in both the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, occasioned by a failure to elect, or by the removal from office, or by the death, resignation, or inability of both Governor and Lieutenant Governor, to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office of Governor; and such officer, so designated, shall exercise the powers and discharge the duties appertaining to the office of Governor accordingly until the disability shall be removed, or a Governor shall be elected. And in case there shall be a vacancy in the office of Treasurer, by reason of any of the causes enumerated, the Governor shall appoint a Treasurer for the time being, who shall act as Treasurer until the disability shall be removed, or a new election shall be made. Ch. Sec. 27 29 Vt, 104. 36 Vt. 371. 2, ARTICLE [22.] The Treasurer of the State shall, Securities to be before entering upon the duties of his given by treas office, give sufficient security to the Securer, sheriffs retary of State, in behalf of the State of and high bailiffs. Con. Vermont, before the Governor of the State of one of the Judges of the Supreme Court. And Sheriff's and High Bailiffs, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall give sufficient security to thè Treasurer of their respective Counties, before one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, or the two Assistant Judges of the County Court of their respective Counties, in such manner and in such sums as shall be directed by the Legislature. ARTICLE [23.] The Senate shall be composed of Senators; their thirty Senators, to be of the Freemen of number, qualifi- the County for which they are elected, cations and ap portionment. See respectively, who shall have attained the Art. Amend. 24. age of thirty years, and they shall be elected annually by the Freemen of each County respectively. Con. Art. Amend., 24. The Senators shall be apportioned to the several Counties, according to the population, as ascertained by the census taker under the authority of Congress in the year 1840, regard being always had in such apportionment to the Counties having the largest fraction, and giving to each County at least one Senator. The Legislature shall make a new apportionment of the Senators to the several Counties, after the taking of each census of the United States, or after a census taken for the purpose of such apportionment, under the authority of this State, always regarding the above provisions of this article. Biennial sions. Con. Ch. 2, ses ARTICLE [24.] SECTION 1. The General Assembly shall meet on the first Wednesday of October, bienially; the first election shall be on the first Tuesday of September, A. D. 1870; the first session of the General Assembly on the first Wednesday of October, A. D. 1870. Sec. 9. tions. Con Ch. 2, SECTION 2. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer of State, senators, town repres- Biennial elecentatives, assistant judges of the county court, sheriffs, high bailiffs, State's attorney judges of probate and justices of peace, shall be elected bienally, on the first Tuesday of September, in the manner prescribed by the Constitution of the State. Secs. 8, 9, 10. 5, 19, 20, 23. SECTION 3. The term of office of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Treasurer of Term of office of the State, respectively, shall commence when they shall be chosen and qualified, and shall continue for the term of two governor, lieutenant-governor and treasurer. Con. Art. Amend., 21. years, or until their successor shall be chosen and qualified, or to the adjournment of the session of the Legislature at which, by the Con stitution and laws, their successors are required to be chosen, and not after such adjournment. SECTION 4. The term of office of senators and Term of office of town representatives shall be two years, senators and representatives. commencing on the first Wednesday of October following their election. SECTION 5. The term of office of the assistant judgTerm of office of ges of the county court, sheriffs, high county officers. bailiffs, State's attorneys, judges of probate and justices of the peace, shall be two years, and shall commence on the first day of December next after their election. Con. Art Am 19. ARTICLE [25.] SECTION 1. At the session of the Mode of amend General Assembly of this State, A. D. ing constitution. 1880, and at the session thereof every tenth year thereafter, the Senate may, by a vote of two-thirds of its members, make proposals of amendment to the Constitution of. the State, which proposals of amendment, if concurred in by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, shall be entered on the journals of the two Houses, and referred to the general Assembly then next to be chosen, and be published in the principal newspapers of the State; and if a majority of the members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives of the next following General Assembly shall respectively concur in the same proposals of amendment, or any of them, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to submit the proposals of amendment so concurred into a direct vote of the freemen of the State; and such of said proposals of amendment as shall receive a majority of the votes of the freemen voting thereon shall become a part of the Constitution of this State. SECTION 2. The General Assembly shall direct the General assem manner of voting by the people upon the proposed amendments, and enact all such blyto direct manlaws as shall be necessary to procure a ner of voting on free and fair vote upon each amendment amendments. proposed, and to carry into effect all the provisions of the preceding section. House of representatives may order impeach SECTION 3. The House of Representatives shall have all the power now possessed by the Council of Censors to order impeachments which shall in all cases be by a vote of two-thirds of its members. SECTION 4. The forty-third section of part of the Constitution of this State is hereby abrogated. ments. 2, the second Council of cen sors abolished. ARTICLE [26.] The Judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected biennially, and their term of office shall be two years. Term of office of judges of supreme court. ARTICLE [27.] SECTION 1. The representatives having met on the day appointed by law Oath as to office for the commencement of a biennial ses- of profit or trust sion of the General Assembly, and chosen under congress. their Speaker and the Senators having met, shall, before they proceed to business, take and subscribe the following oath in addition to the oath now prescribed: 66 You, 9 do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you did not at the time of your election to this body, and that you do not now hold, any office of profit or trust under the authority of Congress. So help me God." Or, in case of affirmation, "Under the pains and penalties of perjury." SECTION 2. The words "office of profit or trust under the authority of Congress" shall be constructed to mean any office created directly or indirectly by Congress, and for which emolu Words office of profit and trust. etc., ment is provided from the Treasury of construed. the United States: ARTICLE [28.] SECTION 1. The Secretary of State Election of secand Auditor of accounts shall be elected and auditor of by the freemen of the State upon the same ticket with the Governor, Lieuten retary of state accounts. ant Governor, and Treasurer. SECTION 2. The Legislature shall carry this article Legislature to into effect by appropriate Legislation. carry into effect. NOTE. ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION. The convention which declared Vermont a free and independent state, recommended, at its last session, at Windsor, June 4, 1777, to the freeholders and inhabitants of each town in the state that they should, on the 23d of June, choose delegates to attend a general convention at the meeting-house in Windsor, July 2, 1777, to choose delegates to Congress, a committee of safety, and to form a constitution for the state. This general convention met at Windsor, July 2, “ did compose and agree unanimously on a constitution," and adjourned July 8. The first election under this constitution was to be held in December, 1777, when representatives were to be chosen to a general assembly to meet at Bennington in January, 1778. The president of the convention was Capt. Joseph Bowker. November 25, 1777, the council of safety requested Capt. Bowker to "call together the old convention," to meet at Windsor, December 24, adding that "the business of the convention will be to adjourn the meeting of the general assembly." The convention |