THE CONSTITUTION

OF THE

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA,

AS AMENDED BY THE CONVENTION OF ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY

SEVEN-THIRTY-EIGHT.

WE, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, ordain and establish this Constitution for its government.

ARTICLE I.

OF THE LEGISLATURE.

Section I. The legislative power of this Com. monwealth shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Sec. II. The representatives shall be chosen annually by the citizens of the city of Philadelphia and of each county respectively on the second Tuesday of October.

Sec. III. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained the age of twenty-one years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state three years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof an inhabitant of the district in and for which he shall be chosen a repre sentative, unless he shall have been absent on the

public business of the United States or of this State.

Sec. IV. Within three years after the first meeting of the General Assembly, and within every subsequent term of seven years, an enumeration of the taxable inhabitants shall be made in such manner as shall be directed by law. The number of representatives shall, at the several periods of making such enumeration, be fixed by the Legislature, and apportioned among the city of Philadelphia and the several counties, according to the number of taxable inhabitants in each and shall never be less than sixty nor greater than one hundred. Each county shall have at least one representative, but no county hereafter erected shall be entitled to a separate representation until a sufficient number of taxable inhabitants shall be contained within it to entitle them to one representative, agreeably to the ratio which shall then be established.

Sec. V. The senators shall be chosen for three years by the citizens of Philadelphia and of the several counties at the same time, in the same manner, and at the same places where they shall vote for representatives.

Sec. VI. The number of senators shall, at the several periods of making the enumeration before mentioned, be fixed by the Legislature and apportioned among the districts formed as hereinafter directed, according to the number of taxable inhabitants in each; and shall never be less than one-fourth, nor greater than one-third, of the number of representatives.

Sec. VII. The senators shall be chosen in dis

tricts, to be formed by the Legislature; but no district shall be so formed as to entitle it to elect more than two senators, unless the number of taxable inhabitants in any city or county shall, at any time, be such as to entitle it to elect more than two, but no city or county shall be entitled to elect more than four senators; when a district shall be composed of two or more counties, they shall be adjoining; neither the city of Philadelphia, nor any county shall be divided in forming a district.

Sec. VIII. No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State four years next before his election, and the last year thereof an inhabitant of the district for which he shall be chosen, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of this State; and no person elected as aforesaid, shall hold said office after he shall have removed from such district.

Sec. IX. The senators who may be elected at the first general election after the adoption of the amendments to the Constitution, shall be divided by lot into three classes. The seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the first year; of the second class at the expiration of the second year; and of the third class at the expiration of the third year; so that thereafter one-third of the whole number of senators may be chosen every year. The senators elected before the amendments to the Constitution shall be adopted, shall hold their offices during the terms for which they shall respectively have been elected.