hundred may elect four; each town having fifteen thousand may elect five; each town having twenty thousand two hundred and fifty may elect six; each town having twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty inhabitants may elect seven; but no town shall ever be entitled to more than seven representatives; and towns and plantations, duly organized, not having fifteen hundred inhabitants, shall be classed, as conveniently as may be, into districts, containing that number, and so as not to divide towns; and each such district may elect one representative; and when on this apportionment, the number of representatives shall be two hundred, a different apportionment shall take place upon the above principle; and, in case the fifteen hundred shall be too large or too small to apportion all the representatives to any county, it shall be so increased or diminished as to give the number of representatives according to the above rule and proportion; and whenever any town or towns, plantation or plantations, not entitled to elect a representative, shall determine against a classification with any other town or plantation, the Legislature may, at each apportionment of representatives, on the application of such town or plantation, authorize it to elect a representative for such portion of time, and such periods, as shall be equal to its portion of representation, and the right of representation, so established, shall not be altered until the next general apportion

ment.

4. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives, unless he shall, at the commencement of the period for which he is elected, have been five years a citizen of the United States: having arrived at the age of twenty-one years; have been a resident in this State one year, or from the adoption of this Constitution; and, for the three months next preceding the time of his election, shall have been, and during the period for which he is elected, shall continue to be, a resident in the town or district which he represents.

5. The meetings for the choice of representatives shall be warned, in due course of law, by the selectmen of the several towns, seven days, at least, before the election; and the selectmen thereof shall preside impartially at such meetings, receive the votes of all the qualified electors present, sort, count, and declare them, in open town meeting, and in the presence of the town clerk, who shall form a list of the persons voted for, with the number of votes for each person against his name, shall make a fair record thereof in the presence of the selectmen, and in open town meeting; and a fair copy of this list shall be attested by the selectmen and town clerk, and delivered by said selectmen to each representative within ten days next after such election. And the towns and plantations, organized by law, belonging to any class herein provided, shall hold their meetings at the same time in the respective towns and plantations; and the town and plantation meetings in such towns and plantations, shall be notified, held, and regulated, the votes received, sorted, counted and declared, in the same manner. And the asses

sors and clerks of plantations shall have all the powers, and be subject to all the duties, which selectmen and town clerks have, and are subject to, by this Constitution. And the selectmen of such towns, and the assessors of such plantations so classed, shall, within four days next after such meeting, meet at some place, to be prescribed and notified by the selectmen or assessors of the eldest town or plantation in such class, and the copies of said lists shall be then examined and compared; and, in case any person shall be elected by a majority of all the votes, the selectmen or assessors shall deliver the certified copies of such lists to the person so elected, within ten days next after such election; and the clerks of towns and plantations, respectively, shall seal up copies of all such lists, and cause them to be delivered into the secretary's office twenty days at least before the first Wednesday in January, annually; but, in case no person shall have a majority of votes, the selectmen and assessors shall as soon as may be, notify another meeting, and the same proceedings shall be at every future meeting until an election shall have been effected, provided, that the Legislature may, by law, prescribe a different mode of returning, examining, and ascertaining the election of the representatives in such classes.

6. Whenever the seat of a member shall be vacated, by death, resignation, or otherwise, the vacancy may be filled by a new election. 7. The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker, clerk,. and other officers.

8. The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment.

1. The Senate shall consist of not less than twenty, nor more than thirty-one members; elected at the same time, and for the same term, as the representatives, by the qualified electors of the districts into which the State shall from time to time be divided.

2. The Legislature which shall be first convened under this Constitution shall, on or before the fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and the Legislature at every subsequent period of ten years, cause the State to be divided into districts for the choice of senators. The district shall conform, as near as may be, to county lines, and be apportioned according to the number of inhabitants. The number of Senators shall not exceed twenty at the first apportionment, and shall, at each apportionment, be increased, until they shall amount to thirty-one, according to the increase in the House of Representatives.

3. The meetings for the election of senators shall be notified, held, and regulated, and the votes received, sorted, counted, declared, and recorded, in the same manner as those for representatives; and fair copies of the lists of votes shall be attested by the selectmen and town clerks of towns, and the assessors and clerks of plantations,

and sealed up in open town and plantation meetings, and the town and plantation clerks, respectively, shall cause the same to be delivered into the secretary's office thirty days at least before the first Wednesday of January. All other qualified electors, living in places unincorporated, who shall be assessed to the support of government by the assessors of an adjacent town, shall have the privilege of voting for senators, representatives, and governor, in such town, and shall be notified by the selectmen thereof, for the purpose accordingly.

4. The governor and council shall, as soon as may be, examine returned copies of such lists, and, twenty days before the said first Wednesday of January, issue a summons -o such persons as shall appear to be elected bs a majority of the votes in each district, to attend that day and take their seats.

