a court of thefe juftices is called: if they on examination think him guilty, they r. 251 ] fend him to the jail of the general court, before which court he is to be tried firft by a grand jury of 24, of whom 1 3 mufl:
concur in opinion: if they find him guilty, he is then tried by a jury of 12 men of the county where the offence was com- mitted, and by their verdid, which mull be unanimous, he is acquitted or condemned without appeal. If the criminal be a flave, the trial by the county court is final. In every cafe, however, except that of high treafon, there refides in the governor a power of pardon. In high treafon, the pardon can only flow from the generaly alfembly. In civil matters thefe juftices have jurifdidlion in all cafes of whatever value, not appertaining to the department of the admiralty. This jurifdiftion is twofold. If the matter in difpute be of lefs value than four dollars and one-fixth, a fingle member may try it at any time and place within his county, and may award execution on the goods of the party call:. If it be of that or greater value, it is determinable before the county court, which confifts of four at the leaft [ 25^ ] of thofe juftices, and affembles at the court-houfe of the county on a certain day in every month. From their deter- mination, if the matter be of the value of ten pounds fterHng, or concern the title or bounds of lands, an appeal lies to one of the fuperior courts.
There are three fuperior courts, to wit, the high-court of chancery, the general court, and the court of admiralty. The firft and fecond of thefe receive appeals from the county courts, and alfo have original jurifdiftion, where the fubjeft of controverfy is of the value of ten pounds flerhng, or where it concerns the title or bounds of land. The jurifdiftion of the admiralty is original altogether. The high court of chancery is compofed of three judges, the general court of five, and the court of admiralty of three. The two firft hold their feffions at Richmond at ftated times, the chancery twice in the year, and the general court twice for bufinefs civil and criminal, and twice more for criminal only. The court of admi- ralty fits at Williamfburgh whenever a controverfy arifes.