the general subject of complaint, and the inferior Magistrates were popular. But the mind of the country had again changed. All the good which was anticipated had not arisen from the measure, and some evils which were unlooked for had sprung from it. They desired to bring justice to the doors of the people, and to render it less expensive. Now, the people were dissatisfie with the result of the measure. But this was no proof that the system was a bad one. No svstem could be adopted which would not create some dissatisfaction. The power of appointment, as exercised by the Governor, was attended with great inconveniences, and he should vote for giving it to the people; but it was not at all certain, that hereafter the elections by the people would not be made the subject of great complaint.

Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, said he should vote in favor of the amendment, and he hoped it would prevail. If these officers are to be elected by the people, the oftener they are elected the better. He was sorry the proposition was not to strike out three years", and insert" annually". Such a system would tend more to peace and harmony, than any other. He had feared some excitement, when it was proposed to put Justices in office for five years, which, by removing them further from responsibility, would have a tendency to make them careless or corrupt. If elected annually, these Justices would have no time to plot for their re-election'; but, if elected for three or five years, they would be too much occupied in intriguing to secure their election, to attend faithfully to the public business. Annual elections would tend to reduce the evils, of which the gentleman from Union, (Mr. MERRILL) complains. Every Magistrate's office would be a little court, and lawyers would attend there. But as there would be no more lawyers than now, the only effect would be, that instead of going to county towns, they would have to travel to a Magistrate's office, and have a court at every five weeks. Lawyers would not object, he presumed, to come into the Magistrate's office, and attend to the business of suitors, before a Magistrate and court, equal to themselves in size and shape, so that they could keep each other in countenance; and if men of higher grade look down and disparage these minor courts, they ought still to be tolerated. It was against his wish to vote for any Judicial officer being elected by the people, but he should now vote for the election of Aldermen, and Justices of the Peace, and for this reason. Out of the four thousand of these, more than two thousand were members of societies, sworn to give judgment in each other's favor; and they belong to a class too likely to give heed to oaths! It was not to be supposed that the higher officers of the Judiciary were influenced by these secret obligations, -they were above it. These societies were filled with Justices of the Peace, therefore, he would say, let them go to the people. They would religiously fulfil the law. This was the reason which induced him, as a matter of principle, to vote for the annual elections of Justices of the Peace; and, also, as a matter of policy. He cared not how often these questions were agitated at the polls. He hoped they would be brought into every annual election, into every township, and every ward. For these reasons, he prefered three years' term, to five years; and annually, in preference to either; and, at any rate, that the elections should be by the people.

and, notwithstanding the great number of our life Magistrates, a man who committed a murder within two miles of Philadelphia, was, by the most culpable neglect, suffered to escape.

Mr. FORWARD was, he said, opposed to the reduction of the term from five to three years, and he had heard no good argument in favor of its reduction to five years. We had heard something from the gentleman from Indiana, about the state of things in Ohio, and the operation of short terms there. He had heard from a person who had opportunities of know. ing the facts, that there was great difficulty there in collecting debts in a county where the plaintiff is not a resident. This was a necessary result of the system of electing Justices and for short terms. Non-residents could not get justice done them against residents, because the Magistrate looks to the residents for his re-election. The person who was his informant was a Pennsylvanian, and belonged to the democratic party, and he expressed himself in the strongest terms against the system of short terms. Was it possible that any one would shut his eyes to the fact that men will act in reference to their own interest. Men who hold offices and power will always be mindful of the means of retaining them. They will endeavour to secure their re-election. Again, would not the people be influenced by the clamor of a disappointed man against a Magistrate? How would an honest man be able to meet a clamor of that kind? By the weight of his character, a man who has held an office, for some time, could defeat a false clamor by his weight of character, because he has become known to the community in his official capacity. But a man who has held the office but for a short time, could be put down by it. He believed, the longer the term was made, the better would the officer discharge his duties. He would prefer a term of six or seven years, which would enable a man to get a character, and be known and understood among the people. The appeals to the people by disappointed suitors would be made, whether the terms were long or short. How were the people to decide? Were they to take the evidence of a disappointed man, or were they to look to the general conduct and character of the Magistrate? If to the latter, then they must have an opportunity of knowing what his character as a Justice is, by his conduct through a long term of service. Another objection he had to a short term. He did not believe that the office, for the term of three years, would be desirable to any one, in any part of this State. He was for giving the officer some value and respectability, in order to induce respectable men to take it. The citizens of Ohio, as had been stated in letters from some of them, wished to have the term lengthened, because they found that the office at present was of so little account, that responsible and respectable men could not be induced to take it. It was no slight effort for a man of character to encounter the labors and turmoil of an election before the people, and few would do it without some important object. The people of this State were dissatified with the mode of electing Justices under the Constitution of 1776, but that was not a proof that it was an improper mode. The people were too apt to be dissatisfied, and to seek for change. Those who looked back twenty or thirty years ago, would see that the courts of Common Pleas then fell under the popular odium. What was the reason that the jurisdiction of the Magistrates was extended to one hundred dollars? It was the expen

