Supreme Court.

Sec. 2. The Supreme Court, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, shall have appellate jurisdiction only, which shall be co-extensive with the State, and shall have a general superintending control over all inferior courts, under such regulations and limitations as may be prescribed by law.

Sec. 3. It shall have power to issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto, certiorari, injunction, and other original and remedial writs, with authority to hear and determine the

same.

Sec. 4. At least two terms of the Supreme Court shall be held each year, at the seat of government.

Sec. 5. The Supreme Court shall consist of three judges, a majority of whom shall be necessary to form a quorum or pronounce a decision.

Sec. 6. The judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected by electors of the State at large, as hereinafter provided.

Sec. 7. The term of office of the judges of the Supreme Court, except as in this Article otherwise provided, shall be nine years. Sec. 8. The judges of the Supreme Court shall, immediately after the first election under this Constitution, be classified by lot, so that one shall hold his office for the term of three years, one for the term of six years, and one for the term of nine years. The lot shall be drawn by the judges, who shall for that purpose assemble at the seat of government, and shall cause the result thereof to be certified to the secretary of the Territory, and filed in his office. The judge having the shortest term to serve, not holding his office by appointment or election to fill a vacancy, shall be the chief justice, and shall preside at all terms of the Supreme Court, and, in case of his absence, the judge having in like manner the next shortest term to serve shall preside in his stead.

Sec. 9. There shall be a clerk of the Supreme Court, who shall be appointed by the judges thereof, and shall hold his office during the pleasure of said judges, and whose duties and emoluments shall be as prescribed by law and by the rules of the Supreme Court.

Sec. 10. No person shall be eligible to the office of judge of the Supreme Court unless he be learned in law; be at least thirty years of age and a citizen of the United States, nor unless he shall have resided in this State or Territory at least two years next preceding his election.

District Courts.

Sec. 11. The District Courts shall have original jurisdiction of all causes, both at law and in equity, and such appellate jurisdiction as may be conferred by law. They shall have original jurisdiction to determine all controversies upon relation of any person on behalf of the people, concerning the rights, duties and liabilities of railroad, telegraph or toll-road companies or corporations.

Sec. 12. The State shall be divided into judicial districts, in each of which there shall be elected by the electors thereof, one judge of the District Court therein, whose term of office shall be six years. The judges of the District Courts may hold courts for each other, and shall do so when required by law.

Sec. 13. Until otherwise provided by law, said districts shall be four in number, and constituted as follows, viz. :

First District-The counties of Boulder, Jefferson, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit and Grand.

Second District-The counties of Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, Weld and Larimer.

Third District-The counties of Park, El Paso, Fremont, Pueblo, Bent, Las Animas and Huerfano.

Fourth District-The counties of Costilla, Conejos, Rio Grande, San Juan, La Plata, Hinsdale, Saguache and Lake.

Sec. 14. The General Assembly may, after the year 1880 (whenever two-thirds of the members of each House shall concur therein), but not oftener than once in six years, increase the number of the judicial districts and the judges thereof; such districts shall be formed of compact territory, and bounded by county lines, but such increase or change in the boundaries of a district shall not work the removal of any judge from his office during the term for which he shall have been elected or ap pointed.

Sec. 15. The judges of the District Court first elected shall be chosen at the first general election. The General Assembly

may provide that after the year 1878, the election of the judges of the Supreme, District and County Courts, and the district , attorneys, or any of them, shall be on a different day from that on which an election is held for any other purpose, and for that purpose may extend or abridge the term of office of any such officers then holding, but not in any case more than six months. Until otherwise provided by law, such officers shall be elected at the time of holding the general elections. The terms of office of all judges of the District Court elected in the several districts throughout the State, shall expire on the same day; and the terms of office of the district attorneys elected in the several districts throughout the State shall. in like manner, expire on the same day.

Sec. 16. No person shall be eligible to the office of district judge unless he be learned in the law, be at least thirty years old, and a citizen of the United States, nor unless he shall have resided in the State or Territory at least two years next preceding his election, nor unless he shall, at the time of his election, be an elector within the judicial district for which he is elected: Provided, That at the first election, any person of the requisite age and learning, and who is an elector of the Territory of Colorado, under the laws thereof, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of judge of the District Court of the judicial district within which he is an elector.

