Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

the amount of all taxes raised by the legislature, whether direct or indirect, or of whatever species, paid in each, deducting therefrom all taxes paid on account of property held in any other district, and adding thereto all taxes elsewhere paid on account of property held in such district. An enumeration of the white inhabitants, for this purpose, shall be made in the year one thousand eight hundred and nine, and in the course of every tenth year thereafter, in such manner as shall be by law directed: and representatives shall be assigned to the different districts in the abovementioned proportion, by act of the legislature, at the session immedi ately succeeding the above enumeration.

If the enumeration herein directed should not be made in the course of the year appointed for the purpose by these amendments, it shall be the duty of the governor to have it effected as soon thereafter as shall be practicable.

In assigning representatives to the several districts of the state, the legislature shall allow one representative for every sixty-second part of the whole number of white inhabitants in the state; and one representative also for every sixty-second part of the whole taxes raised by the legislature of the state. The legislature shall further allow one representative for such fractions of the sixty-second part of the white inhabitants of the state, and of the sixty-second part of the taxes raised by the legislature of the state, as, when added together, form a unit.

In every apportionment of representation under these amendments, which shall take place after the first apportionment, the amount of taxes shall be estimated from the average of the ten preceding years; but the first apportionment shall be founded upon the tax of the preceding year, excluding from the amount thereof the whole produce of the tax on sales at public auction.

If, in the apportionment of representatives under these amendments, any election district shall appear not to be entitled, from its population and its taxes, to a representative, such election district shall, nevertheless, send one representative; and, if there should be still a deficiency of the number of representatives required by these amendments, such deficiency shall be supplied by assigning representatives to those election districts having the largest surplus fractions; whether those fractions consist of a combination of population and of taxes, or of population or of taxes separately, until the number of one hundred and twentyfour members be provided.

No apportionment, under these amendments shall be construed to take effect, in any manner, until the general election which shall succeed such apportionment.

The election districts, for members of the house of representatives, shall be and remain as heretofore established, except Saxe Gotha and Newberry; in which the boundaries shall be altered, as follows, viz: That part of Lexington in the fork of Broad and Saluda rivers, shall no longer compose a part of the election district of Newberry, but shall be henceforth attached to, and form a part of, Saxe Gotha. And, also, except Orange and Barnwell, or Winton, in which the boundaries shall be altered, as follows, viz: That part of Orange in the fork of Edisto shall no longer compose a part of the election district of Barnwell, or Winton, but shall be henceforth attached to, and form a part of, Orange election district,

The senate shall be composed of one member from each election dis trict, as now established for the election of members of the house of representatives, except the district formed by the parishes of St. Philip and St. Michael, to which shall be allowed two senators, as heretofore.

The seats of those senators who under the constitution shall represent two or more election districts, on the day preceding the second Monday of October, which will be in the year one thousand eight hundred and ten, shall be vacated on that day, and the new senators who shall represent such districts under these amendments, shall, immediately after they shall have been assembled under the first election, be divided by lots into two classes; the seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, and of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year; and the number in these classes shall be so proportioned, that one-half of the whole number of senators may, as nearly as possible, continue to be chosen thereafter every second year.

None of these amendments becoming parts of the constitution of this state shall be altered, unless a bill to alter the same shall have been read on three several days in the house of representatives, and on three several days in the senate, and agreed to at the second and third reading by two-thirds of the whole representation in each branch of the legislature; neither shall any alteration take place, until the bill so agreed to be published three months previous to a new election for members to the house of representatives; and if the alteration proposed by the legislature shall be agreed to in their first session, by two-thirds of the whole representation, in each branch of the legislature, after the same shall have been read on three several days in each house, then, and not otherwise, the same shall become a part of the constitution.

AMENDMENT RATIFIED DECEMBER 19, 1816.

That the third section of the tenth article of the constitution of this state be altered and amended to read as follows: The judges shall, at such times and places as shall be prescribed by act of the legislature of this state, meet and sit for the purpose of hearing and determining all motions which may be made for new trials, and in arrest of judgment, and such points of law as may be submitted to them.

CONSTITUTION OF GEORGIA.

The Constitution of the State of Georgia, as revised, amended, and compiled, by the convention of the State, at Louisville, on the 30th day of May, 1798.

ARTICLE 1.

§ 1. THE legislative, executive, and judiciary departments of government shall be distinct, and each department shall be confided to a separate body of magistracy; and no person or collection of persons, being of one of those departments, shall exercise any power properly attached to either of the others, except in the instances herein expressly permitted.

§ 2. The legislative power shall be vested in two separate and distinct branches, to wit: a senate and nouse of representatives, to be styled "the General Assembly."

§ 3. The senate shall be elected annually, on the first Monday in November, until such day of election be altered by law; and shall be composed of one member from each county, to be chosen by the electors thereof.

§ 4. No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years; and have been nine years a citizen of the United States, and three years an inhabitant of this state, and shall have usually resided within the county for which he shall be returned, at least one year immediately preceding his election, (except persons who may have been absent on public business of this state or of the United States,) and is, and shall have been possessed, in his own right, of a settled freehold estate of the value of five hundred dollars, or of taxable property to the amount of one thousand dollars, within the county, or for one -year preceding his election; and whose estate shall, on a reasonable estimation, be fully competent to the discharge of his just debts, over and above that sum.

§ 5. The senate shall elect, by ballot, a president out of their own body.

§6. The senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation: and no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present :-Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honour, trust, or profit, within this state; but the party convicted shall, nevertheless, be subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, according to law.

