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but it is enjoined that no county or legislative
district of Baltimore city shall have more than
six delegates.
The provisions in regard to the elective fran-
chise do not differ materially from the article in
the present constitution, excepting the expurg-
ing of the test oath, every while male citizen
being entitled to vote who have the usual quali-
fications. The Legislature is to provide for reg-
istration, and the registry is to be conclusive
evidence of the right to vote, the present law to
continue in force until another shall be enacted,
except so far as it may be inconsistent with the
provisions of the new constitution. —An oath of
office is prescribed, in which is a pledge by the
holder not to receive the profits, or any part of
the profits, or any other office during his term.
The important question of the judiciary, as
determined by the Convention seems likely to give
satisfaction. The system of a plurality of
judges, under which justice was administered
for generations in Maryland with so much abil-
ity and acceptability, has been returned to. The
State is divided into eight judicial circuits, the
counties composing several of them, with one
chief judge for each, at a salary of $3, 500, and
two associate judges in each of the county cir-
cuits at a salary of $2, 800 for each circuit.
The independent Court of Appeals is abolished,
and the chief justices of each circuit are here-
after to constitute that tribunal. It is expected
that, under the workings of this system, the
great delay and inefficiency which has charac-
terized the operations of the courts in some parts
of the State will be obviated. The present Or-
phans' Court system, upon which the mass of
the people set so much value, is substantially re-
tained, both for the counties and the city of
Baltimore. In the city of Baltimore, which con-
stitutes the eighth judicial circuit, it is provided
that there shall be six courts, to be styled the
Supreme Bench of Baltimore city, the Superior
Court of Baltimore city, the Court of Common
Pleas, the Baltimore City Court, the Circuit
Court of Baltimore city, and the Criminal Court
of Baltimore. Each judge is to receive a salary
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