seven dollars in this state; or having been enrolled in the militia, shall have performed military duty therein, for the term of one year next preceding the time he shall offer himself for admission, or being liable thereto, shall have been, by authority of law, excused therefrom; or shall have paid a state tax within the year next preceding the time he shall present himself for such admission; and shall sustain a good moral character; shall, on his taking such oath as may be prescribed by law, be an elector. SECT. 3. The privileges of an elector shall be forfeited, by a conviction of bribery, forgery, perjury, duelling, elector, how Privileges of an fraudulent bankruptcy, theft, or other offence for which forfeited. an infamous punishment is inflicted, Eligibility of SECT. 4. Every elector shall be eligible to any office in this state, except in cases provided for in this consti- electors. tution. SECT. 5. The select men and town clerk of the sev- Select-men and eral towns, shall decide on the qualifications of electors, town clerk to decide on qualiat such times, and in such manner as may be prescribed by law. made in support SECT. 6. Laws shall be made to support the privilege Laws to be of free suffrage, prescribing the manner of regulating of free suffrage. and conducting meetings of the electors, and prohibiting, under adequate penalties, all undue influence therein, from power, bribery, tumult and other improper conduct. SECT. 7. In all elections of officers of the state, or Votes to be members of the general assembly, the votes of the given by ballot. electors shall be by ballot. SECT. 8. At all elections of officers of the state, or Privilege of members of the general assembly, the electors shall be electors from privileged from arrest, during their attendance upon, and going to, and returning from the same, on any civil process.* arrest. SECT. 9. The meetings of the electors for the election Annual meetof the several state officers, by law annually to be elect- ing of the elect. ed, and members of the general assembly of this state," shall be holden on the first Monday of April in each year. ARTICLE 7. OF RELIGION. ors. SECT. 1. It being the duty of all men to worship the Duty and right Supreme Being, the Great Creator and Preserver of the of worshipping Universe, and their right to render that worship, in the the Supreme mode most consistent with the dictates of their con Being. * 3 C. R. 537. No legal com- sciences; no person shall, by law, be compelled to join pulsion. or support, nor be classed with, or associated to, any congregation, church, or religious association. But every person now belonging to such congregation, church, or religious association, shall remain a member thereof, until he shall have separated himself therefrom, in the manner hereinafter provided. And each and every society or denomination of Christians in this state, shall have and enjoy the same and equal powers, rights and privileges; and shall have power and authority to support and maintain the ministers or teachers of their respective denominations, and to build and repair houses for public worship, by a tax on the members of any such society only, to be laid by a major vote of the legal voters assembled at any society meeting, warned and held according to law, or in any other manner. Equal rights Secession. Charter of of SECT. 2. If any person shall choose to separate himself from the society or denomination of Christians to which he may belong, and shall leave a written notice thereof with the clerk of such society, he shall thereupon be no longer liable for any future expenses which may be incurred by said society. ARTICLE 8. OF EDUCATION. SECT. 1. The charter of Yale-College, as modified Yale-College, by agreement with the corporation thereof, in pursuance of an act of the general assembly, passed in May, 1792, is hereby confirmed. confirmed. School fund. Amount to be ascertained; published and recorded. Never to be di. verted. Power of impeachment. SECT. 2. The fund, called the SCHOOL FUND, shall remain a perpetual fund, the interest of which shall be inviolably appropriated to the support and encouragement of the public, or common schools, throughout the state, and for the equal benefit of all the people thereof. The value and amount of said fund shall, as soon as practicable, be ascertained, in such manner as the general assembly may prescribe, published, and recorded in the comptroller's office; and no law shall ever be made, authorising said fund to be diverted to any other use than the encouragement and support of public, or common schools, among the several school societies, as justice and equity shall require. ARTICLE 9. OF IMPEACHMENTS. SECT. 1. The house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeaching. SECT. 2. All impeachments shall be tried by the Trial of im senate. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on peachments. oath or affirmation. No person shall be convicted, without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present. When the governor is impeached, the chief justice shall preside. 1 SECT. 3. The governor, and all other executive and Liability to imjudicial officers, shall be liable to impeachment; but peachment. judgments in such cases shall not extend further than Limitation of to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any judgment. office of honor, trust, or profit under this state. The party convicted, shall, nevertheless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, and punishment according to law. ned. SECT. 4. Treason against the state shall consist only Treason defiin levying war against it, or adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two wit- Evidence. nesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open Consequences court. No conviction of treason, or attainder, shall of conviction. work corruption of blood, or forfeiture. ARTICLE 10. GENERAL PROVISIONS. SECT. 1. Members of the general assembly, and all Official oath. officers, executive and judicial, shall, before they enter on the duties of their respective offices, take the following oath or affirmation, to wit: You do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may Form, be) that you will support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the state of Connecticut, so long as you continue a citizen thereof; and that you will faithfully discharge, according to law, the duties of the office of to the best of your abilities. So help you God.