any employee for any vote cast or to be cast, or for attempting to prevent any employee from getting employment for so voting.

Fourth. No person who, while a citizen of this State, has since the adoption of this Constitution fought a duel with a deadly weapon, sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with a deadly weapon, either within or beyond the boundaries of this State, or knowingly conveyed a challenge, or aided or assisted in any manner in fighting a duel, shall be allowed to vote or hold any office of honor, profit or trust under this Constitution.

No officer, soldier, seaman or marine of the United States army or navy shall be considered a resident of this State by reason of being stationed therein. Nor shall any inmate of a soldiers' home, or other institution of a similar character, be entitled to a residence, except in the county or city in which he last had a legal residence before he became such inmate.

No person shall be entitled to vote at any election, unless he shall be able to read any section of the Constitution of this State, or unless he shall have honorably served in the army or navy of the Confederate States at some time from April 17th, 1861, to May 1st, 1865, or unless he shall have served in the army or navy of the United States in time of war, and been honorably discharged from such service. Nor shall any person be entitled to vote unless he shall have paid, on or before the 1st day of February of the year in which he shall offer to vote, all State poll-taxes charged or assessed against him by this Constitution, or after it shall go into effect.

A State poll-tax of three dollars for the year ending the 1st day of December, 1902, is hereby assessed against every male over twenty-one years of age, residing in this State; and the same amount shall be annnally assessed against every male resident then over twenty-one years of age. Two-thirds of every such poll-tax shall be used for the public schools of the State. The remaining third shall be used for the maintenance or or assistance of needy Confederate soldiers, in such manner as the Legislature may prescribe; provided, however, that the said remaining third shall not be paid into the State Treasury, but shall be paid to the credit of the local authorities, to be designated by law, of the county or city in which they are collected, and to be used as may be authorized by law; and further, that if at the end of any year there shall remain to the credit of any such local authorities any surplus of such collections after paying the expenses incurred or obligations assumed for

that year, then such surplus shall be turned by such local authorities into the State Treasury, to be put to the credit of such county or city and invested, and interest thereon used as provided for other funds, similarly held and invested. The Legislature shall make no other appropriation for the maintenance or benefit of the Confederate soldiers, except to the Soldiers' Home in Henrico county.

Any male twenty-one years of age, not assessed for such poll-tax, shall have the right to have himself so assessed before the 1st day of February of each year. The Legislature shall require that the officer in any city, county or town, collecting such taxes, shall give proper information to the proper election officers, before the election had next after the first day of February of each year, of those who have paid such poll-taxes. Any person offering to register as a voter shall produce satisfactory proof to the proper election officer that he has paid all such taxes.

The Legislature shall have the power, within the next five years, to qualify as voters the sons of any person who shall have served in the army or navy of the Confederate States or of the United States from 1861 to 1865, as above stated, upon the terms and requirements upon which their fathers are herein qualified to vote. If the Legislature shall so qualify such sons to vote it shall have no power afterwards to withdraw such qualification.

All elections and all party primaries shall be by viva voce vote, and such persons as are entitled to vote shall be eligible to any office within the gift of the people, except as restricted in this Constitution.

All elections of State, county and municipal officers shall be had on the first Tuesday in November of years fixed for their elections. Party nominations shall be by primaries, to be held in each of the counties and cities on the same day, and under terms and requirements to be fixed by the Legislature; such date to be not less than sixty days before the elections. The expenses of such primaries to be borne by the several counties and cities, respectively.

Any person who shall be convicted of having given or received a bribe for the casting of any vote in any election shall be punishable by confinement in jail, or in the penitentiary, in the discretion of the jury not exceeding 12 months. Any person who shall have offered said bribe, if he shall voluntarily inform the proper prosecuting officer, before the receiver of such bribe shall so inform said officer and before the institution of any prosecution, of his knowledge of the reception of such bribe, and shall truthfully testify thereto in such prosecution, when instituted, shall

not be punishable for his participation therein. Any person who shall have received said bribe, if he shall voluntarily inform the proper prosecuting officer before the giver of such bribe shall so inform such officer and before the institution of any prosecution, of his knowledge of the reception of such bribe, and shall truthfully testify thereto in such prosecution, when instituted, shall not be punishable for his participation therein.

Mr. MEREDITH offered the following resolution, No. 23, which was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Resolved, The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, in circuit courts, justices of the peace, police justices for cities, and such other courts as the General Assembly may establish.

