28. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.

29. No person shall be debarred from prosecuting or defending any civil cause for or against him or herself before any tribunal in this State, by him or herself, or counsel or both.

30. No person shall ever be appointed or elected to any office in this State for life or during good behavior; but the tenure of all offices shall be for some limited period of time, if the person appointed or elected thereto shall so long behave well.

Conclusion.

To guard against transgressions of the high powers herein delegated, we declare, that everything in this article is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall forever remain inviolate; and that all laws contrary thereto or to the following provisions, shall be void.

ARTICLE II.-Distribution of Powers.

SEC. 1. The powers of the government of the State of Mississippi, shall be divided into three distinct departments, and each of them confided to a separate body of magistracy; to wit: those which are legislative to one, those which are judicial to another, and those which are executive to another.

2. No person, or collection of persons, being of one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.

ARTICLE III.-Legislative Department.

SEC. 1. Every free white male person of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, who shall be a citizen of the United States, and shall have resided in this State one year next preceding an election, and the last four months within the county, city or town in which he offers to vote, shall be deemed a qualified elector. And any such qualified elector who may happen to be in any county, city or town other than that of his residence at the time of an election, or who shall have removed to any county, city or town within four months preceding the election, from any county, city or town, in which he would have been a qualified elector had he not so removed, may vote for any State or district officer or member of Congress, for whom he could have voted in the county of his residence, or the county, city or town, from which he may have so removed.

2. Electors shall, in all cases, except in those of treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest, during their attendance on elections, and going to and returning from the same.

3. The first election shall be by ballot, and all future elections, by the people, shall be regulated by law.

4. The legislative power of this State shall be vested in two distinct branches; the one to be styled "the Senate," the other "the

House of Representatives;" and both together, "the Legislature of the State of Mississippi." And the style of their laws shall be," Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi."

5. The members of the House of Representatives shall be chosen by the qualified electors, and shall serve for the term of two years, from the day of the commencement of the general election, and no longer.

6. The representatives shall be chosen every two years, on the first Monday and day following in November.

7. No person shall be a representative unless he be a citizen of the United States, and shall have been an inhabitant of this State two years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof a resident of the county, city or town for which he shall be chosen; and shall have attained the age of twenty-one years.

8. Elections for representatives for the several counties, shall be. held at the places of holding their respective courts, or in the several election districts into which the county may be divided; Provided, That when it shall appear to the Legislature that any city or town hath a number of free white inhabitants equal to the ratio then fixed, such city or town shall have a separate representation, according to the number of free white inhabitants therein, which shall be retained so long as such city or town shall contain a number of free white inhabitants equal to the existing ratio, and thereafter and during the existence of the right of separate representation in such city or town, elections for the county in which such city or town entitled to a separate representation is situated, shall not be held in such city or town. And provided, That if the residuum or fraction of any city or town entitled to separate representation shall, when added to the residuum in the county in which it may lie. be equal to the ratio fixed by law for one representative; then the aforesaid county, city or town, having the largest residuum, shall be entitled to such representation: And provided also, That when there are two or more counties adjoining, which have residuums over and above the ratio then fixed by law, if said residuums, when added together, will amount to such ratio, in that case one representative shall be added to that county having the largest residuum.

9. The Legislature shall at their first session, and at periods of not less than every four, nor more than every six years, until the year 1845, and thereafter at periods of not less than every four, nor more than every eight years, cause an enumeration to be made of all the free white inhabitants of this State, and the whole number of representatives shall, at the several periods of making such enumeration, be fixed by the Legislature, and apportioned among the several counties, cities or towns, entitled to separate representation, according to the number of free white inhabitants in each, and shall not be less than thirty-six nor more than one hundred: Provided, however, That each county shall always be entitled to at least one representative.

10. The whole number of senators shall, at the several periods of making the enumeration before mentioned, be fixed by the Legislature, and apportioned among the several districts to be established by law, according to the number of free white inhabitants in each, and shall never be less than one-fourth, nor more than one-third of the whole number of representatives.

11. The senators shall be chosen by the qualified electors, for four years, and on their being convened in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided by lot from their respective districts into two classes as nearly equal as can be.-And the seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year.

12. Such mode of classifying new additional senators shall be observed as will as nearly as possible preserve an equality of numbers in each class.

13. When a senatorial district shall be composed of two or more counties, it shall not be entirely separated by any county belonging to another district; and no county shall be divided in forming a district.

14. No person shall be a senator unless he be a citizen of the United States, and shall have been an inhabitant of this State four years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof a resident of the district for which he shall be chosen, and have attained the age of thirty years.

