JOHN H. FERTIG, ESQ., and FRANK M. HUNTER, ESQ., UNDER THE DIRECTION OF JAMES N. MOORE, Director HARRISBURG, PA.: WM. STANLEY RAY, STATE PRINTER PREFACE. This edition of the Constitutions of Pennsylvania of 1873, 1838, 1790 and 1776 and of the Constitution of the United States was prepared because there was not accessible in separate form an indexed edition of these Constitutions. An edition of the Constitution of Pennsylvania of 1873, with an analytical index and an index of subjects upon which legislation is expressly prohibited by the Constitution, was published by the Legislative Reference Bureau in 1912. The value of that edition has been demonstrated. By the Act of April 14, 1835, P. L. 270 the question of calling a Convention to amend the Constitution of 1790 was submitted to the electors. The vote being in favor of a Convention, it was called and amendments to the Constitution of 1790 were proposed. These amendments only were submitted to the electors and adopted. The so-called Constitution of 1838 is, therefore, properly the Constitution of 1790 as amended: However, in this edition it has been treated as it is popularly known, the Constitution of 1838. The Constitution of 1873 has been variously amended. These amendments have been inserted in their appropriate places and are followed with the sections as they originally read. The amendments adopted subsequent to 1838 and prior to the Constitution of 1873 have been treated as amendments to the Constitution of 1838 and have been inserted similarly to those adopted to the Constitution of 1873. After each section of the Constitutions of Pennsylvania, notes have been appended, showing the corresponding sections in the other prior and subsequent Constitutions of the Commonwealth. An exact similarly in the language of these corresponding sections is designated by the word "verbatim." By the use of these notes the origin and development of a particular provision can be readily traced. We shall be grateful if attention is directed to any errors in this edition. January 1, 1916. Legislative Reference Bureau. 335829 JAMES N. MOORE, Director. |