The Supreme Court shall consist of five judges, a majority of whom shall form a quorum. The present judges of said court shall continue in office until the terms for which they were elected shall expire. They shall receive the same salaries, or compensation, which they now receive. In the case of a vacancy occurring during said terms, it shall be filled by the Governor, until the Legislature shall meet, at which time the vacancy for such unexpired term shall be filled by election by the two branches of the Legislature. Those elected for a new term under this Constitution shall hold office for a term of fifteen years; except that of those elected at the first election two shall hold office for only eight years. Which of the five judges shall hold for the full term, and which for eight years, shall be determined by lot between them as soon after their qualification as possible. The judges so drawing the short terms shall be eligible for re-election for the succeeding term. Any judge of such court may be removed by impeachment by the Legislature for malfeasance or misfeasance in office, or by a vote of both branches of the Legislature for mental or physical inability to perform their duties. Each of the judges of such court elected under this Constitution shall receive a salary of four thousand dollars per annum, except that the one which shall be selected by them to reside in Richmond, if any one shall be so selected, shall receive fortyfive hundred dollars per annum.

No one shall be eligible to be a judge of such court unless he shall be a practicing lawyer of ten years' standing, and forty years of age at the time fixed for his qualification; nor shall any judge of such court be eligible for reelection, except as above provided.

The State shall be divided by the Legislature in the next four years into five districts; and one of the judges of said

Supreme Court shall be elected from each district, and reside therein; but each of said judges shall be elected by the electors of the State at large; and at any election the candidate in any of said five districts receiving the largest number of votes in the State shall be declared elected. In the case of a tie vote between any two candidates in any such district receiving the two largest number of votes, there shall be an election of one of them by the two branches of the Legislature. Any vacancy occurring in said court elected under this Constitution shall be filled by appointment by the Governor until the next general election, at which a judge shall be elected to fill said vacancy for the unexpired term from the district in which the same occurred.

cases

It shall have appellate jurisdiction only, except in of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition. It shall not have jurisdiction in civil cases where the matter in controversy, exclusive of costs, is less in value or amount than two hundred dollars, except in controversies concerning the title or boundaries of land, the probate of a will, the appointment or qualification of a personal representative, guardian, committee or curator; or concerning a mill, roadway, ferry or landing; or the right of a corporation or of a county to levy tolls or taxes, and except in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition, or the constitutionality of a law: provided, that the assent of a majority of the judges elected to the court shall be required in order to declare any law null and void by reason of its repugnance to the Federal Constitution, or to the Constitution of this State.

Special courts of appeal, to consist of not less than three nor more than five judges, may be formed of the judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals and of the circuit courts, or any of them, to try any cases on the docket of said court, in respect to which a majority of the judges thereof may be so situated as to make it improper for them to sit on the hearing of the same; and also to try any cases on the said docket which cannot be otherwise disposed of with convenient dispatch.

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 records of the

case.

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

At every election of a Governor an attorney-general shall be elected by the qualified voters of this Commonwealth. He shall be commissioned by the Governor, perform such

duties and receive such compensation as may be prescribed by law, and shall be removable in the manner prescribed for the removal of judges.

CIRCUIT COURTS.

The circuit courts shall each consist of one judge, and shall have such civil, or civil and criminal, jurisdiction as may be prescribed by law. There shall be annually not less than four terms of such courts in each county and city, to be fixed by law.

The State shall, from time to time, be divided into judicial circuits, and a judge for each circuit shall be elected by the voters thereof. He shall reside within the circuit. His term of office shall be eight years. No one shall be eligible to such office unless he shall have practiced law in this State for five years preceding his election, and be thirty years of age at the time fixed for his qualification; nor shall he be eligible for more than two successive terms.

Whenever deemed necessary by the Legislature, it may allow the cities of the Commonwealth to have one or more circuit judges, to be designated by such titles as the Legislature may designate.

The salaries of the circuit judges shall not be less than $2,000; provided, that a judge of a circuit court of a city alone of over 25,000 inhabitants the salary shall not be less $2,500; a judge of a circuit court of a city alone of over 50,000 inhabitants it shall not be less than $3,000, and in cities of over 100,000 inhabitants it shall not be less than $3,500. The salary of a judge of a circuit court of a city alone may be supplemented by an additional amount not to exceed $1,000 by a vote of the city council of such city, whenever such city council shall so agree to contribute such additional salary, unless such agreement be obtained by such judge by improper means. The Legislature may,

if it shall see fit, allow a reasonable sum for traveling ex

penses.

There shall be a clerk in each county for the circuit court thereof, and a clerk for each circuit court in a city. He shall be appointed by the judge of such court. He must have resided in said county or city at least twelve months before the time of his, appointment, and continue to reside therein during his term of office. He shall hold his office during the term of the judge so appointing him, unless sooner removed by said judge for malfeasance or misfeasance in office, or because of physical or mental inability to perform the duties thereof. His salary shall be fixed by the Legislature, and all fees charged by law for his services shall be collected for the State, as directed by law.