The powers and privileges of the legislature do not differ materially from those which belong to the legislatures of the other states of the United States. There are numerous restrictions impoeed by the constitution upon general power to legislate, and most of the essential provisions of Magna Charta have been incorporated into it.
The supreme executive power of the state is vested in a governor, who is chosen by the electors quali fied to elect members of the legislature. His term of office is three years from the third Tnesday of January next ensuing his election, and he is in capable of holding it more than six years in any term of nine yearn. He must be at least thirty years of age; and he must have been a citizen and an inhabitant. of the state seven years next before his election, unless he shall have been absent on the publio business of the United States or of the state. No member of congress or person holding any office under the United States or of the state can exercise the office of governor.
The governor is ex officio commander-in-ehief of the army and navy of the commonwealth, and of the militia, except when they are called into the actual service of the United' States. It is his duty to see that the laws of the commonwealth are exe cuted. He appoints a secretary of the common wealth during pleasure. He appoints also an at torney-general. He has power to fill all vacancies in judicial offices in courts of record, and his ap pointees continue in office until the first Monday of December succeeding the next general election. All commissions must be in the name and by authority of the commonwealth, and be sealed with the state seal and signed by the governor. He has also power to remit fines and forfeitures, and grant re prieves nnd pardons, except in cases of impeach ment. Ile may convene the legislature on extra ordinary occasions, and, in case of disagreement between the two houses with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such titne as he may think proper, not more remote than fonr months. It is made his duty to communicate to the legislature from time to time information of the state of the commonwealth, and reoommend to their consideration such measnres as he may deem expe dient. He has a veto power over every bill passed by the legislature; but if, notwithstanding his ob. jection, two-thirds of both houses agree to the hill after reconsideration, it becomes a law.
In case of the death or resignation of the gov ernor, or his removal from office, the office devolves upon the speaker of the sennte until another gov ernor is duly qualified ; but in such a case, another governor is to he chosen at the next annual election occurring more than three months after such death, resignation, or removal. In case of a contested eleotion, if the trial continue longer than until the third Tuesday of January next ensuing the day of the general election, the governor of the last year or the speaker of the senate who mag then be is tbe exercise of the executive authority, continues therein until the determination of such contested election, and until a governor shall be qualified. The supreme court is the highest judicial tribu nal of the state. It is composed of five judges, who hold their offices for the term of fifteen years, if they so long behave themselves well. The judge
whose commission will first expire is the chief jus tice; hut if two or more oommissions expire on the same day, the judges holding such commissions decide by lot which shall be chief justice. The jurisdiction of the court extends over the state, and the judges are, ex officio, justices of oyer and ter miner and general jail delivery in the several oouuties. The court is principally a court of errors snd appeals, and its .writs run to all other courts in the state. It has also a limited original jurisdic tion within the city and county of Philadelphia, and original jurisdiction in equity extending over the commonwealth. It holds its sessions once in each year at least, in Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Harrisburg, and Sunbury, for the adjudieation of writs of error and appeals.
For the eourts of common pleas, the state is divided into twenty-six districts; these districts are subject to change by the legislature, but no more than live counties can at any time he included in one judicial district. The president judges of these courts, and all other judges thereof that aro required to be learned in the law, as well as such judges of other (mufti' of reoord as may from time to time be established by the legislature, hold their offices for the term of ten years if they so long behave themselves well In each county they are, ex officio, justices of °per and terminer and general jail delivery for the trial of capital and other offenders therein ; but they have no power to hold a court of oyer and terminer out of their proper districts, nor can they hold such a court in any oounty when the judges of the supreme court, or any of them, are sitting in the same county. The orphans' court and the court of quarter sessions of the peace for each county are composed of the judges of the court of common pleas for the county, or any two of them; and the register of wills, together with the said judges, or two of them, compose the register's court.
Associate judges of the court of common pleas are elected in each county. They are not generally required to be learned in the law : when not so re quired, they hold their offices for the term of five years, if they so long behave themselves well.
The legislature has also established two district courts, one for the eity and county of Philadelphia snd one for the county of' Alleghany.
Most civil issues are tried by the courts of com mon pleas and by the district courts, and the de cisions of those courts are reviewable in the su preme court. A register's office for the probate of wills and granting letters of administration, and, also, an office for recording deeds, are maintained in each couoty. Appeals may be taken from de crees of the register to the register's court. The orphans' courts have general jurisdiction over the settlement of decedents' estates and tbe accounts of executors, administrators, and guardians, sub ject, however, to an appellate jurisdiction in the supreme court.
Civil writs issue, generally, from tbe offices of the clerks of the courts in each county ; and the style of all process is required to be " The Common wealth of Pennsylvania."