the general subject of complaint, and the inferior Magistrates were popular. But the mind of the country had again changed. All the good which was anticipated had not arisen from the measure, and some evils which were unlooked for had sprung from it. They desired to bring justice to the doors of the people, and to render it less expensive. Now, the people were dissatisfie with the result of the measure. But this was no proof that the system was a bad one. No system could be adopted which would not create some dissatisfaction. The power of appointment, as exercised by the Governor, was attended with great inconveniences, and he should vote for giving it to the people; but it was not at all certain, that hereafter the elections by the people would not be made the subject of great complaint.

Mr. STEVENS, of Adams, said he should vote in favor of the amendment, and he hoped it would prevail. If these officers are to be elected by the people, the oftener they are elected the better. He was sorry the proposition was not to strike out three years", and insert " annually". Such a system would tend more to peace and harmony, than any other. He had feared some excitement, when it was proposed to put Justices in office for five years, which, by removing them further from responsibility, would have a tendency to make them careless or corrupt. If elected annually, these Justices would have no time to plot for their re-election'; but, if elected for three or five years, they would be too much occupied in intriguing to secure their election, to attend faithfully to the public business. Annual elections would tend to reduce the evils, of which the gentleman from Union, (Mr. MERRILL) complains. Every Magistrate's office would be a little court, and lawyers would attend there. But as there would be no more lawyers than now, the only effect would be, that instead of going to county towns, they would have to travel to a Magistrate's office, and have a court at every five weeks. Lawyers would not object, he presumed, to come into the Magistrate's office, and attend to the business of suitors, before a Magistrate and court, equal to themselves in size and shape, so that they could keep each other in countenance; and if men of higher grade look down and disparage these minor courts, they ought still to be tolerated. It was against his wish to vote for any Judicial officer being elected by the people, but he should now vote for the election of Aldermen, and Justices of the Peace, and for this reason. Out of the four thousand of these, more than two thousand were members of societies, sworn to give judgment in each other's favor; and they belong to a class too likely to give heed to oaths! It was not to be supposed that the higher officers of the Judiciary were influenced by these secret obligations, -they were above it. These societies were filled with Justices of the Peace, therefore, he would say, let them go to the people. They would religiously fulfil the law. This was the reason which induced him, as a matter of principle, to vote for the annual elections of Justices of the Peace; and, also, as a matter of policy. He cared not how often these questions were agitated at the polls. He hoped they would be brought into every annual election, into every township, and every ward. For these reasons, he prefered three years' term, to five years; and annually, in preference to either; and, at any rate, that the elections should be by the people.

Adams, on having an opportunity to introduce again his old and favorite topic. It was so long since we had had "Jenny dang the Weaver", that it was almost forgotten. He was going to court, on the stage, seated by the driver, when on passing through he saw a lawyer's sign, about three feet in length; and, asking the driver about it, he told him that the gentleman was a lawyer and a Judge; when it was not one of his own cases to be decided, he sat on the bench, and when it was one of his own, he went down from the bench and argued it. The other day, (said Mr. P.) when I went home, I conversed with a gentleman from Ohio on the subject, and he told me this system worked badly. Constables were run against Justices, and supplanted them; and there was not a Justice of the Peace in Cincinnati, who could write a declaration. He was sorry he could not accommodate his friend from Adams, but one year would not be long enough to enable the Constables to learn the business.

Mr. BELL, of Chester, would vote against the amendment of the gentleman from Susquehanna, because he was opposed to the election of Justices by the people; and if they are to be so elected, he would go for the longest term. He would move to commit the appointment of Justices of the Peace to the Governor; and, if that failed, he would endeavor to procure a term of seven years, to be ineligible for the next

seven.

