Page:Arkansas Constitution 1874 (published 1913).pdf/25

Rh sum of three hundred dollars, exclusive of interest; second, concurrent jurisdiction in suits for the recovery of personal property where the value of the property does not exceed the sum of three hundred dollars, and in all matters of damage to personal property where the amount in controversy does not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars; third such jurisdiction of misdemeanors as is now, or may be, prescribed by law; fourth, to sit as examining courts and commit, discharge or recognize offenders to the court having jurisdiction for further trial, and to bind persons to keep the peace or for good behaviour; fifth, for the foregoing purposes they shall. have power to issue all necessary process; sixth, they shall be conservators of the peace within their respective counties, provided a justice of the peace shall not have jurisdiction where a lien on land or title or possession thereto is involved.

Sec. 41. A justice of the peace shall be a qualified elector and a resident of the township for which he is elected.

Sec. 42. Appeals may be taken from the final judgment of the justices of the peace to the circuit courts under such regulations as are now, or may be, provided by law.

Sec. 43. Corporation courts for towns and cities may be invested with jurisdiction concurrent with justices of the peace in civil and criminal matters, and the General Assembly may invest such of them as it may deem expedient with jurisdiction of any criminal offenses not punishable by death or imprisonment in the penitentiary, with or without indictment, as may be provided by law, and, until the General Assembly shall otherwise provide, they shall have the jurisdiction now provided by law.

Sec. 44. The Pulaski Chancery Court shall continue in existence until abolished by law, or the business pending at the adoption of this Constitution shall be disposed of, or the pending business be transferred to other courts. The judge and clerk of said court shall hold office for the term of two years, and shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State. All suits and proceedings which relate to sixteenth section lands or to money due for said lands shall be transferred to the respective counties where such lands are located in such manner as shall be provided by the General Assembly at the next session.

Sec. 45. The separate criminal courts established in this State are hereby abolished, and all the jurisdiction exercised by said criminal courts is vested in the circuit courts of the respective counties; and all causes now pending therein are hereby transferred to said circuit courts respectively. It shall be the duty of the clerks of said criminal courts to transfer all the records, books and papers pertaining to said criminal courts to the circuit courts of their respective counties.

Sec. 46. The qualified electors of each county shall elect one sheriff, who shall be ex-officio collector of taxes, unless otherwise provided by law; one assessor, one coroner, one treasurer, who shall be ex-officio treasurer of the common school fund of the county, and one