Chapter XX: Section 1: The several counties of the Territory of Colorado, as they

now exist, are hereby declared to be counties of the State.

SEC. 2. The General Assembly shall have no power to remove the county seat of any county, but the removal of county seats shall be provided for by general law, and no county seat shall be removed unless a majority of the qualified electors of the county, voting on the proposition at a general election, vote therefor; and no such proposition shall be submitted oftener than once in four years, and no person shall vote on such proposition who shall not have resided in the county six months, and in the election precinct ninety days next preceding such election.

SEC. 3. No part of the territory of any county shall be stricken off and added to an adjoining county, without first submitting the question to the qualified voters of the county from which the territory is proposed to be stricken off; nor unless a majority of all the qualified voters of said county voting on the question shall vote therefor.

SEC. 4. In all cases of the establishment of any new county, the new county shall be held to pay its ratable proportion of all then existing liabilities of the county or counties from which such new county shall be formed.

SEC. 5. When any part of the county is stricken off and attached to another county, the part stricken off shall be held to pay its ratable proportion of all then existing liabilities of the county from which it is taken.

COUNTY OFFICERS.

SEC. 6. In each county there shall be elected for the term of three years, three County Commissioners, who shall hold sessions for the transaction of county business as provided by law; any two of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. One of said commissioners shall be elected on the first Tuesday of October, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, and every year thereafter one such officer shall be elected in each county, at the general election, for the term of three years: _Provided_, That when the population of any county shall exceed ten thousand, the Board of County Commissioners may consist of five members, who shall be elected as provided by law, any three of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

SEC. 7. The compensation of all county and precinct officers shall be as provided by law.

SEC. 8. There shall be elected in each county, on the first Tuesday of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, and every alternate year forever thereafter, one County Clerk, who shall be _ex-officio_ Recorder of Deeds and Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners; one Sheriff, one Coroner, one Treasurer, who shall be collector of taxes; one County Superintendent of Schools, one County Surveyor, and one County Assessor.

SEC. 9. In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of County Commissioner, the Governor shall fill the same by appointment; and in the case of a vacancy in any other county office, or in any precinct office, the Board of County Commissioners shall fill the same by appointment; and the person appointed shall hold the office until the next general election, or until the vacancy be filled by election according to law.

SEC. 10. No person shall be eligible to any county office unless he be a qualified elector; nor unless he shall have resided in the county one year preceding his election.

SEC. 11. There shall, at the first election at which county officers are chosen, and annually thereafter, be elected in each precinct one Justice of the Peace and one Constable, who shall each hold his office for the term of two years: _Provided_, That in precincts containing five thousand or more inhabitants, the number of justices and constables may be increased as provided by law.

SEC. 12. The General Assembly shall provide for the election or appointment of such other county, township, precinct and municipal officers as public convenience may require; and their terms of office shall be as prescribed by law, not in any case to exceed two years.

SEC. 13. The General Assembly shall provide, by general laws, for the organization and classification of cities and towns. The number of such classes shall not exceed four, and the powers of each class shall be defined by general laws, so that all municipal corporations of the same class shall possess the same powers, and be subject to the same restrictions.

SEC. 14. The General Assembly shall also make provision, by general law, whereby any city, town or village, incorporated by any special or local law, may elect to become subject to and be governed by the general law relating to such corporations.

SEC. 15. For the purpose of providing for and regulating the compensation of county and precinct officers, the General Assembly shall, by law, classify the several counties of the State according to population, and shall grade and fix the compensation of the officers within the respective classes according to the population thereof. Such law shall establish scales of fees to be charged and collected by such of the county and precinct officers as may be designated therein, for services to be performed by them respectively; and where salaries are provided, the same shall be payable only out of the fees actually collected in all cases where fees are prescribed. All fees, perquisites and emoluments, above the amount of such salaries, shall be paid into the county treasury.

ARTICLE XV.

CORPORATIONS.