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an amount not exceeding in value two hundred dollars for each individual, shall, by general laws, be exempt from taxation.

SEC. 4. Laws shall be passed for taxing the notes and bills discounted or purchased, moneys loaned, and all other prop- Property of bank erty, effects or dues of every description, of all banks, and subject to taxaof all bankers; so that all property employed in banking shall always be subject to a taxation equal to that imposed on the property of individuals.

tion

be contracted-a

Sec. 5. For the purpose of defraying extraordinary expenditures, the State may contract public debts, but such Public debt may debts shall never, in the aggregate, exceed two hundred and mended-se0 2· fifty thousand dollars; every such debt shall be authorized mendment by law, for some single object, to be distinctly specified therein; and no such law shall take effect until it shall have been passed by the vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch of the Legislature, to be recorded by yeas and nays on the Journals of each House respectively; and every such law shall levy a tax annually sufficient to pay the annual interest of such debt, and also a tax sufficient to pay the principal of such debt within ten years from the final passage of such law, and shall specially appropriate the proceeds of such taxes to the payment of such principal and interest; and such appropriation and taxes shall not be repealed, postponed, or diminished until the principal and interest of such debt shall have been wholly paid. The State shall never contract any debts for works of internal improvement, or be a party in carrying on such works, except in cases where grants of land, or other property, shall have been made to to the State, especially dedicated by the grant to specific purposes, and in such cases the State shall devote thereto the avails of such grants, and may pledge or appropriate the revenues derived from such works in aid of their completion. SEC. 6. All debts authorized by the preceding Section shall be contracted by loan on State Bonds of amounts not Public debt how less than five hundred dollars each, on interest, payable with-contracted in ten years after the final passage of the law authorizing such debt; and such bonds shall not be sold by the State under par. A correct registry of all such bonds shall be kept by the Treasurer, in numerical order, so as always to exhibit the number and amount unpaid, and to whom severally made payable.

SEC. 7.-The State shall never contract any public debt, unless in time of war, to repel invasion or suppress insurrection, except in the cases and in the manner provided in the fifth and sixth Sections of this Article.

money received

SEC. 8. The money arising from any loan made or debt or liability contracted, shall be applied to the object specified Appropriation of in the act authorizing such debt or liability, or to the re-pay-from loan of state ment of such debt or liability, and to no other purpose what-bonds

Payment of mon

ey out of treasury

State credit pro

tions

SEC. 9. No money shall ever be paid out of the Treasury of this State, except in pursuance of an appropriation by law.

SEC. 10. The credit of the State shall never be given cr hibited to indivi- loaned in aid of any individual association or corporation. duals or associa. SEC. 11. There shall be published by the Treasurer, in at least one newspaper printed at the seat of government, Receipts and ex- during the first week of January in each year, and in the penditures of the next volume of the Acts of the Legislature, detailed statements of all moneys drawn from the Treasury during the preceeding year, for what purposes, and to whom paid, and by what law authorized, and also of all moneys received, and by what authority, and from whom.

state

the state and school funds

SEC. 12. Suitable laws shall be passed by the Legislature Disbursements of for the safe keeping, transfer, and disbursement of the State and School funds, and all officers and other persons charged with the same shall be required to give ample security for all moneys and funds of any kind, to keep an accurate entry of each sum received, and of each payment and transfer, and if any of said officers or other persons shall convert to his own use in any form, or shall loan with or without interest, contrary to law, or shall deposit in banks, or exchange for other funds, any portion of the funds of the State, every such act shall be adjudged to be an embezzlement of so much of the State funds as shall be thus taken, and shall be declared a felony; and any failure to pay over or produce the State or School funds intrusted to such persons, on demand, shall be held and taken to be prima facie evidence of such embezzle

ment.

SEC. 13. The Legislature may, by a two-thirds vote, pass Provisions and re a General Banking Law, with the following restrictions and strictions for a requirements, viz:

banking law

First-The Legislature shall have no power to pass any law sanctioning in any manner, directly or indirectly, the suspension of specie payments by any person, association or corporation issuing bank notes of any description.

Second-The Legislature shall provide by law for the registry of all bills or notes issued or put in circulation as money, and shall require ample security in United States stock or State stocks for the redemption of the same in specie, and in case of a depreciation of said stocks, or any part thereof, to the amount of ten per cent. or more on the dollar, the bank or banks owning said stocks shall be required to make up said deficiency by additional stocks.

Third-The stockholders in any corporation and joint association for banking purposes issuing bank notes, shall be individually liable in an amount equal to double the amount of stock owned by them for all the debts of such corporation or association, and such individual liability shall continue for one year after any transfer or sale of stock by any stockholder or stockholders.

Fourth-In case of the insolvency of any bank or banking association, the bill-holders thereof shall be entitled to preference in payment over all other creditors of such bank or association

Fifth-Any General Banking Law which may be passed in accordance with this Article, shall provide for recording the names of all stockholder in such corporations, the amount of stock held by each, the time of transfer, and to whom transferred.

ARTICLE X.-OF CORPORATIONS HAVING

PRIVILEGES.

NO BANKING

and their powers

SECTION 1. The term "Corporations," as used in this Ar- Of corporations ticle, shall be construed to include all associations and joint stock companies having any of the powers and privileges not possessed by individuals or partnerships, except such as embrace banking privileges, and all corporations shall have the right to sue, and shall be liable to be sued in all Courts in like manner as natural persons.