* SECT. 2. Each town shall, annually, elect select men, Select-men, and such officers of local police, as the laws may pre- &c. scribe. SECT. 3, The rights and duties of all corporations Effect of conshall remain as if this constitution had not been adopt- stitution upon ed, with the exception of such regulations and restric- corporations; tions as are contained in this constitution. All judicial judicial and and civil officers now in office, who have been appoint- civil officers; ed by the general assembly, and commissioned according to law, and all such officers as shall be appointed by the said assembly, and commissioned as aforesaid, before the first Wednesday of May next, shall continue #5 C. R. 278. treasurer and secretary; military offi. cers. laws. to hold their offices until the first day of June next, unless they shall, before that time, resign, or be removed from office according to law. The treasurer and secretary shall continue in office until a treasurer and secretary shall be appointed under this constitution. All military officers shall continue to hold and exercise their respective offices, until they shall resign, or be removed according to law. All laws not contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution, shall remain in force, until they shall expire, by their own limitation, or shall be altered or repealed, by the general assembly, in pursuance of this constitution. The vacontracts, &c. lidity of all bonds, debts, contracts, as well of individuals as of bodies corporate, or the state, of all suits, actions, or rights of action, both in law and equity, shall continue as if no change had taken place. The governor, lieutenant-governor, and general assembly, which is to be formed in October next, shall have, and possess, all the powers and authorities, not repugnant to, or inconsistent with this constitution, which they now have and possess, until the first Wednesday of May Bonds, debts, General assem. bly in October, 1818. Public officers excluded from general assembly. Amendments, how to be pro. posed; continued and published; next. SECT. 4. No judge of the superior court, or of the supreme court of errors; no member of congress; no person holding any office under the authority of the United States; no person holding the office of treasurer, secretary, or comptroller; no sheriff, or sheriff's deputy, shall be a member of the general assembly. ARTICLE 11. OF AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION. Whenever a majority of the house of representatives shall deem it necessary to alter, or amend this constitution, they may propose such alterations and amendments; which proposed amendments shall be continued to the next general assembly, and be published with the laws which may have been passed at the same session; and if two thirds of each house, at the next session of said assembly, shall approve the amendments proposed, by yeas and nays, said amendments shall, by the secretary, be transmitted to the town clerk in each town in the state; whose duty it shall be presented to the to present the same to the inhabitants thereof, for their inhabitants; consideration, at a town meeting, legally warned and held for that purpose; and if it shall appear in a manner to be provided by law, that a majority of the electors present at such meetings, shall have approved such approved, by each house; and adopted. amendments, the same shall be valid, to all intents and Done in Convention, on the fifteenth day of Septem- By order of the Convention, OLIVER WOLCOTT, President. JAMES LANMAN, ROBERT FAIRCHILD, } Clerks. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE 1. From and after the first Wednesday of May, in the Number of sen. year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thir-ators. ty, the senate of this state shall consist of not less than eighteen, nor more than twenty-four members, and be chosen by districts. ARTICLE 2. The General Assembly which shall be holden on the first Wednesday of May, in the year one thousand Number of diseight hundred and twenty nine, shall divide the state tricts. into districts for the choice of senators, and shall determine what number shall be elected in each, which districts shall not be less than eight, nor more than twenty-four in number, and shall always be composed of contiguous territory, and in forming them no town shall be divided; nor shall the whole or part of one county be joined to the whole or part of another county, to form a district; regard being had to the population in said apportionment, and in forming said districts in such manner, that no county shall have less than two senators. The districts, when established, shall continue the same until the session of the General Assembly next after the completion of the next census of the United States; which said Assembly shall have power to alter the same, if found necessary, to preserve a proper equality between said districts in respect to the number of inhabitants therein, according to the principles above recited; after which said districts shall not be altered, nor the number of senators altered, except at any session of the General Assembly next after the completion of a census of the United States, and then only according to the principles above prescribed. |