shall be authorized by law to compel the attendance of absent members.

ART. 21. Each house of the general assembly shall judge of the qualification, election and returns of its members; but a contested election shall be determined in such manner as shall be directed by law.

Art. 22. Each house of the general assembly may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish a member for disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member, but not a second time for the same offence.

ART. 23. Each house of the general assembly shall keep and publish a weekly journal of its proceedings; and the yeas and nays of the members on any question shall, at the desire of any two of them, be entered on the journal.

Art. 24. Each house may punish, by imprisonment, any person not a member, for disrespectful and disorderly behavior in its presence, or for obstructing any of its proceedings. Such imprisonment shall not exceed ten days for any one offence.

Art. 25. Neither house, during the session of the general assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which they may be sitting.

Art. 26. The members of the general assembly shall receive from the public treasury a compensation for their services, which shall be four dollars per day during their attendance, going to and returning from the session of their respective houses. pensation may be increased or diminished by law; but no alteration shall take effect during the period of service of the members of the house of representatives by whom such alteration shall have been made. No session shall extend to a period beyond sixty days, to date from its commencement, and any legislative action had after the expiration of the said sixty days, shall be null and void. This provision shall not apply to the first legislature which is to convene after the adoption of this Constitution.

ART. 27. The members of the general assembly shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their respective houses, and going to or returning from the same,

The com

and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

ART. 28. No senator or representative shall, during the term for which he was elected, nor for one year thereafter, be appointed or elected to any civil office of profit under this state, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased during the time such senator or representative was in office, except to such offices or appointments as may be filled by the elections of the people.

ART. 29. No person, while he continues to exercise the functions of a clergyman, priest, or teacher of any religious persuasion, society or sect, shall be eligible to the general assembly.

ART. 30. No person who at any time may have been a collector of taxes, or who may have been otherwise entrusted with public money, shall be eligible to the general assembly, or to any office of profit or trust under the state government, until he shall have obtained a discharge for the amount of such collections, and for all public moneys with which he may have been entrusted.

Art. 31. No bill shall have the force of a law until, on three several days, it be read over in each house of the general assembly, and free discussion allowed thereon; unless in case of urgency, four-fifths of the house where the bill shall be pending, may deem it expedient to dispense with this rule.

Art. 32. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives, but the senate may propose amendments, as in other bills; provided they shall not introduce any new matter under color of an amendment, which does not relate to raising revenue.

Art. 33. The general assembly shall regulate by law by whom, and in what manner, writs of election shall be issued to fill the vacancies which may happen in either branch thereof.

Art. 34. A majority of all the members elected to the senate shall be required for the confirmation or rejection of officers to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate ; and the senate, in deciding thereon, shall vote by yeas and nays, and the names of the senators voting for and against the appointments respectively, shall be entered on a journal to be kept for that purpose, and made public at the end of each session, or before.

Art. 35. Returns of all elections for mernbers of the general assembly shall be made to the secretary of state.

ART. 36. A treasurer of the state shall be elected biennially, by joint ballot of the two houses of the general assembly. The governor shall have power to fill any vacancy that may happen in that office during the recess of the legislature.

Art. 37. In the year in which a regular election for a senator of the United States is to take place, the members of the general assembly shall meet in the hall of the house of representatives, on the Monday following the meeting of the legislature, and proceed to the said election.

TITLE III.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.

Art: 38. The supreme executive power of the state shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the governor of the state of Louisiana. He shall hold his office during the term of four years; and together with the lieutenant-governor chosen for the same term, be elected as follows :—The qualified electors for representatives shall vote for a governor and lieutenant-governor, at the time and place of voting for representatives; the returns of every election shall be sealed up and transmitted by the proper returning officer to the secretary of state, who shall deliver them to the speaker of the house of representatives, on the second day of the session of the general assembly, then next to be holden. The members of the general assembly shall meet in the house of representatives, to examine and count the votes. The person having the greatest number of votes for governor shall be declared duly elected, but if two or more persons shall be equal and highest in the number of votes polled for governor, one of them shall immediately be chosen governor, by joint vote of the members of the general assembly. The person having the greatest number of votes for lieutenant-governor shall be lieutenant-governor; but if two or more persons shall be equal and highest in the number of votes polled for lieutenant-governor, one of them shall be immediately chosen lieutenant-governor by joint vote of the members of the general assembly. ART. 39. No person shall be eligible to the office of

governor or lieutenant-governor, who shall not have attained the age of thirty-five years, been fifteen years a citizen of the United States, and a resident within the state for the same space of time next preceding his election.

Art. 40. The governor shall enter on the discharge of his duties on the fourth Monday of January next ensuing his election, and shall continue in office until the Monday next succeeding the day that his successor shall be declared duly elected, and shall have taken the oath or affirmation prescribed by this consti. tution.

ART. 41. The governor shall be ineligible for the succeeding four years after the expiration of the time for which he shall have been elected.

Art. 42. No member of congress or person holding any office under the United States, or minister of any religious society, shall be eligible to the office of governor or lieutenant-governor.

ART. 43. In case of the impeachment of the governor, moval from office, death, refusal or inability to qualify, resigna. tion or absence from the state, the powers and duties of the office shall de volve upon the lieutenant-governor for the residue of the term, or until the governor, absent or impeached, shall return or be acquitted. The legislature may provide by law for the case of removal, impeachment, death, resignation, disability, or refusal to qualify, of both the governor and lieutenant-governor, declaring what officer shall act as governor; and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or for the residue of the term.

Art. 44. The lieutenant-governor, or other officer discharging the duties of governor, shall, during his administration, receive the same compensation to which the governor would have been entitled, had he continued in office.

Art. 45. The lieutenant-governor shall, by virtue of his office, be president of the senate, but shall have only a casting vote therein. Whenever he shall administer the government, or shall be unable to attend as president of the senate, the senators shall

his re

.

elect one of their own members as president of the senate for the time being.

Art. 46. While he acts as president of the senate, the lieutenant-governor shall receive for his services the same compen. sation which shall for the same period be allowed to the speaker of the house of representatives, and no more.

Art. 47. The governor shall have power to grant reprieves for all offences against the state, and except in cases of impeach. ment, shall, with the consent of the senate, have power to grant pardons and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction. In cases of treason he may grant reprieves, until the end of the next session of the general assembly, in which the power of pardoning shall be vested.

Art. 48. The governor shall at stated times receive for his services a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the term for which he shall have been elected.

ART. 49. He shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of this state and of the militia thereof, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States.

ART. 50. He shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appoint all officers whose offices are established by this constitution, and whose appointment is not therein otherwise provided for: Provided, however, that the legislature shall have a right to prescribe the mode of appointment to all other offices established by law.

Art. 51. The governor shall have power to fill vacancies that may happen during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of the next session, unless otherwise provided for in this constitution ; but no person who has been nominated for office, and rejected by the senate, shall be appointed to the same office during the recess of the senate.

Art. 52. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.

Art. 53. He shall, from time to time, give to the general assembly information respecting the situation of the state, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may