Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

fenate and house of reprefentatives, or fuperior or inferior courts; military offices and offices of juftices of the peace excepted.

15. No perfon holding the office of judge of any court (except fpecial judges) fecretary, treasurer of the state, attorney-general, commiffary-general, military officers receiving pay from the continent or this ftate (excepting officers of the militia, occafionally called forth on an emergency) register of deeds, fheriff, or officers of the customs, including naval officers, collectors of excife and ftate and continental taxes, hereafter appointed and not having fettled their accounts with the refpective officers with whom it is their duty to fettle fuch accounts, members of congrefs, or any perfon holding any office under the United States, fhall at the fame time hold the office of governor, or have a feat in the fenate, or house of reprefentatives, or council;

16. But his being chofen and appointed to, and accepting the fame, fhall operate as a refignation of their feat in the chair, fenate, or house of reprefentatives, or council; and the place fo vacated shall be filled. No member of the council fhall have a feat in the fenate or houfe of representatives.

17. No perfon fhall ever be admitted to hold a feat in the legiflature, or any office of truft or importance, under this government, who in the due courfe of law has been convicted of bribery or corruption in obtaining an election or appointment. In all cafes where fums of money are. mentioned in this cónftitution, the value thereof fhall be computed in filver at fix fhillings and eight pence per

ounce.

18. To the end that there may be no failure of justice, or danger to the ftate, by the alterations and amendments mad the conftitution, the general court is hereby fully authorifed and directed to fix the time when the alterations and amendments fhall take effect, and make the neceffary arrangements accordingly.

19. It fhall be the duty of the felectmen and affeffors, of the feveral towns and places in this ftate, in warning the first annual meeting for the choice of fenators, after the expiration of feven years from the adoption of this conftitu tion as amended, to infert exprefsly in the warrant, this

purpofe among the others for the meeting, to take the fenfe of the qualified voters on the fubject of a revifion of the conftitution;

20. And the meeting being warned accordingly (and not otherwife) the moderator fhall take the fenfe of the qualified voters prefent, as to the neceffity of a revifion; and a return of the number of votes for and against fuch neceffity, fhall be made by the clerk, fealed and directed to the general court, at their then next feffion;

21. And if it fhall appear to the general court by fuch return, that the fenfe of the people of the state has been taken, and that in the opinion of the majority of the qualified voters in the ftate, prefent and voting at faid meetings, there is a neceffity for a revifion of the conftitution, it shall be the duty of the general court to call a convention for that purpose, otherwife the general court fhall direct the fenfe of the people to be taken, and then proceed in the manner before mentioned.

22. The delegates to be chofen in the fame manner, and proportioned as the reprefentatives to the general court; provided that no alterations fhall be made in this conftitution, before the fame fhall be laid before the towns and unincorporated places, and approved by two thirds of the qualified voters present and voting on the fubject.

23. And the fame method of taking the fenfe of the people, as to a revifion of the conftitution, and calling a convention for that purpose, fhall be observed afterwards, at the expiration of every feven years.

24. This form of government fhall be enrolled on parch ment, and depofited in the fecretary's office, and be a part of the laws of the land; and printed copies thereof shall be prefixed to the books containing the laws of this state, in all future editions thereof.

In convention, held at Concord, the fifth day of September, anno domini one thoufand feven hundred and ninety-two.

The returns from the feveral towns and unincorporated places, being examined, and it appearing that the foregoing bill of rights and form of government, as amended by the convention, were approved by more than two thirds of the qualified voters prefent in the meetings, and voting on the

4

question; the fame are agreed on and established by the delegates of the people in convention, and declared to be the sivil conftitution of the state of New-Hampshire.

SAMUEL LIVERMORE, prefident of the convention.

Atteft, JOHN CALFE, fecretary.

EXTRACT FROM PRESIDENT ADAMS' INAUGURAL SPEECH.*

1. EMPLOYED in the fervice of my country abroad, during the whole course of these transactions, I first saw the constitution of the United States in a foreign country.

2. Irritated by no literary altercation, animated by no public debate, heated by no party animofity, I read it with great fatisfaction, as a refult of good heads, prompted by good hearts; as an experiment, better adapted to the genius, character, fituation and relations of this nation and country, than any which had ever been proposed or fuggefted.

3. In its general principles and great outlines, it was conformable to fuch a fyftem of government, as I had ever most esteemed, and in some states, my own native state in particular, had contributed to eftablith.

4. Claiming a right of fuffrage, in common with my fellow citizens, in the adoption or rejection of a constitution which was to rule me and my posterity, as well as them and theirs, I did not hesitate to exprefs my approbation of it, on all occafions, in public and in private.

5. It was not then, nor has been fince, any objection to it, in my mind, that the executive and fenate were not more permanent. Nor had I ever entertained a thought of promoting any alteration in it, but fuch as the people themfelves, in the courfe of their experience fhould fee and feel

*When we contemplated this work, we had no doubt but prefident Adams' inaugural speech might be easily obtained. We have, however, after much inquiry, been able to give to the public only

an extra.

to be neceffary or expedient, and by their reprefentatives in congrefs and the state legiflatures, according to the conftitution itself, adopt and ordain.

6. Returning to the bofom of my country, after a painful feparation from it, for ten years, I had the honor to be elected to a station under the new order of things, and I have repeatedly laid myself under the most ferious obligations to fupport the conftitution.

:

7. The operation of it has equalled the moft fanguine expectations of its friends and from an habitual attention to it, fatisfaction in its administration and delight in its ef fects, on the peace, order, profperity and happiness of the nation, I have acquired an habitual attachmant to it, and veneration for it.

8. What other form of government indeed can fo well deferve our esteem and love? There may be lite folidity in an ancient idea, that congregations of men into citizens and nations, are the moft, pleafing objects in the fight of superi. or intelligencies:

9. But this is very certain, that to a benevolent human mind, there can be no fpectacle prefented by any nation, more pleafing, more noble, majeftic or auguft, than an af fembly, like that which has fo often been feen in this and the other chamber of congrefs, of a government, in which the executive authority, as well as that of all the branches of the legiflature, a exercifed by citizens felected, at reg ular periods, by their neighbors, to make and execute laws for the general good.

10. Can any thing effential, any thing more than mere ornament and decoration be added to this by robes or diamonds? Can authority be more amiable or refpectable, when it defcends from accidents, or inftitutions established in remote antiquity, than when it fprings fresh from the hearts and judgments of an honeft and enlightened people.

11. For it is the people only that are reprefented: it is their power, and majefty, that is reflected and only for their good, in every legitimate government, under whatever form it may appear. The existence of fuch a government as ours, for any length of time, is a full proof of a general diffemination of knowledge and irtue throughout the whole body of the people.

[ocr errors]

12. And what object or confideration more pleafing than this can be presented to the human mind? If national pride is ever justifiable or excufable, it is when it fprings, not from power or riches, grandeur or glory, but from conviction of national innocence, information and benevolence.

13. In the midst of these pleasing ideas, we should be unfaithful to ourselves, if we should ever lofe fight of the danger to our liberties, if any thing partial or extraneous fhould infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous and independent elections. If an election is to be determined by a majority of a fingle vote, and that can be procured by a party through artifice or corruption, the government may be the choice of a party, for its own ends, not of the nation, for the national good.

14. If that folitary fuffrage can be obtained by foreign nations by flattery or menaces, fraud or violence, by terror, intrigue or venality, the government may not be the choice of the American people, but of foreign nations.

It may be foreign nations who govern us, and not we the people, who govern ourfelves. And candid men will acknowledge, that in fuch cases, choice would have little advantage to boast of, over lot or chance.

15. Such is the amiable and interesting fyftem of gov ernment (and fuch are some of the abuses to which it may be expofed) which the people of America have exhibited to the admiration and anxiety of the wife and virtuous of all nations, for eight years, under the adminiftration of a citi zen, who, by a long courfe of great actions, regulated by prudence, juftice, temperance and fortitude;

16. Conducting a people, infpired with the fame virtues, and animated with the fame ardent patriotism and love of liberty, to independence and peace, to increafe wealth and unexampled profperity; has merited the gratitude of his fellow citizens, commanded the highest praises of foreign nations, and fecured immortal glory with pofterity.

17. In that retirement which is his voluntary choice, may he long live to enjoy the delicious recollection of his fervices, the gratitude of mankind; the happy fruits of them to himself and the world, which are daily increafing, and that splendid profpect of the future fortunes of his country, which is opening from year to year. His name may

« ForrigeFortsett »