jurisdiction and powers now vested in the district courts and courts
of common pleas, subject to such changes as may be made by this
Constitution or by law, shall be in Philadelphia vested in four,
and in Allegheny in two, distinct and separate courts of equal and
co-ordinate jurisdiction, composed of three judges each; the said
courts in Philadelphia shall be designated respectively as the court
of common pleas number one, number two, number three and number four,
and in Allegheny as the court of common pleas number one and number
two, but the number of said courts may be by law increased, from
time to time, and shall be in like manner designated by successive
numbers; the number of judges in any of said courts, or in any county
where the establishment of an additional court may be authorized by
law, may be increased from time to time, and whenever such increase
shall amount in the whole to three, such three judges shall compose a
distinct and separate court as aforesaid, which shall be numbered as
aforesaid. In Philadelphia all suits shall be instituted in the said
courts of common pleas without designating the number of said court,
and the several courts shall distribute and apportion the business
among them in such manner as shall be provided by rules of court,
and each court, to which any suit shall be thus assigned, shall have
exclusive jurisdiction thereof, subject to change of venue, as shall
be provided by law. In Allegheny each court shall have exclusive
jurisdiction of all proceedings at law and in equity, commenced
therein, subject to change of venue as may be provided by law.
Prothonotary of Philadelphia--Court Dockets.