fhall, until otherwife altered by the legislature, be at the parish of Prince George, for the faid parifh and the parish of All Saints, and at the parish of St. Matthew for that parish and the parish of Orange; to meet on the first Monday in January then next, at the feat of government, unless the cafualties of war or contagious diforders fhould render it unfafe to meet there; in which cafe the governor and commander in chief for the time being, may, by proclamation, with the advice and confent of the privy-council, appoint a more fecure and convenient place of meeting; and to continue for two years, from the faid laft Monday in November; and that no perfon fhall be eligible to a feat in the faid fenate, unless he be of the Protestant religion, and hath attained the age of thirty years, and hath been a refident in this state at least five years. Not lefs than thirteen members fhall be a quorum to do bufinefs, but the prefident or any three members may adjourn from day to day. No perfon who refides in the parish or district for which he is elected, fhall take his feat in the fenate, unless he poffeffes a fettled estate and freehold, in his own right, in the faid parish or diftrict, of the value of two thousand pounds currency at leaft, clear of debt; and no non-refident fhall be eligible to a feat in the said senate, unless he is owner of a fettled effate and freehold, in his own right, in the parish or district where he is elected, of the value of feven thousand pounds currency at least, also clear of debt. 13. That on the laft Monday in November next, and the day following, and on the fame days of every fecond year thereafter,. members of the house of reprefentatives fhall be chofen, to meet on the first Monday in January then next, at the feat of government, unless the casualties of war or contagious disorders should render it unfafe to meet there, in which cafe the governor and commander in chief for the time being may by proclamation, with the advice and confent of the privy council, appoint a more fecure and convenient place of meeting; and to continue for two, years from the said laft Monday in November. Each parish and diftrict within this ftate, fhall fend members to the general affembly in the following proportions, that is to fay, The parish of St. Philip and St. Michael, Charlestown, thirty members. The parish of Chrift-Church, fix members. The parish of St. John, in Berkley county, fix members, The parish of St. George, Dorchefter, fix members. The parish of St. Bartholomew, fix members. 3 The The parish of St. James, Santee, fix members. The parish of Prince George, Winyah, four members. The parish of Prince Frederick, fix members. The parish of St. John, in Colleton county, fix members. The parish of Prince William, fix members. The parish of St. Stephen, fix members. The diftrict to the eastward of Wateree river, ten members. ¡The district of Ninety-Six, ten members. The diftrict of Saxe-Gotha, fix members. The diftrict between Broad and Saludy rivers, in three divifions, viz. The Lower diftrict, four members. The Little River district, four members. The Upper or Spartan diftrict, four members... The district between Broad and Catawba rivers, ten members. The diftrict called the New Acquifition, ten members. The parish of St. Matthew, three members. The parish of Orange, three members. The parish of St. David, fix members. The district between Savannah river, and the north fork of Edifto, fix members. And the election of the faid members fhall be conducted, as near as may be, agreeable to the directions of the prefent or any future election act or acts. And where there are no churches or churchwardens in a diftrict or parifh, the houfe of reprefentatives, at fome convenient time before their expiration, fhall appoint places of election, and perfons to receive votes and make returns. The qualification of electors fhall be, that every free white man, and no other perfon, who acknowledges the being of a God, and believes in a future ftate of rewards and punishments, and who has attained to the age of one and twenty years, and hath been a refident and an inhabitant in this ftate for the space of one whole year, before the day appointed for the election he offers to give his vote at, and hath a freehold at least of fifty acres of land, or a town lot, and hath been legally feized and poffeffed of the fame, at least fix months previous to fuch election, or hath paid a tax the preceding year, or was taxable the prefent year, at least fix months previous to the faid election, in a fum equal to the tax on fifty acres of land, to the fupport of this government, shall be deemed a perfon qualified to vote for, and fhall be capable of electing a representative or reprefentatives, to ferve as a member or members in the fenate, and house of representatives, for the parish or district where he actually is a refident, or in any other parish or district, in this state, where he hath the like freehold. Electors shall take an oath or affirmation of qualification, if required by the returning officer. officer. No perfon fhall be eligible to fit in the houfe of reprefentatives, unless he be of the Proteftant religion, and hath been a refident in this ftate for three years, previous to his election. The qualification of the elected, if refidents in the parith or district for which they shall be returned, shall be the fame as mentioned in the election act, and conftrued to mean clear of debt. But no nonrefident fhall be eligible to a feat in the house of reprefentatives, unless he is owner of a fettled eftate and freehold, in his own right, of the value of three thousand and five hundred pounds currency at leaft, clear of debt, in the parish or district for which he is elected. 14. That if any parish or district neglects or refufes to elect members; or if the members chofen do not meet in general affembly; those who do meet fhall have the powers of the general affembly. Not lefs than fixty-nine members fhall make a house of reprefentatives to do bufinefs; but the fpeaker, or any feven members, may adjourn from day to day. 15. That at the expiration of feven years after the paffing of this conftitution, and at the end of every fourteen years thereafter, the representation of the whole ftate fhall be proportioned in the moft equal and juft manner, according to the particular and comparative ftrength, and taxable property, of the different parts of the fame; regard being always had to the number of white in habitants, and fuch taxable property. : 16. That all money-bills for the fupport of government, shall originate in the houfe of reprefentatives, and fhall not be altered or amended by the fenate, but may be rejected by them: And that no money be drawn out of the public treasury, but by the legi lative authority of the ftate. All other bills and ordinances may take rife in the senate or house of representatives, and be altered, amended, or rejected by either. Acts and ordinances having paffed the general affembly, fhall have the great feal affixed to them, by a joint committee of both houses, who fhallowait upon the governor to receive and return the feal; and fhalls then be figned by the prefident of the fenate, and fpeaker of the houfe of representatives, in the fenate house, and shall thenceforth have the force and validity of a law, and be lodged in the fecretary's office: And the fenate and boufe of reprefentatives refpectively, fhaliens joy all other privileges which have at any time been claimed, of exercised by the commons house of affembly. 