Sec. 17. The time of holding courts within the said districts. shall be as provided by law, but at least one term of the District Court shall be held annually in each county, except in such counties as may be attached, for judicial purposes, to another county, wherein such courts are so held. This shall not be construed to prevent the holding of special terms, under such regu lations as may be provided by law.

Sec. 18. The judges of the Supreme and District Courts shall each receive such salary as may be provided by law, and no such judge shall receive any other compensation, perquisite or emolu ment for or on account of his office, in any form whatever, nor act as attorney or counsellor at law.

Sec. 19. There shall be a clerk of the District Court in each county wherein a term is held, who shall be appointed by the

judge of the district, to hold his office during the pleasure of the judge. His duties and compensation shall be as provided by law, and regulated by the rules of the court.

Sec. 20. Until the General Assembly shall provide by law for fixing the terms of the courts aforesaid, the judges of the Supreme and Districts Courts, respectively, shall fix the terms thereof.

District Attorneys.

Sec. 21. There shall be elected by the qualified electors of each judicial district at each regular election for judges of the Supreme Court, a district attorney for such district, whose term of office shall be three years, and whose duties and compensation shall be as provided by law. No person shall be eligible to the office of district attorney, who shall not, at the time of his election, be at least twenty-five years of age, and possess all the other qualifications for judges of the District Courts, as prescribed in this article.

County Courts.

Sec. 22. There shall be elected, at the general election in each organized county in the year 1877, and every three years there after, except as otherwise provided in this article, a county judge, who shall be judge of the County Court of said county, whose term of office shall be three years, and whose compensation shall be as provided by law.

Sec. 23. County Courts shall be courts of record, and shall have original jurisdiction in all matters of probate, settlement of estates of deceased persons, appointment of guardians, conservators and administrators, and settlement of their accounts, and such other civil and criminal jurisdiction as may be conferred by law; provided such courts shall not have jurisdiction in any case where the debt, damage, or claim or value of property involved shall exceed two thousand dollars, except in cases relating to the estates of deceased persons. Appeals may be taken from County to District Courts, or to the Supreme Court, in such cases and in such manner as may be prescribed by law. Writs of error shall lie from the Supreme Court to every final judgment of the County Court. No appeal shall lie to the District Court from any judgment given upon an appeal from a justice of the peace.

Criminal Court.

Sec. 24. The General Assembly shall have power to create and establish a Criminal Court in each county having a popu lation exceeding fifteen thousand, which court may have concurrent jurisdiction with the District Courts in all criminal cases not capital; the terms of such courts to be as provided by law.

Justices of the Peace.

Sec. 25. Justices of the peace shall have such jurisdiction as may be conferred by law; but they shall not have jurisdiction of any case wherein the value of the property, or the amount in controversy, exceeds the sum of three hundred dollars, nor where the boundaries or title to real property shall be called in question.

Police Magistrates.

Sec. 26. The General Assembly shall have power to provide for creating such police magistrates for cities and towns, as may be deemed from time to time necessary or expedient, who shall have jurisdiction of all cases arising under the ordinances of such cities and towns respectively.

Miscellaneous.

Sec. 27. The judges of courts of record inferior to the Supreme Court, shall, on or before the first day in July in each year, report in writing to the judges of the Supreme Court such defects and omissions in the laws as their knowledge and experience may suggest, and the judges of the Supreme Court shall, on or before the first day of December of each year, report in writing to the Governor, to be by him transmitted to the General Assembly, together with his message, such defects and omissions in the Constitution and laws as they may find to exist, together with appropriate bills for curing the same.

Sec. 28. All laws relating to courts shall be general and of uniform operation throughout the State; and the organization, jurisdiction, powers, proceedings and practice of all the courts of the same class or grade, so far as regulated by law, and the force and effect of the proceedings, judgments and decrees of such courts severally, shall be uniform.