15. The House of Representatives, when assembled, shall choose a Speaker and its other officers, and the Senate shall choose a President and its officers, and each house shall judge of the qualifications and elections of its own members: but a contested election shall be determined in such manner as shall be directed by law. A majority of each house 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 may provide.

16. Each house may determine the rules of its own proceedings, punish members for disorderly behavior, and with the consent of twothirds, expel a member, but not a second time for the same cause : and shall have all other powers necessary for a branch of the Legislature of a free and independent State.

17. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish the same; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall at the desire of any three members present, be entered on the journal.

18. When vacancies happen in either house, the Governor, or the person exercising the powers of the Governor, shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

19. Senators and representatives shall in all cases, except of treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the session of the Legislature, and in going to and returning from

the same, allowing one day for every twenty miles such member may reside from the place at which the Legislature is convened.

20. Each house may punish by imprisonment, during the session, any person not a member, for disrespectful or disorderly behavior in its presence, or for obstructing any of its proceedings: Provided, such imprisonment shall not, at any one time, exceed forty-eight hours.

21. The doors of each house shall be open, except on such occasions of great emergency, as, in the opinion of the house, may require

secrecy.

22. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which they may be sitting.

23. Bills may originate in either house, and be amended, altered or rejected by the other, but no bill shall have the force of a law, until on three several days, it be read in each house, and free discussion be allowed thereon, unless four-fifths of the house in which the bill shall be pending, may deem it expedient to dispense with this rule; and every bill having passed both houses, shall be signed by the Speaker and President of their respective houses.

24. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may amend or reject them as other

bills.

25. Each member of the Legislature shall receive from the public treasury a compensation for his services which may be increased or diminished by law; but no increase of compensation shall take effect during the session at which such increase shall have been made.

26. No senator or representative shall, during the term for which he shall have been elected, nor for one year thereafter, be appointed to any civil office of profit under this State, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased, during such term, except such offices as may be filled by elections by the people; and no member of either house of the Legislature shall after the commencement of the first session of the Legislature after his election, and during the remainder of the term for which he is elected, be eligible to any office or place, the appointment to which may be made in whole or in part by either branch of the Legislature.

27. No judge of any court of law or equity. Secretary of State, Attorney-General, clerk of any court of record, sheriff or collector, or any person holding a lucrative office under the United States or this State, shall be eligible to the Legislature: Provided, That offices in the militia, to which there is attached no annual salary, and the office of justice of the peace shall not be deemed lucrative.

28. No person who hath heretofore been, or hereafter may be, a collector or holder of public moneys, shall have a seat in either house of the Legislature, until such person shall have accounted for, and paid into the treasury, all sums for which he may be accountable.

29. The first election for senators and representatives shall be general throughout the State, and shall be held on the first Monday and day following in November, 1833; and thereafter, there shall be biennial elections for senators to fill the places of those whose term of service may have expired.

30. The first and all future sessions of the Legislature shall be held in the town of Jackson, in the county of Hinds, until the year 1850. During the first session thereafter, the Legislature shall have power to designate by law the permanent seat of government: Provided, however, That unless such designation be then made by law, the seat of government shall continue permanently at the town of Jackson. The first session shall commence on the third Monday in November, in the year 1833; and in every two years thereafter, at such time as may be prescribed by law.

31. The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor of public accounts, and Attorney-General, shall reside at the seat of government.

ARTICLE IV.-Judicial Department.

SEC. 1. The judicial power of this State shall be vested in one High Court of Errors and Appeals, and such other courts of law and equity as are hereafter provided for in this Constitution.

2. The High Court of Errors and Appeals shall consist of three judges, any two of whom shall form a quorum. The Legislature shall divide the State into three districts, and the qualified electors of each district shall elect one of said judges for the term of six years.

3. The office of one of said judges shall be vacated in two years, and of one in four years, and of one in six years, so that at the expiration of every two years, one of said judges shall be elected as aforesaid.

4. The High Court of Errors and Appeals shall have no jurisdiction, but such as properly belongs to a Court of Errors and Appeals. 5. All vacancies that may occur in said court, from death, resignation, or removal, shall be filled by election as aforesaid: Provided, however, that if the unexpired term do not exceed one year, the vacancy shall be filled by executive appointment.

6. No person shall be eligible to the office of judge of the High Court of Errors and Appeals, who shall not have attained, at the time of his election, the age of thirty years.

7. The High Court of Errors and Appeals shall be held twice in each year, at such place as the Legislature shall direct, until the year eighteen hundred and thirty-six, and afterwards at the seat of government of the State.

8. The Secretary of State, on receiving all the official returns of the first election, shall proceed, forthwith, in the presence and with the assistance of two justices of the peace, to determine by lot among the three candidates having the highest number of votes, which of