17. That neither the fenate nor houfe of reprefentatives fhall have power to adjourn themselves for any longer time than three days, without the mutual confent of both. The governor and commander in chief fhall have no power to adjourn, prorogue, or diffolve them, but may, if neceflary, by and with the advice and confent of the privy-council convene them, before the time to which they fhall ftand adjourned. And where a bill.hath been reject:J rejected by either houfe, it fhall not be brought in again that feffion, without leave of the houfe, and a notice of fix days being previously given. 18. That the fenate and houfe of reprefentatives fhall each chufe their refpective officers by ballot, without Controul. And that, during a recefs, the prefident of the fenate, and fpeaker of the houfe of reprefentatives, fhall iffue writs for filling up vacancies, occafioned by death in their refpective houfes, giving at least three weeks, and not more than thirty-five days previous notice, of the time appointed for the election. 19. That if any parish or district shall neglect to elect a member or members, on the day of election; or in cafe any person chosen a member of either house, fhall refufe to qualify and take his feat as fuch, or die, or depart the ftate; the fenate or houfe of reprefentatives, as the cafe may be, fhall appoint proper days for electing a member or members, in fuch cafes refpectively. 20. That if any member of the senate or house of representatives; fhall accept any place of emolument, or any commiffion (except in the militia, or commiffion of the peace), and except as is excepted in the tenth article, he fhall vacate his feat, and there fhall thereupoa be a new election; but he fhall not be difqualified from ferving, upon being re-elected, unlefs he is appointed fecretary of the ftate, a commiffioner of the treasury, an officer of the customs, regifter of mefne conveyances, a clerk of either of the courts of juftice, fheriff, powder-receiver, clerk of the fenate, house of reprefentatives, or privy council, furveyor-general, or commiffary of military ftores; which officers are hereby declared difqualified from being members either of the fenate or houfe of reprefentatives. 21. And whereas the minifters of the gospel are, by their profeffion, dedicated to the fervice of God, and the cure of fouls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their function; therefore, no minifter of the gofpel, or public preacher, of any religious perfuafion, while he continues in the exercife of his paftoral function, and for two years after, fhall be eligible either as governor, lieutenant-governor, a member of the fenate, houfe of reprefentatives, or privy council in this ftate. 22. That the delegates to reprefent this ftate in the congrefs of the united states, be chofen annually, by the fenate and noufe of reprefentatives, jointly by ballot, in the houfe of reprefentatives. And nothing contained in this conftitution, fhall be conftrued to extend to vacate the feat of any member, who is or may be a delegate from this ftate to congrefs, as fuch. 23. That the form of impeaching all officers of the ftate, for mal and corrupt conduct in their refpective offices, not amenable to any other jurifdiction, be vested in the houfe of representatives: But, that it fhall always be neceffary, that twothird parts of the members prefent do confent to, and agree in, T fuch fuch impeachment. That the fenators and fuch of the judges of this ftate, as are not members of the house of reprefentatives, be a court for the trial of impeachments, under fuch regulations as the legiflature fhall establish: And that, previous to the trial of every impeachment, the members of the faid court fhall refpectively be fworn, truly and impartially to try and determine the charge in queftion, according to evidence. And no judgment of the faid court, except judgment of acquittal, fhall be valid, unless it shall be affented to by two-third parts of the members then prefent. And on every trial, as well on impeachments as others, the party accufed fhall be allowed counfel. 24. That the lieutenant-governor of the ftate, and a majority of the privy-council, for the time being, fhall, until otherwife altered by the legiflature, exercife the powers of a court of chancery. And there fhall be ordinaries appointed in the feveral districts in this ftate, to be chofen by the fenate and house of representatives jointly, by ballot, in the houfe of reprefentatives, who fhall, within their respective diftricts, exercife the powers heretofore exercised by the ordinary: And until fuch appointment is made, the prefent ordinary, in Charlestown, fhall continue to exercife that office as 'heretofore. 17 25 That the jurifdiction of the court of admiralty be confined to maritime causes. 26. That juftices of the peace fhall be nominated by the fenate and houfe of reprefentatives, jointly, and commiffioned by the governor and commander in chief, during pleafure. They fhall be intitled to receive the fees heretofore established by law; and not acting in the magiftracy, they fhall not be intitled to the privileges allowed to them by law. 27. That all other judicial officers fhall be chofen by ballot, jointly, by the fenate and house of reprefentatives, and, except the judges of the court of chancery, commiffioned by the governor and commander in chief during good behaviour; but fhall be removed on addrefs of the fenate and house of representatives. 28. That the theriffs, qualified as by law directed, shall be chofen in like manner, by the fenate and houfe of reprefentatives, when the governor, lieutenant governor, and privy council are chofen, and commiffioned by the governor and commander in chief for two years, and fhall give fecurity, as required by law, before they enter on the execution of their office. No fheriff who shall have ferved for two years, fhall be eligible to serve in the faid office, after the expiration of the faid term, until the full end and term of four years, but fhall continue in office until fuch choice be made: Nor fhall any perfon be eligible as fheriff, in any district, unless he fhall have refided therein for two years, previous to the election. 29. That two commiffioners of the treasury, the secretary of the |