IV. West Virginia was not a Territory; but the inhabitants of forty counties in the north-western part of Virginia repudiated the secession convention, held at Richmond, and organized a government of their own. They adopted a constitution, and this district was admitted by Congress as a State in 1862.

TERRITORIES.

What can you say about Territories?

I. Territories are organized by an act of Congress, defining their boundaries.

II. The chief executive officers are a Governor and a Secretary, appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate, for a term of four years.

III. An Auditor, Treasurer, and Superintendent of Common Schools, are elected by the Territorial Legislature for two years.

IV. The Legislature consists of a Council and House of Representatives, elected by the people, by districts, for two years, and their sessions are usually biennial.

V. The Judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate Courts, and Justices of the Peace.

VI. Each Territory is divided into three judicial districts, and the Supreme Court thereof consists of a Chief Justice and two associates, appointed by the President for a term of four years; its jurisdiction is appellate.

VII. A District Court with general original jurisdiction is held in each judicial district in a Territory by a Justice of the Supreme Court.

VIII. There is a Probate Court for each county, the

judges being elected by the people for a term of two

years.

IX. Justices of the Peace are elected, and have jurisdiction over minor cases.

X. Delegates to Congress are elected by the voters of the Territory, and serve during a Congress, but have no vote. See page 105.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

What can you say about the District of Columbia?

I. The Constitution confers upon Congress the exclusive legislative control of the District. See page 136. II. The people have no voice in the election of presidential electors.

III. By a law of Congress in 1874, the Executive, Legislative, and Public Works Departments, and the office of Delegate to Congress were abolished.

IV. By the same law an office (to be administered by three Commissioners appointed by the President and Senate) was created, giving the Commissioners authority to abolish any office, consolidate two or more offices, remove from and make appointments to office.

V. By the same law the municipalities of Georgetown and Washington were abolished, which suppressed the elective franchise throughout the district.

VI. The Supreme Court of the District of Columbia consists of one Chief Justice and five associates, ap

pointed by the President and Senate, holding their office during good behavior.

VII. The Supreme Court has general original jurisdiction in law and equity.

VIII. The General Term held by all the Justices of the Supreme Court of the District, or a majority of them, hears appeals and writs of error from determinations of a single Justice of the Supreme Court. IX. Any one Justice may hold a Special Term.

What is a Jury?

JUDICIARY.
JURIES

A body of men selected according to law, and sworn to inquire into and try any matter of fact, and declare the truth of it on the evidence given in the case.

Name some Juries?

I. One for the trial of causes in a Justice's Court, composed of 6 freeholders of lawful age.

II. One of 12 men, called a Trial Jury, whose duty it is to try causes in county and supreme courts, and render a verdict according to the facts proven.

III. One called a Grand Jury, of not less than 16 nor more than 23, whose duty it is to examine into accusations against persons charged with crime, and if they find sufficient testimony to warrant it, to find a bill of indictment against the person or persons complained of. See page 154.

IV. One of not less than 6 nor more than 15 persons, summoned by the coroner, to inquire into the cause of any mysterious or violent death.

The jury for laying out new highways has been discontinued, and a commission consisting of three persons to be appointed by the county judge, substituted in its place.

The persons constituting the road commission must not be residents of the town in which the road is to be located.

What Qualifications are requisite for jurors?

They must be freeholders (owners of real estate), between the ages of 21 and 70.

Who are Exempt from sitting on a jury?

Persons over 60 years of age, postmasters, and many others.

How are jury lists Obtained?

I. The trial jury list is made by the supervisor, townclerk, and assessors of the several towns in a county, containing the names of all persons deemed qualified, and the names in the several lists are written upon slips of paper of the same size and deposited in a box in the county clerk's office.

II. The grand jury list is reported at the annual meeting of the board of supervisors, who apportion the number (300) among the several towns in the county in proportion to population. Each supervisor selects from his town the number to which it is entitled; and these several lists are written upon slips of paper as before and deposited in a box in the county clerk's office.

III. The trial jury lists are revised every third year; the grand jury lists every year.

When and how are juries Drawn?

I. By the county clerk, in the presence of the county judge and sheriff, and not more than 20 nor less than 14 days before the sitting of the court for which they are drawn.

II. The clerk puts his hand into the box containing the names of all the trial jurors for the county, and without seeing the names until drawn, proceeds to draw 36 ballots from the box, which constitutes the trial jury for that term of court; then from the grand jury box 24 names are drawn in the same manner, which constitutes the grand jury for that term. Only 23 grand jurors are allowed to sit.

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