Q. How populous must a village be, before it can be incorporated as a city?

A. No definite number is required; whenever a large proportion of the inhabitant desire it, the legislature will grant a city charter.

Q. What is the executive officer of a city called?

A. The Mayor.  His term of office is one year, unless otherwise ordered by the, charter, as in New York and Albany where it is two years.

Q. What other important officers are elected?

A. Aldermen and Supervisors; one each in every ward unless otherwise ordered by their charter.

Q. What officers form the common council?

A. Mayor and aldermen; and they are the legislative body of the city; they have authority to appoint police officers.

Q. What courts exist in cities in addition to those established for the State at large?

A I. The Superior Court of the city of New York.

II.  The Court of Common Pleas for the city and county of New York.

III.  The Superior Court of Buffalo.

IV.  The City Court of Brooklyn.  Const, Art.  VI., Sec. 12.

Juries.

Q. What is a jury?

A. A body of men elected according to law, and sworn to inquire into and try any matter of fact, and declare the truth of it on the evidence given in the case.

Q. Name some juries?

A. I. One of six persons for the trial of causes in a Justice
Court

II.  One of twelve persons, summoned for the purpose of laying out new roads or discontinuing old ones.

III.  One of not less than six nor more than fifteen persons, summoned by the coroner, to inquire into the cause of any violent death.

IV.  One of twelve men, called a petit jury, whose duty it is to try causes, civil or criminal, in the county court and sessions, or circuit and oyer and terminer.

V. One called a grand jury of not less than sixteen nor more than twenty-three, whose duty it is to examine into accusations against persons charged with crime, and if they find sufficient testimony to warrant it, to find a bill of indictment against them to be presented to the court.

Q. Name some qualifications requisite for jurors?

A. They must be freeholders, twenty-one years old.

Q. Who are exempt from sitting on a jury?

A. Persons over sixty years of age, postmasters and many others.

Q. How many are summoned for a justice court and by whom?

A. Twelve, and by a constable; and from these twelve six are drawn.

Q. Who selects and notifies the jury for laying out roads,

A. By the coroner.

Q. How is the petit jury list obtained?

A. The supervisors, town clerk, and assessors of the several towns of the county make out a list of the names of those persons qualified, and the names in the several lists are written upon slips of paper of the same size and deposited in a box in the county clerk’s office.