The question was then taken on the amendment offered by Mr. READ, to reduce the term to three years, and decided in the negative, as follows:

YEAS Messrs. Bedford, Brown, of Northampton, Brown, of Philadelphia, Cummin,` Carll, Darrah, Dillinger, Doran, Earle, Farrelly, Foukrod, Gamble, Gilmore, Grene'l, Ha-tings, Hayhurst, Helffenstein. High, Hou t, Hyde, Keim. Krebs, Martin, Miller, Nevin, Overfield, Read, Riter, Ritter, R gers, Shellito, Smith, Stevens, Stickel-35.

NAYS-Messrs. Agnew, Ayres, Baldwin, Banks, Barclay, Barndollar, Bayne, Bell, Biddle. Bo: ham, Carey, Chambers. Chandler, of Chester, Chauncey, Clarke, of Beaver, Clark, of Dauphin, Clarke, of Indiana, Cleavinger, Cline, Cochran, Crain, Crum, Darlington, Denny, Dickerson, Donnell, Fleming, Forward, Fry, Fuller, Gearhart, Hanis, Henderson, of Dauphin, Hiester Hopkinson, Jenks, Kennedy, Kerr, Konigmacher, Maclay, Mann, M'Call, M'Dowell, M'Sherry, Meredith, Merrill, Merkel, Montgomery, Myers, Pennypacker, Pollock, Porter, of Northampton, Purviance, Reigart, Russell, Saeger, & ott, Sellers, Serrill, Scheetz, Sill, Smyth, Snively, Steigere, Swelland, Taggart, Thomas, Todd, Weidman, Young, Sergeant, President-70.

Mr. FLEMING, of Lycoming, moved, as an amendment, to strike out all after the words "Section V", and insert the report of the committee on the fifth article, as follows:

"The Justices of the Peace shall be chosen by the qualified voters in such convenient districts in each county, at such time and in such manner, as by law may be provided, so that there shall be one Justice of the Peace in every such district, containing not less than fifty taxable inhabitants;, and that there may be chosen, as aforesaid, an additional Justice in every such district, for every one hundred and fifty taxable inhabitants in said district, exceeding one hundred; and such Justices shall hold their offices for the term of five years from the time of their choice as aforesaid, except those first chosen under this amendment, who shall be classed as by law may be provided, and in such manner, that one equal fifth part of the

after. The said Justices shall be commissioned by the Governor, and may be removed by the Governor on conviction of misbehavior in any office, or of any infamous crime, or on the address of the Senate. And the said Justices shall give security to the Commonwealth, for the faithful discharge of the duties of their office, in such form and manner as the Legislature may direct".

The committee then rose, reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again, and,

The Convention adjourned.

THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1887.

SIXTH ARTICLE.

The Convention again resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the sixth article of the Constitution, Mr. CHAMBERS, of Franklin, in the Chair.

The question being on the motion of Mr. FLEMING, to amend the report of the fifth section, by substituting for it the following:

"The Justices of the Peace shall be chosen by the qualified voters in such convenient districts in each county, at such time, and in such manner, as by law may be provided, so that there shall be one Justice of the Peace in every such district, containing not less than fifty taxable inhabitants, and that there may be chosen as aforesaid an additional Justice in every such district, for every one hundred and fifty taxable inhabitants in said district, exceeding one hundred; and such Justices shall hold their offices for the term of five years from the time of their choice as aforesaid, except those first chosen under this amendment, who shall be classed as by law may be provided, and in such manner, that one equal fifth part of the said Justices in the several counties shall go out of office annually thereafter. The said Justices shall be commissioned by the Governor, and may be removed by the Governor on conviction of misbehavior in any office, or of any infamous crime, or on the address of the Senate.And the said Justices shall give security to the Commonwealth, for the faithful discharge of the duties of their cffice, in such form and manner as the Legislature may direct".

Mr. STERIGERE thought the amendment did not test the principle; and as he desired to vote upon it, he would move to amend the amendment by striking out all after the first word, "the", and inserting as follows:

"Governor shall, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint Justices of the Peace in such convenient districts in each county, as are or shall be established by law, not to exceed one in each township, borough, or district, unless a greater number be allowed by law ; and ail Aldermen, and Notaries Public, shall be commissioned f r five years, but shall be removed on conviction of misbehavior in office, or of any infamous crime, or on the address of both branches of the Legislature. The last appointed Justice of the Peace, commissioned before the first