No town or city can be granted permission to become a stockholder in or to contribute to any railroad or work of public improvement, unless a majority of the voters desire it; and restrictions are placed upon the power of the state to become a stockholder in or to pledge its credit to any company. The executive power is vested in a governor, elected by a majority vote of the people, who holds office for four years or until his successor is qualified. If no candidate receives a majority, the general assembly chooses one of the two who have the highest number of votes. The governor must be 30 years of age, for 15 years a citizen of the United States, and for six years of the state. He is the commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the state and of the militia, may grant reprieves and pardons except in cases of impeachment, and has a veto upon acts of the legislature which can only be overcome by a two-thirds vote of each house. In case of the death, resignation, or inability of the governor, the president of the senate, and in case of the latter's inability, the speaker of the house of representatives, acts as governor until the disability is removed or a successor is elected.

There are also a secretary of state, comptroller general, treasurer, and surveyor general, elected by the general assembly, an attorney general, and a state school commissioner, appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, each holding office for four years. The power of impeachment is vested in the house of representatives. The senate, presided over by one of the judges of the supreme court, constitutes the court for the trial of impeachments, but no person can be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present. The supreme court consists of three judges, who hold office for 12 years, one retiring every four years, and has appellate jurisdiction only of cases from the .superior courts and the city courts of Savannah and Augusta. There is a judge of the superior court for each of the 19 judicial circuits, who holds office for eight years. These courts, except in matters of probate, have general original jurisdiction both civil and criminal, at law and in equity, issue writs of certiorari to inferior tribunals, and may have appellate jurisdiction conferred upon them by law. A session is held twice a year in each county.

The judges are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, and may be removed by him upon the address of two thirds of each branch of the legislature, or upon impeachment and conviction. The judges of the supreme and superior courts and the attorney general must be 30 years of age, for three years citizens of the state, and must have practised law seven years. There is an ordinary for each county, elected by the people thereof for four years, who holds a court of ordinary and probate; from his decisions there may be an appeal to the superior court. A justice of the peace is elected by the qualified voters of each militia district for four years. Justices have jurisdiction in civil cases in which the sum claimed does not exceed $100; when the amount is more than $50, an appeal maybe taken to the superior court. A notary public (ex officio a justice of the peace) for each militia district may be appointed by the governor for four years. County courts presided over by a single judge in each county were established by the act of Jan. 19, 1872, in most of the counties.

The judges, who have the same jurisdiction as justices of the peace, are appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate for four years, and must be 25 years of age and residents of the county for which they are appointed. Each head of a family is entitled to exemption from execution on a homestead of realty to the value of $2,000 in specie, and personal property to the value of $1,000 in specie, except for taxes, money borrowed and expended in the improvement of the homestead, or for the purchase money of the same, and for labor done thereon or material furnished therefor, or removal of encumbrances thereon." The militia consists of all able-bodied males 18 to 45 years of age, except those conscientiously opposed to bearing arms, who may purchase exemption. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of each house of two successive legislatures, after which they must be ratified by the people. No convention of the people shall be called by the legislature in the election of delegates to which any person qualified to vote by this constitution is disqualified, nor unless the representatives therein shall be based on population. Georgia is entitled to nine representatives in the lower house of .congress. The rate of interest is 7 per cent.

All property owned by a married woman at the time of marriage, and all that may be given to and inherited or acquired by her, is her separate property, and not liable for the debts of her husband. A married woman may sue and be sued in matters pertaining to her separate estate as though single, and with the consent of her husband may trade as a feme sole. No total divorce can be granted except on the concurrent verdict of two juries. The grounds of total divorce are intermarriage within the prohibited degrees, mental or physical incapacity at the time of marriage, adultery, wilful and continued desertion for three years, conviction of crime and sentence to the penitentiary for two years or more, force, menace, duress, or fraud in procuring the marriage, and pregnancy at the time of marriage unknown to the husband. For cruel treatment or habitual drunkenness the jury may grant either a partial or a total divorce. Treason in the first degree, murder, arson of an occupied dwelling or of a house in a city, town, or village, castration, and rape may be punished with death.

Other punishments are fines, imprisonment, and whipping, not more than 39 lashes.-According to the federal censuses, the valuation of property has been as follows: