

SEC. 102. All the judges shall be commissioned by the Governor. Th shall receive such salaries and allowances as may be determined by law w the limitations fixed by the Constitution, the amount of which shall not vi increased or diminished during their terms of office. Their terms of office sh commence on the first day of February next following their election, and whe ever a vacancy occurs in the office of judge, his successor shall be elected f the unexpired term.

SEC. 103. The salaries of the judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals d be not less than four thousand dollars per annum, and shall be paid by the State.

The salary of the judge of each circuit court shall be not less tha thousand dollars per annum, one-half of which shall be paid by the State, the other half by the counties and cities composing the circuit, according to respective population; except that of the salary of the judge of the ci court of the city of Richmond, the State shall pay the proportion which

otherwise fall to the city of Richmond. The salary of a judge of a city court in a city of the first class shall be not less than two thousand dollars per annum, one-half of which shall be paid by the State, the other half by the city. The whole, of the aforesaid salaries of said judges shall be paid out of the State treasury, the State to be reimbursed by the respective counties and rities. Any city may, by an ordinance, increase the salaries of its city or ciruit judges, of any one or more of them as it may deem proper, and the inrease shall be paid wholly by the city, but shall not be enlarged or diminİshed during the term of office of the Judge. Each city containing less than en thousand inhabitants shall pay the salary of the judge of its corporation or hustings court.

SEC. 104. Judges may be removed from office for cause, by a concurrent Fote of both houses of the General Assembly; bút a majority of all the members lected to each house must concur in such vote, and the cause of removal shall e entered on the journal of each house. The judge against whom' the General Assembly may be about to proceed shall have notice thereof, accompanied by a opy of the causes alleged for his removal, at least twenty days before the day on which either house of the General Assembly shall act thereon.

SEC. 105. No judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals, of the circuit court, r of any city court of record shall practice law, within or without this State, or shall he hold any other office of public trust during his continuance in ffice; except that the judge of a corporation or hustings court in the city of he second class may hold the office of commissioner in chancery of the circuit ourt for the county in which the city is located.

SEC. 106. Writs shall run in the name of the "Commonwealth of Virginia,” nd be attested by the clerks of the several courts. Indictments shall conclude against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth."

SEC. 107. An Attorney General shall be elected by the qualified voters of e State at the same time and for the same term as the Governor; and the ict of his election shall be ascertained in the same manner. He shall be comissioned by the Governor, perform such duties and receive such compensation s may be prescribed by law, and shall be removable in the manner prescribed or the removal of judges.

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SEC. 108. The General Assembly shall provide for the appointment or elecon and for the jurisdiction of such justices of the peace as the public interest ay require.

SEC. 109. The General Assembly shall provide by whom and in what maner. applications for bail shall be heard and determined.

ARTICLE VII.

ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF COUNTIES.

SEC. 110. There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each comity le county treasurer, one sheriff, one attorney for the Commonwealth, and e county clerk, who shall be the clerk of the circuit court. There shall be ected by the qualified voters of each county, for four years, commissioners the revenue for each county, the number, duties and compensation of whom all be prescribed by law.

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There shall be appointed for each county, in such manner as may be proded by law, one superintendent of the poor and one county surveyor.3

SEC. 111. The magisterial districts shall, until changed by law, remain now constituted; provided, that hereafter no additional districts shall be ade containing less than thirty square miles. In each district there shall be ected by the qualified voters thereof one supervisor. The supervisors of the stricts shall constitute the board of supervisors of the county, which shall eet at stated periods and at other times as often as may be necessary, lay e county and district levies, pass upon all claims against the county, subject

Amendment proposed and adopted by the general assembly of 1908, re-adopted the general assembly of 1910, ratified, on Nov. 8, 1910, and declared effective on

c. 5, 1910.