5. The Senate shall, on the said first Wednesday of January, annually, determine who are elected by a majority of votes to be senators in each district; and, in case the full number of senators to be elected from each district shall not have been so elected, the members of the House of Representatives, and such senators as shall have been elected, shall, from the highest number of the persons voted for, on said lists, equal to twice the number of senators deficient, in every district if there be so many voted for, elect, by joint ballot, the number of senators required; and in this manner all vacancies in the Senate shall be supplied, as soon as may be after such vacancies happen.

6. The senators shall be twenty-five years of age at the commencement of the term for which they are elected, and in all other respects their qualifications shall be the same as those of the representatives.

7. The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments; and, when sitting for that purpose, shall be on oath or affirmation; and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of twothirds of the members present. Their judgment, however, shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold or enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under this State; but the party, whether convicted or acquitted, shall, nevertheless, be liable to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, according to law.

8. The Senate shall choose their president, secretary, and other officers.

PART THIRD-Legislative Power.

SEC. 1. The Legislature shall convene on the first Wednesday of January, annually, and shall have full power to make and establish all reasonable laws and regulations for the defense and benefit of the people of this State, not repugnant to this Constitution, nor to that of the United States.

2. Every bill or resolution, having the force of law, to which the concurrence of both houses may be necessary, except on a question

of adjournment, which shall have passed both houses, shall be presented to the Governor, and if he approve, he shall sign it; if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on its jour nals, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass it, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall be reconsidered; and, if approved by two-thirds of that house, it shall have the same effect as if it had been signed by the Governor; but, in all such cases, the votes of both houses shall be taken by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill or resolution, shall be entered on the journals of both houses respectively. If the bill or resolution shall not be returned by the Governor within five days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, it shall have the same force and effect as if he had signed it; unless the Legislature by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall have such force and effect, unless returned within three days after their next meeting.

3. Each house shall be the judge of the elections and qualifications of its own members, and a majority shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as each house shall provide.

4. Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member, but not a second time for the same

cause.

5. Each house shall keep a journal, and from time to time publish its proceedings, except such parts as, in their judgment, may require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the journals.

6. Each house, during its session, may punish, by imprisonment, any person, not a member, for disrespectful or disorderly behaviour in its presence; for obstructing any of its proceedings; threatening, assaulting, or abusing any of its members for anything said, done, or doing, in either house: Provided, that no imprisonment shall extend beyond the period of the same session.

7. The senators and representatives shall receive such compensation as shall be established by law; but no law increasing their compensation shall take effect during the existence of the Legislature which enacted it. The expenses of the members of the House of Representatives in traveling to the Legislature and returning therefrom, once in each session, and no more, shall be paid by the State, out of the public treasury, to every member who shall seasonably attend, in the judgment of the House, and does not depart therefrom without leave.

8 The senators and representatives shall, in all cases, except

.

treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at, going to, and returning from each session of the Legislature, and no member shall be liable for anything spoken in debate in either house, in any court or place elsewhere.

9. Bills, orders, or resolutions may originate in either house, and may be altered, amended, or rejected in the other; but all bills for raising a revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose amendments, as in other cases; provided, that they shall not, under color of amendment, introduce any new matter, which does not relate to raising a revenue.

10. No senator or representative shall, during the term for which he shall have been elected, be appointed to any civil office of profit under this State, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which increased during such term, except such offices as may be filled by elections by the people: provided that this prohibition shall not extend to the members of the first Legislature.

11. No member of Congress, nor person holding any office under the United States (post officers excepted), nor office of profit under this State, justices of the peace, notaries public, coroners, and officers of the militia, excepted, shall have a seat in either house during his being such member of Congress, or his continuing in such office. 12. Neither house shall, during the session, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than two days, nor to any other place than that in which the houses shall be sitting.

ARTICLE V.

PART FIRST.-Executive Power.

SEC. 1. The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a Governor.

2. The Governor shall be elected by the qualified electors, and shall hold his office one year, from the first Wednesday of January in each year.

3. The meetings for election of Governor shall be notified, held, and regulated, and votes shall be received, sorted, counted, declared and recorded, in the same manner as those for senators and representatives. They shall be scaled and returned into the Secretary's office in the same manner, and at the same time, as those for senators. And the Secretary of State for the time being shall, on the first Wednesday of January then next, lay the list before the Senate and House of Representatives, to be by them examined; and, in case of a choice by a majority of all the votes returned, they shall declare and publish the same. But if no person shall have a majority of votes, the House of Representatives shall, by ballot, from the persons having the four highest numbers of votes on the list, if so many there be, elect two persons, and make return of their names to the Senate, of whom the Senate shall, by ballot, elect one, who shall be declared the Governor.