county, of which all the representers of each shall form the higher branch, while the lower branch shall be composed of all the commissioners of the same county, and one major president constitute the executive branch thereof.

And the fourth degree of legislative bodies shall constitute legislatively the May, July and September Elections in every town, of which all the directors of each shall form the higher branch, while the lower branch shall be composed of all the actors of the same town, and one minor president constitute the executive branch thereof. (H)

SECT. 3. In the transaction of all state business required, and not prohibited by this constitution, one branch of each of the same legislative bodies shall be a negative to the other, and their respective executive branch indifferent to both, that without which execu tive sanction, no legislative business shall be done, except two thirds of the higher and lower branch concur.

SECT..4. In order that a due proportion of actors, directors, commissioners, representers, legislators and mediators shall be elected from the uniform suffrage of all parts of the Columbian union, proceedings shall be as follows, viz:

The legal voters of every town shall form therein an actor's dividend, and those voters eligible be their candidates, then out of which dividends shall be found an actor's quotient by the divisor five; which quotients shall give the required number of actors; and which actors when chosen shall be the only candidates for all directors.

For the required number of directors, the actors quotient shall form in every town their dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found a director's quotient by the same divisor five, which quotients shall give the required number of directors; and which directors when chosen, shall be the only candidates for all commissioners.

For the required number of commissioners, the directors quotient shall form in every town their dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found

a commissioner's quotient by the same divisor five, which quotients shall give the required number of commissioners; and which commissioners when chosen shall be the only candidates for all representers.

For the required number of representers, the commissioners quotient of every town of the same coun ty, shall form therein their dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found a representer's quotient by the same divisor five, which quotients shall give the required number of representers; and which representers when chosen shall be the only candidates for all legislators.

For the required number of legislators, the representers quotient of every county, shall form therein their dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found a legislator's quotient by the same divisor five, which quotients shall give the required number of legislators, and which legislators when chosen, shall be the only candidates for all mediators.

For the required number of mediators, the legislators quotient of every county and parts of counties of the same district, shall form therein their dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found a mediator's quotient by the same divisor five, which quotient shall give the required number of mediators.

And the mediators quotient of every district, shall form therein a special president's dividend, then out of each of which dividends shall be found the said president's quotient by the same divisor five, which quo tient shall give the largest number of districts required. (I)

SECT. 5. The suffrage for electing sovereign officers, shall extend to every free male person of the Columbian Union, having attained to the age of twentyone years, (J) who shall be a resident in the same town where he shall make his principal home for at least sixty days, and in which case be called a legal voter therein; but an absence of which principal home from the same town, at least sixty days shall disqualify him from voting, until he shall gain his required residence; except he be a sovereign officer on the business

*

of his respective office, in which case thereby he shall never be disqualified; but who shall be a legal voter and eligible to office by the suffrage of his town, the same as though present in that which elected him, until sixty days from and after his term of office, for which he had been elected shall expire.

Every person qualified for a sovereign officer, shall be a legal voter and citizen of the Columbian Union and of European descent; (K) with a residence in the town wherein he shall be eligible one year next prior to his election; and elected according to this Constitution; but who shall be ineligible to an office of the Columbian Congress, except he be a natural born citizen of the Columbian Union, and not a stockholder, or member of any incorporated company, or partial body politic, and not in debt to the Columbian Union, and who after the expiration of the nineteenth century shall not be a slave-holder.

SECT. 6. All legal voters of the Columbian Union, ineligible for sovereign officers according to this Constitution, inhabitants of any town or larger section of Columbia, and under the jurisdiction of the Columbian Government, by themselves shall be eligible for their own officers and government, not repugnant to the general laws of the Columbian Congress, and which Congress shall guarantee to them, at their mutual expense, a republican form of government over such views required to be suppressed, as shall maintain the just rights of both. (L)

SECT. 7. Of the Columbian Union, every actor shall be twenty-three years of age or upwards, and personally worth in freehold estate one hundred and twentyfive dollars, and all other sovereign officers shall be twenty-eight years of age or upwards, and each per sonally worth in freehold estate, five hundred dollars ; or all of which sovereign officers shall each be personally worth double the foregoing sum in any visible property than foreign goods, writings or money; and which property so required to qualify the sovereign officers, shall be situated within the town of their several residence.

D

Every person who shall be a member of the Columbian Congress, and thereafter become a stockholder or member of any incorporated company or partial body politic, shall forfeit all its advantages to the Columbian Union. (M.)

Every sovereign officer shall be commissioned and sworn, or he shall affirm that he will defend and maintain the Columbian constitution and laws, which until thus qualified shall be called new officers. And which commissions shall read as follows, viz:

In the blank at A shall be inserted the officer's name, at B his title of office, at C his town of residence, at D that of his county, at E the year or years of the term of office, and at F be signed and sealed, by the proper offi cer and seal.

SECT. 8. All sovereign officers (mediators excepted) shall be qualified in the same meeting which determines their several elections, and all on the last inidday of said meeting commence their several offi cial duties of state, and continue the same in the same official capacity up to the midday next annual of the like meetings which shall determine the like elections. All the sovereign presidents shall in additional distinction be denominated vice-presidents and act accord- ́ ingly during the first year ensuing; and during the second year commencing and ending as aforesaid, the said sovereign presidents shall severally act as principal executives of their respective jurisdictions: and in case of the re-election of any principal executive president, he shall continue in the same chief executive capacity during the year following such re-election. And during every year's official service of every such

re-elected executive president, his respective antecedent vice-president shall continue the office of vice-president, and no vice-president shall be re-elected principal executive over his subsequent, nor retain his office over four years. And all legislators, after completing their first year's official service, shall during the second year commencing at the ending of the first, become general legislators, and act accordingly in that capacity to the expiration of the second year.

ARTICLE IV.

SECT. 1. For superintending the annual meetings of state during the election of all the sovereign officers of the Columbian Union, there shall be first elected for every meeting respectively a Speaker, and a Committee of Elections; (also a Clerk if none there be) which speakers in town meetings shall be called Moderators. And for electing said Superintendants every meeting shall be first opened by a Chairman, and who shall be the person scasonably present holding the highest sovereign office under this constitution, or if none there be, the highest judicial officer present shall be the chairman. Should any doubt arise as to the chair, the majority of the meeting shall signify a choice by an uplifted hand out of said highest officers; which chairman when determined shall preside over his respective meeting while electing his respective speaker or moderator and no longer; (N) and the balloted votes of the majority of all voters inseparately assembled and voting as required at their respective meetings, shall be required for the election of their respective speakers or moderators; which when elected shall immediately proceed to and superintend the election of their respective committee of elections. And which committee of elections shall consist of three persons elected at and for every meeting, and be those who shall have the most votes at the same round of voting from all voters inseparably assembled who shall vote as required at their respective meetings; and shall elect them by ballot, with but one candidate's name thereon, and