There is in this State a fuperior court, confifting of one chief Judge and four other Judges, which have authority in all criminal cafes extending to life, limb, and banishment, and to hear and determine all civil actions brought by appeal from the county courts, or on writs of error. This court alfo hath authority in all. matters of divorce. There are two stated feffions of the fuperior court in each county annually.

There are also county courts held in the feveral counties, confifting of one Judge and four Justices of the Quorum, who have jurifdiction in all criminal cafes arifing within their respective counties, where the punishment does not extend to life, limb, or banishment. county courts alfo have original jurifdiction in all civil actions wherein the demand exceeds forty fhillings.

The

The fuperior and county courts try matters of fact by a jury, according to the course of the common law.

Juftices of the peace have authority to hear and determine civil actions where the demand does not exceed forty fhillings. They also have authority in fome cafes of a criminal

nature,

nature, punishable by fine not exceeding forty fhillings, or whipping not exceeding ten ftripes, or fitting in the stocks.

This State is alfo divided into a number of probate districts, less than counties; in each of which is appointed a Judge for the probate of wills, granting administration on inteftate eftates, appointing guardians for minors, ordering diftribution of inteftate estates, &c. An appeal lies from any decree of this court to the fuperior court.

The fuperior, county, and probate courts appoint their respective clerks.

The General Court has till very lately been the only court of chancery in this State. But by a late law, the county courts determine matters of equity from five pounds to two hundred pounds value; the fuperior court from two hundred to eight hundred pounds value; and the General Affembly all cafes exceeding the laft mentioned fum.

All attornies at law are admitted and fworn by the county courts; there is no attorney-general, but there ufed to be one King's attorney in each county; but fince the King has abdicated the government, they are now attornies to the Governor and Company.

NEW

NEW-YORK.

THE

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

STATE of NEW-YORK,

ESTABLISHED BY THE CONVENTION, AU-
THORISED AND EMPOWERED FOR THAT
PURPOSE, APRIL 20, 1777.

I. THIS Convention, in the name and by the
authority of the good people of this
State, doth ordain, determine, and declare, that
no authority fhall, on any pretence whatever,
be exercised over the people or members of
this State, but fuch as fhall be derived from and
granted by them.

II. This Convention doth further, in the name and by the authority of the good people of this State, ordain, determine, and declare, that the fupreme legislative power, within this State, fhall be vested in two feparate and diftinct bodies of men; the one to be called, THE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF NEW

YORK;

1

YORK; the other to be called, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW-York ; who together shall form the legislature, and meet once, at leaft, in every year for the difpatch of business.

pur

;

III. And whereas laws inconfiftent with the fpirit of this Constitution, or with the public good, may be haftily and unadvisedly paffed; be it ordained, that the Governor for the time being, the Chancellor, and the Judges of the Supreme Court, or any two of them, together with the Governor, fhall be, and hereby are, conftituted a Council to revise all bills about to be paffed into laws by the legislature; and for that pofe fhall affemble themselves, from time to time, when the legislature shall be convened; for which, nevertheless, they shall not receive any falary or confideration, under any pretence whatever. And that all bills which have paffed the Senate and Affembly, fhall, before they become laws, be prefented to the faid Council for their revifal and confideration and if upon fuch revifion and confideration, it fhould appear improper to the faid Council, or a majority of them, that the faid bill fhould become a law of this State, that they return the fame, together with their objections thereto in writing,

writing, to the Senate or House of Affembly, in which-foever the fame fhall have originated, who shall enter the objections fent down by the Council, at large, in their minutes, and proceed to re-confider the faid bill. But if after such re-confideration, two-thirds of the faid Senate or House of Affembly fhall, notwithstanding the faid objections, agree to pass the fame, it fhall, together with the objections, be fent to the other branch of the legislature, where it shall also be re-confidered, and, if approved by two-thirds of the Members prefent, fhall be a law.

And in order to prevent any unnecessary delays, be it further ordained, that if any bill fhall not be returned by the Council within ten days after it shall have been prefented, the fame fhall be a law, unless the legislature fhall, by their adjournment, render a return of the faid bill within ten days impracticable; in which case the bill shall be returned on the first day of the meeting of the legislature, after the expiration of the faid ten days.

IV. That the Affembly fhall confift of at least seventy Members, to be annually chofen in the feveral Counties, in the proportions following, viz.

For