The

§ 7. The house of representatives shall be composed of members from all the counties which now are, or hereafter may be, included within this state, according to their respective numbers of free white persons, and including three-fifths of all the people of colour. actual enumeration shall be made within two years, and within every subsequent term of seven years thereafter, at such time and in such manner as this convention may direct. Each county containing three thousand persons, agreeably to the foregoing plan of enumeration, shall be entitled to two members; seven thousand to three members; and twelve thousand to four members; but each county shall have at least one, and not more than four members; the representatives shall be chosen annually, on the first Monday in November, until such day of election be altered by law. Until the aforesaid enumeration shall be made, the several counties shall be entitled to the following number of representatives, respectively: Camden two; Glynn two; Liberty three; M'Intosh two; Bryan one; Chatham four; Effingham two; Scriven two; Montgomery two; Burke three; Bullock one; Jefferson three; Lincoln two; Elbert three; Jackson two; Richmond three; Wilkes four; Columbia three; Warren three; Washington three; Hancock four; Greene three; Oglethorpe three; and Franklin two.

§ 8. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-one years, and have been seven years a citizen of the United States, three years an inhabitant of this state, and have usually

resided in the county in which he shall be chosen, one year immediately preceding his election, (unless he shall have been absent on public business of this state or of the United States,) and shall be possessed in his own right of a settled freehold estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars, or of taxable property to the amount of five hundred dollars within the county, for one year preceding his election; and whose estate shall, on a reasonable estimation, be competent to the discharge of his just debts, over and above that sum.

§ 9. The house of representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers.

§ 10. They shall have solely the power to impeach all persons who have been or may be in office.

§ 11. No person holding any military commission or other appointment, having any emolument or compensation annexed thereto, under this state or the United States, or either of them, except justices of the inferior court, justices of the peace, and officers of the militia, nor any person who has had charge of public moneys belonging to the state, unaccounted for and unpaid, or who has not paid all legal taxes or contributions to the government required of him, shall have a seat in either branch of the general assembly; nor shall any senator or representative be elected to any office or appointment by the legislature, having any emoluments or compensation annexed thereto, during the time for which ne shall have been elected, with the above exception, unless he shall detline accepting his seat, by notice to the executive within twenty days after he shall have been elected; nor shall any member, after having taken his seat, be eligible to any of the aforesaid offices or appointments during the time for which he shall have been elected.

§ 12. The meeting of the general assembly shall be annually, on the second Tuesday in January, until such day of meeting be altered by law: a majority of each branch shall be authorized to proceed to business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of their members in such manner as each house may prescribe.

§ 13. Each house shall be the judges of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members; with powers to expel or punish, by censuring, fining, and imprisoning, or either, for disorderly behaviour; and may expel any person convicted of any felonious or infamous offence; each house may punish by imprisonment, during session, any person not a member, who shall be guilty of disrespect by any disorderly or contemptuous behaviour in its presence, or who, during session, shall threaten harm to the body or estate of any member, for any thing said or done in either house, or who shall assault any of them therefor; or who shall assault or arrest any witness in going to or returning from, or who shall rescue any person arrested by order of either house.

§ 14. No senator or representative shall be liable to be arrested during his attendance on the general assembly, or for ten days previous to its sitting, or for ten days after the rising thereof, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace; nor shall any member be liable to answer fox any thing spoken in debate in either house, in any court or place elsewhere; but shall nevertheless be bound to answer for perjury, bribory, or corruption.

15. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish

them immediately after their adjournment; and the yeas and nays of the members on any question shall, at the desire of any two members, be entered on the journals.

§ 16. All bills for raising revenue or appropriating moneys, shall originate in the house of representatives; but the senate shall propose or concur with amendments, as in other bills.

§ 17. Every bill shall be read three times and on three separate days, in each branch of the general assembly, before it shall pass, unless in cases of actual invasion or insurrection; nor shall any law or ordinance pass, containing any matter different from what is expressed in the title thereof; and all acts shall be signed by the president in the senate, and speaker in the house of representatives: No bill or ordinance which shall have been rejected by either house, shall be brought in again during the session, under the same or any other title, without the consent of two-thirds of each branch.

§ 18. Each senator and representative, before he be permitted to take his seat, shall take an oath, or make affirmation, that he hath not practised any unlawful means, either directly or indirectly, to procure his election; and every person shall be disqualified from serving as a sena. tor or representative, for the term for which he shall have been elected, who shall be convicted of having given or offered any bribe, or treat, or canvassed for such election; and every candidate employing like means, and not elected, shall, on conviction, be ineligible to hold a seat in either house, or to hold any office of honour or profit for the term of one year, and to such other disabilities or penalties as may be prescribed by law.

§ 19. Every member of the senate and house of representatives shall, before he takes his seat, take the following oath or affirmation, to wit: "I, A. B., do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I have not obtained my election by bribery, treats, canvassing, or other undue or unlawful means, used by myself, or others by my desire or approbation, for that purpose; that I consider myself constitutionally qualified as a senator or representative; and that, on all questions and measures which may come before me, I will give my vote, and so conduct myself, as may, in my judgment, appear most conducive to the interest and prosperity of this state; and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and to the utmost of my power and ability observe, conform to, support, and defend the constitution thereof."

§ 20. No person who hath been or may be convicted of felony before any court of this state, or any of the United States, shall be eligible to any office or appointment of honour, profit, or trust, within this state.

§ 21. Neither house, during the session of the general assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that at which the two branches shall be sitting; and in case of disagreement between the senate and house of representatives, with respect to their adjournment, the governor may adjourn them. § 22. The general assembly shall have power to make all laws and ordinances which they shall deem necessary and proper for the good of the state, which shall not be repugnant to this constitution.

§ 23. They shall have power to alter the boundaries of the present counties, and to lay off new ones, as well out of the counties already laid off, as out of the other territory belonging to the state: but the property of the soil, in a free government, being one of the essential rights

« ZurückWeiter »