SEC. 2. No corporations shall be formed under special acts, except for municipal purposes.

SEC. 3. Each stockholder in any corporation shall be liable to the amount of the stock held or owned by him.

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lic way

SEC. 4. Lands may be taken for public way, for the pur-Lands when may pose of granting to any corporation the franchise of way for be taken for pubpublic use. In all cases, however, a fair and equitable com pensation shall be paid for such land, and the damages arising from the taking of the same; but all corporations being common carriers, enjoying the right of way in pursuance of the provisions of this Section, shall be bound to carry the mineral, agricultural and other productions or manufactures on equal and reasonable terms.

ARTICLE XI.-COUNTIES AND TOWNSHIPS.

Counties, estab

SECTION 1. The Legislature may from time to time, establish and organize new counties, but no new county shall lishment and or contain less than four hundred miles; nor shall any county ganization of be re luced below that amount; and all laws changing county lines in counties already organized, or for removing county seats, shall, before taking effect, be submitted to the electors of the county or counties to be affected thereby, at the next general election after the passage thereof, and be adopted by a majority of such electors. Counties now established may be enlarged, but not reduced below four hundred (400) square miles.

rate districts

SEC. 2. The Legislature may organize any city into a Organization of separate county when it has attained a population of twenty cities and sepa. thousand inhabitants, without reference to geographical extent, when a majority of the electors of the county in which

townships

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such city may be situated, voting thereon, shall be in favor of a separate organization.

SEC. 3. Laws may be passed providing for the organizaOrganization of tion, for municipal and other town purposes, of any Congressional or fractional townships in the several counties in the State, provided that when a township is divided by county lines, or does not contain one hundred inhabitants, it may be attached to one or more adjoining townships or parts of townships, for the purposes aforesaid.

Election of coun

officers

SEC. 4. Provision shall be made by law for the election ty and township of such County or Township officers as may be necessary. SEC. 5. Any County and Township organization shall have such powers of local taxation as may be prescribed by law.

Local taxation

Money in county

SEC. 6. No money shall be drawn from any County or or township trea- Township treasury except by authority of law.

suries

ARTICLE XII.-OF THE MILITIA.

SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of the Legislature to pass Militiazaniza- such laws for the organization, discipline and service of the Militia of the State as may be deemed necessary.

tion

Impeachment

office

ARTICLE XIII.-IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.

SECTION 1. The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, and the Judges of the Supreme and removal from and District Courts, may be impeached for corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors; but judgment in such case shall not extend further than to removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit, in this State. The party convicted thereof shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law.

SEC. 2. The Legislature of this State may provide for the Removal from of removal of inferior officers from office, for malfeasance or nonfeasance in the performance of their duties.

fice

SEC. 3. No officer shall exercise the duties of his office after he shall have been impeached and before his acquittal. SEC. 4. On the trial of an impeachment against the Gov ernor, the Lieutenant Governor shall not act as a member of the Court.

SEC. 5. No person shall be tried on impeachment before he shall have been served with a copy thereof, at least twenty days previous to the day set for trial.

ARTICLE XIV. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

SECTION 1. Whenever a majority of both Houses of the Legislature shall deem it necessary to alter or amend this Constitution, they may propose such alterations or amend

Amendments to

ments, which proposed amendments shall be published with the laws which have been passed at the same session, and the constitution said amendments shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection; and if it shall appear in a manner to be provided by law, that a majority of voters present and voting shall have ratified such alterations or amendments, the same shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as a part of this Constitution. If two or more alterations or amendments shall be submitted at the same time, it shall be so regulated that the voters shall vote for or against each separately.

SEC. 2. Whenever two-thirds of the members elected to each branch of the Legislature shall think it necessary to call a Convention to revise this Constitution, they shall recommend to the electors to vote, at the next election, for members of the Legislature, for or against a Convention; and if a majority of all the electors voting at said election shall have voted for a Convention, the Legislature shall, at their next session, provide by law for calling the same. The Convention shall consist of as many members as the House of Representatives, who shall be chosen in the same manner, and shall meet within three months after their election for the purpose aforesaid.

ARTICLE XV.-MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS.

Seat of govern.

SECTION 1. The seat of Government of the State shall be at the City of St. Paul, but the Legislature at their first, or ment any future session, may provide by law for a change of the seat of Government by a vote of the people, or may locate the same upon the land granted by Congress, for a seat of Government to the State, and in the event of the seat of Government being removed from the City of St. Paul to any other place in the State, the Capitol building and grounds shall be dedicated to an institution for the promotion of science, literature and the arts, to be organized by the Legislature of the State, and of which institution the Minnesota Historical Society shall always be a department.

SEC. 2. Persons residing on Indian lands within the Residence on InState shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of citizens as dian lands though they lived in any other portion of the State, and shall be subject to taxation.

SEC. 3. The Legislature shall provide for a uniform oath or affirmation to be administered at elections, and no person shall be compelled to take any other or different form of oath to entitle him to vote.

SEC. 4. There shall be a seal of the State, which shall be kept by the Secretary of State, and be used by him officially, and shall be called by him the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota, and shall be attached to all official acts of the Governor, (his signature to acts and resolves of the Legisla ture excepted,) requiring authentication. The Legislature

Uniform oath

Seal of the state

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