Part 17 (1/2)

46. What is a capitation tax?

47. Who appoints the a.s.sessors?

48. How many a.s.sessors are there, and what salary do they receive?

49. What are the duties of the a.s.sessors?

50. By whom is the coroner appointed, and how is he paid?

51. What are the duties of the coroner?

52 What do you understand by an inquest?

53. Tell how an inquest is conducted.

IX.

DISTRICT ORGANIZATION.

Magisterial Districts.

Each county shall be divided into as many compactly located magisterial districts as are necessary, not less than three.

There must be at least three and not more than eleven magisterial districts in each county, and in each district there must be one supervisor, three justices of peace, one constable, and one overseer of the poor.

Supervisor.

Elected by the people for four years; must be a resident of the district.

Duties. A member of the Board of Supervisors; shall inspect the roads and bridges in his district.

The general duties of the Board of Supervisors have been already explained, but each supervisor has special duties in his own district. He must inspect the public roads and bridges in his district twice every year to see that they are kept in repair, and he must once a year make a written report to the Board of Supervisors as to their condition.

For the time he is actually employed in such service each supervisor receives two dollars a day, paid out of the public funds of his own district, but he is not allowed for such service more than thirty dollars in any one year.

Justices of the Peace.

Three in each district; elected by the people for four years; must reside in the district. Salary, fees.

Duties. Is a conservator of the peace; must see that the laws are obeyed; may issue warrants, attachments, etc.; may hold court for the trial of causes. (See Justices' Courts.)

The jurisdiction of justices is fully explained under JUSTICES'

COURTS. Justices of the peace receive no salaries, but they are allowed fees for the issuing and certifying of several kinds of legal doc.u.ments.

A CONSERVATOR of the peace is a preserver of the peace. To preserve the peace is one of the chief duties of a justice of the peace, hence the t.i.tle of his office. If he have good reason to believe that any person intends to commit an offence against another, it is the duty of a justice to issue a warrant for the arrest of such person, and to require him to give bail or security for his good behavior.

In general it is the duty of the justice of the peace to do everything necessary to prevent, as well as to punish, violations of the criminal law in his district.

An ATTACHMENT is a writ directing an officer of the law to arrest and bring into court a person who has been summoned to attend as a witness or a juror, but has failed to appear at the proper time.