SECT. 9. All Courts shall be open; and every man for an injury done him in his reputation, person, moveable or immoveable possessions, shall have remedy by the due course of law, and justice administered according to the very right of the cause, and the law of the land, without sale, denial, or unreasonable delay or expense; and every action shall he tried in the county in which it shall be commenced, unless when the Judges of the Court in which the cause is to be tried, shall determine, that an impartial trial therefor cannot be had in that county. Suits may be brought against the State, according to such regulations as shall be made by law.

SECT. 10. No power of suspending laws shall be exercised, but by authority of the Legislature.

SECT. 11. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel punishments inflicted: And in the construction of gaols, a proper regard shall be had to the health of prisoners.

SECT. 12. All prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offences when the proof is positive or the presumption great; and when persons are confined on accusation for such offences, their friends and counsel may, at proper seasons, have access to them.

SECT. 13. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

SECT. 14. No commission of oyer and terminer or gaol delivery shall be issued.

SECT. 15. No attainder shall work corruption of blood, nor except during the life of the offender, forfeiture of estate. The estates of those who destroy their own lives shall descend or vest as in case of natural death, and if any person be killed by accident, no forfeiture shall be thereby incurred.

SECT. 16. Although disobedience to laws, by a part of the people, upon suggestions of impolicy or injustice in them, tends, by immediate effect and the influ ence of example, not only to endanger the public welfare and safety, but also in governments of a republican

G 2

form

form, contravenes the soc al principles of such governments, founded on common consent for common good; yet the citizens have a right in an orderly manner to meet together, and to apply to persons intrusted with the powers of government, for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by petition, remonstrance, or address.

SECT. 17. No standing army shall be kept up without the consent of the Legislature; and the military shall, in all cases, and at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power.

SECT. 18. No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but by a civil magistrate, in a manner to be prescribed by law.

SECT. 19. No hereditary distinction shall be granted, nor any office created or exercised, the appointment to which shall be for a longer term than during good behaviour; and no person holding any office under this State, shall accept of any office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

We declare, that every thing in this Article is reserved out of the general powers of Government hereinafter mentioned.

ARTICLE II.

SECT. 1. The Legislative power of this State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

SECT. 2. The Representatives shall be chosen annually by the citizens residing in the several counties respectively, on the first Tuesday of October.

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-four years, and have a freehold in the county in which he shall be chosen, have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State three years next preceding the first meeting of the Legislature after his election, and the last year of that term an inhabitant of the county in which he shall be chosen, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States, or of this State.

There

There fhall be feven Representatives chosen in each county, until a greater number of Reprefentatives fhall by the General Affembly be judged neceffary; and then two-thirds of each branch of the Legiflature concurring, they may by law make provifion for increafing their number.

SECT. 3. The Senators fhall be chosen for three years by the citizens refiding in the several counties respectively, having right to vote for Reprefentatives, at the fame time when they fhall vote for Reprefentatives, in the same manner, and at the same places.

No person fhall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-feven years, and have in the county in which he fhall be chofen, a freehold eftate in two hundred acres of land, or an eftate in real and perfonal property, or in either, of the value of one thousand pounds at leaft, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State three years next preceding the first meeting of the Legislature after his election, and the last year of that term an inhabitant of the county in which he fhall be chofen, unless he fhall have been abfent on the public business of the United States, or of this State.

There fhall be three Senators chofen in each county. When a greater number of Senators fhall by the General Affembly be judged neceffary, two-thirds of each branch concurring, they may by law make provifion for increafing their number; but the number of Senators fhall never be greater than one-half, nor lefs than one-third of the number of Reprefentatives.

Immediately after the Senators fhall be affembled in confequence of the first election, the Senators refiding in each county fhall be divided by lot into three claffes. The feats of the Senators of the firft clafs fhall be vacated at the expiration of the first year; of the fecond class at the expiration bf the fecond year; and of the third clafs at the expiration of the third year; fo that one-third may be chofen every year.

SECT. 4. The General Affembly fhall meet on the firit Tuesday of January in every year, unless fooner convened by the Governor.

Each

SECT. 5. Each Houfe fhall choofe its Speaker and other officers; and alfo each Houfe, whofe Speaker fhall exercife the office of Governor, may choose a Speaker pro tempore.

SECT. 6. Each Houfe fhall judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members; and a majority of each fhall conftitute a quorum to do bufinefs, but a fmaller number may adjourn from day to day, and thall be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in fuch manner, and under fuch penalties, as fhall be deemed expedient.

SECT. 7. Each Houfe may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish any of its members for diforderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of twothirds, expel a member; and fhall have all other powers neceffary for a branch of the Legislature of a free and independent State.

SECT. 8 Each Houfe fhall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publifh them immediately after every feffion, except fuch parts as may require fecrecy ; and the yeas and nays of the members on any question, fhall, at the defire of any member, be entered on the journal.

SECT. 9. The doors of each Houfe, and the committees of the whole, fhall be open, unless when the bufinefs is fuch as ought to be kept fecret.

SECT. 10. Neither Houfe fhall, without the confent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houfes fhall be fitting.

SECT. 11. The Senators and Reprefentatives fall receive a compenfation for their fervices, to be afcerrained by law, and paid out of the treafury of the State; but no law varying the compenfation fhall take effect, till an election of Reprefentatives fhall have intervened. They fhall in all cales, except treason, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the feffion of their respective Houtes, and in going to and returning from the fame, and for any fpeech or debate in either Houfe, they shall not be queftioned in any other place.

No

SECT.12. No Senator nor Reprefentative fhall, during the time for which he hall have been elected, be appointed to any civil office under this State, which fhall have been created, or the emoluments of which fhall have been increafed during fuch time. No perfon concerned in any army or navy contract, no member of Congrefs, nor any perfon holding any office under this State, or the United States, except the AttorneyGeneral, officers ufually appointed by the Courts of juftice refpectively, attornies at law, and officers in the militia, holding no difqualifying office, fhall, during his continuance in Congrels, or in office, be a Senator or Representative.

SECT, 13. When vacancies happen in either Houfe, writs of election fhall be iflued by the Speakers refpectively, or in cafes of neceffity, in fuch other manner as fhall be provided for by law; and the perfons thereupon chofen fhall hold their feats as long as those in whofe ftead they are elected might bave done, if fuch vacancies had not happened.

SECT. 14. All bills for raifing revenue fhall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propofe alterations as on other bills; and no bill, from the operation of which, when paffed into a law, revenue may incidentally arife, fhall be accounted a bill for raifing revenue; nor thall any matter or claufe whatever not immediately relating to and neceffary for raifing revenue, be in any manner blended with, or annexed to, a bill for raising revenue.

SECT. 15. No money fhall be drawn from the treasury, but in confequence of appropriations made by law; and a regular ítatement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money fhall be published annually,

ARTICLE III.

SECT. 1. The Supreme Executive Powers of this State thall be vested in a Governor.

SECT. 2. The Governor fhall be chofen on the first Tueldayof October, by the citizens of the State having right to vote for Reprefentatives, in the counties where they refpectively refide, at the places where they fhall vote for Reprefentatives.

The