shall comprise more or less complete degrees of land and water, and be as convenient in regard to their geographical extent as circumstances will admit. (E). SECT. 3. The civil divisions of the Columbian Union shall consist of limited counties of different names, whose seats of justice shall consist of one to every county, and which shall be called Capitols, and each bear the title of their respective counties. And the subdivisions of each of which counties shall consist of limited towns, bearing different names of the same county, whose town houses shall consist of one to every town and which shall be called Temples, and bear the title of their respective towns. SECT. 4. The following irregular divisions of the several states, colonies, districts and territories of North America; viz: counties, townships, plantations, hundreds, wards, and those of other titles, if any there be, having in each not exceeding six hundred and twenty-five legal voters, shall constitute the towns aforesaid, (except every such county, township, plantation, hundred, ward, &c. as shall have more than two hundred and fifty legal voters, and not exceeding six hundred and twenty-five as aforesaid,) every one or more subdivisions thereof, if any there be, having in each, at least one hundred and twenty-five legal voters, shall constitute the towns aforesaid, instead of being larger, smaller towns to the contrary notwithstanding. But,all of which unequal irregular divisions,as shall have in each, more than six hundred and twenty-five legal voters, not required for districts, shall be called Counties. SECT. 5. Every county having three thousand one hundred and twenty-five legal voters, shall every year elect at least one member to the Columbian Congress, but every county not having such number of legal voters, shall only elect one of said members every several years, as often as the same county's legal voters shall be found, by adding thereto the same, and their remainders, if any there be, of every following year thereafter, as shall be required to make the said three thousand one hundred and twenty-five. And every town having at least one hundred and twenty-five legal voters, shall every year elect at least one member to its respective county meeting, but every town having less than one hundred and twenty-five, and more than twenty-five legal voters, shall only elect one of said members every several years, as often as one hundred and twenty-five of the same town's legal voters shall be found, by adding thereto the same and their remainders, if any there be, of every following year thereafter, as shall be required to make the said one hundred and twenty-five. Every town not having twenty-five legal voters, shall in annual town meeting assemble and suffragate with any most convenient adjoining town, if the majority thereof ascertained the week next prior thinks proper. SECT. 6. Every district annually electing five members to the lower branch of the Columbian Congress, shall every year elect at least one to the higher branch thereof, but every district which shall not annually elect said five, shall only elect one as aforesaid every several years, as often as the same district's annually elected members of the said lower branch shall amount to five. SECT. 7. All districts, counties and towns, having inconvenient names and limits, and incommodious legislative, court, and town meeting houses, whereat usually had been held, their respective legislatures, courts and election meetings, shall temporarily re main the same. And which court and election meeting-houses shall be their respective capitols and tem ples, until altered and established by the Columbian government, according to this constitution; and which, as expedience may require, shall from time to time, so adjust the several counties and towns of the Colum bian Union in regard to their population, that each county shall annually elect not less than one nor more than five members to the lower branch of the Columbian Congress; and so that each town shall annually elect not less than one nor more than five members to the lower branch of its respective county meetings, according to the compactness of the people and extent of territory. ARTICLE II. SECT. 1. The annual meetings of state shall consist of nine, and be held throughout the Columbian Un-ion the same days; which meetings shall be distinguished as follows, viz: May Election-July Election-September Election -Vernal Council-Summer Council-Autumnal Council August Assembly-New-Year Assembly-and the Columbian Congress and severally held at the different times and places following, viz: On the first Monday of every May, and the Tuesday and Wednesday of the same week, at the temples of all towns shall be held the May Election. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the second week following every May election, shall be held at the capitols of all counties, the Vernal Council. On the first Monday of every July, and the Tuesday and Wednesday of the same week, at the temples of all towns shall be held the July Election. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the second week following every July election, shall be held at the capitols of all counties, the Summer Council. On the first Monday of every September, and the Tuesday and Wednesday of the same week, at the temples of all towns shall be held the September Election. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the second week following every September election, shall be held at the capitols of all counties, the Autumnal Council. On the first Monday of every August, shall.commence the meeting of the August Assembly, where the several states, colonies, and territories usually held their respective legislatures, until elsewhere required; which shall assemble at such capitols of the most central and proper counties within their respective districts, as the Columbian Congress shall direct, at least one year prior to their required meeting; and no August Assembly shall continue in session exceeding three successive weeks.. On the first Monday of every January shall commence the meeting of the New-Year Assembly, at the same place where the August Assembly next prior shall have respectively assembled; and no New-Year Assembly shall continue in session exceeding six successive weeks. And on the first Monday of every November, shall commence at the Columbian capitol, the meeting of the Columbian Congress; and which shall terminate on the first Thursday of every March. (F) SECT. 2. The periodical arrangement and distinction of all of said annual meetings, (unless the Columbian congress shall further require,) shall ever be a sufficient warning to all whom they concern, and who shall there assemble at every required day precisely at half past nine of the morning clock; (voters of townmeetings after completing their election duties excepted) which meeting days shall ever be considered days of the highest importance; for on which days shall be done all state business and no other than such as shall be required according to this constitution; nor shall any other be legal meeting days and places for business of a political nature, except for unfinished annual meetings, or in unavoidable and extraordinary times; in which cases a seasonable notice shall be ordered in writing, and copies thereof left at the places of residence of all legal voters according to the uniform regulations which the Columbian congress shall prescribe. ARTICLE III. SECT. 1. The people of the Columbian Union shall annually render the Columbian government to the agency of certain persons, whom they shall elect from among themselves according to this constitution; which persons when qualified shall be styled sovereign officers; (G) whose general distinction from all others shall be known by the sovereign division, and that again distinguished into a legislative and an executive divi sion. The sovereign officers of the legislative division, shall be organized into a first, second, third and fourth class of legislative bodies, and graduated into six different ranks; and be particularly distinguished as follows, viz: actors, directors, commissioners, representers, legislators and mediators; which legislators dur ing their second year's official service, shall in additional distinction be styled general legislators. And the sovereign officers of the executive division, shall be graduated into a first, second, third and fourth degree of executive power, and distinguished as follows, viz: minor presidents fourth rank, major presidents third, special presidents second, and the general president the chief. Each of the said four different degrees of legisla tive bodies, shall consist of two legislative branches, and be styled the higher and lower branch, having one of which sovereign presidents at the head of each body, and who shall constitute a third and executive branch thereof, and be respectively styled the executive. SECT. 2. The legislative bodies as they shall have territorial jurisdiction and constitute their several branches, shall be as follows, viz: The first and highest degree shall form the Columbian Congress; whose higher branch thereof, shall consist of all the mediators of the Columbian union, while the lower branch shall be composed of all the general legislators of Columbia, and the general president constitute the executive branch thereof. The second degree of legislative bodies shall constitute the August and New-Year Assemblies in every district, of which all the legislators of each shall form the higher branch, while the lower branch shall be composed of all the representers of the same district, and one special president Constitute the executive branch thereof. The third degree of legislative bodies shall constitute the Vernal, Summer and Autumnal Councils in every |