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THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Adopted November 3, 1846.

ARTICLE I.

SECTION 1. No person to be disfranchised.

SEC. 2. Trial by jury.

SEC. 3. Religious liberty.

SEC. 4. Writ of habeas corpus.

SEC. 5. Bail, fines.

SEC. 6. Grand jury.

SEC. 7. Private property-Private roads.

SEC. 8. Freedom of speech and of the press.

SEC. 9. Two-third bills.

SEC. 10. Right of petition-Divorces- Lotteries.

SEC. 11. Right of property in lands-Escheats.

SEC. 12. Feudal tenures abolished.

SEC. 13. Allodial tenure.

SEC. 14. Certain leases invalid.

SEC. 15. Fines and quarter sales abolished.

SEC. 16. Sale of lands.

SEC. 17. Old colony laws and acts of the Legislature-Common lawCommissioners to be appointed — their duties.

SEC. 18. Grants of land since 1775- Prior grants.

ARTICLE II.

SECTION 1. Qualification of voters-Freehold required for man of color.

SEC. 2. Persons excluded from right of suffrage.

SEC. 3. Certain employments not to affect residence of voters.
SEC. 4. Laws to be passed.

SEC. 5. Election to be by ballot.

ARTICLE III.

SECTION 1. Legislative powers.

SEC. 2. Senate, number of-Assembly, number of.

SEC. 3. State divided into thirty-two senatorial districts-bounda ries thereof Board of Supervisors of the city of New York to divide the county into four Senate districts - Certificate, &c., to be filed. SEC. 4. Census to be taken in 1855, and every ten years-Senate districts, how altered.

SEC. 5. Members of Assembly, how apportioned and chosen-Boards of Supervisors in certain counties to divide the same into Assembly districts-Description of Assembly districts to be filed - Contents of assembly districts-Legislature to re-apportion members of Assembly -Each county entitled to one member-Hamilton county.

SEC. 6. Pay of members-Additional compensation to Speaker.
SEC. 7. No member to receive an appointment.

SEC. 8. Persons disqualified from being members

SEC. 9. Time of election fixed.

SEC. 10. Powers of each house.

SEC. 11. Journals to be kept.

SEC. 12. No member to be questioned, &c.

SEC. 13. Bills may originate in either house.

SEC. 14. Enacting clause of bills.

SEC. 15. Assent of a majority of all the members required, &c.

SEC. 16. Restriction as to private and local bills.

SEC. 17. Local legislative powers conferred on Boards of Supervisors.

ARTICLE IV.

SECTION 1. Executive power, how vested.

SEC. 2. Requisite qualifications of Governor.

SEC. 3. Time and manner of electing Governor and Lieutenant-Gov

ernor.

SEC. 4. Duties and power of Governor-His compensation.
SEC. 5. Pardoning power vested in the Governor.

SEC. 6. Powers of Governor to devolve on Lieutenant-Governor.
SEC. 7. Requisite qualifications of Lieutenant-Governor-To be
President of the Senate, and to act as Governor in certain cases.
SEC. 8. Compensation of Lieutenant-Governor in certain cases.

SEC. 9. Bills to be presented to the Governor for signature — If returned by him with objections, how disposed of- Bills to be returned within ten days.

ARTICLE V.

SECTION 1. State officers, how elected and terms of office.

SEC. 2. State Engineer and Surveyor, how chosen and term of office. SEC. 3. Canal Commissioners, how chosen and terms of office.

SEC. 4. Inspectors of State Prisons, how elected and terms of office. SEC. 5. Commissioners of the Land Office - Commissioners of the Canal Fund-Canal Board.

SEC. 6. Powers and duties of Boards, &c.

SEC. 7. Treasurer may be suspended by Governor.

SEC. 8. Certain offices abolished.

ARTICLE VI.

SECTION 1. Impeachment - Assembly has power of-effect of judg ment.

SEC. 2. Court of Appeals - Judges how chosen Appointment of clerk. SEC. 3. Vacancies in office of judge of Court of Appeals; how filled. SEC. 4. Causes pending in Court of Appeals to be referred to Commissioners of Appeals.

SEC. 5. Commissioners of Appeals - Vacancies how filled - Chief Commissioner to be appointed.

SEC. 6. Supreme Court-Jurisdiction - Justices - Judicial Districts number of justices in; may be altered without increasing number SEC. 7. Terms of Supreme Court.

SEC. 8. Judge or Justice may not sit in review of decisions made by him, etc.

SEC. 9. Vacancy in office of Justice of Supreme Court, how filled. SEC. 10. Judges of Court of Appeals, or Justices of Supreme Court, to hold no other office.

SEC. 11. Removals - Proceedings in relation to.

SEC. 12. City Courts.

SEC. 13. Justice of Supreme Court or Judges of City Courts, how chosen-Term of Office-Restriction as to age.

SEC. 14. Compensation of Judges or Justices-Not to be diminished during term of office.

SEC. 15. County Courts.

SEC. 16. Local judicial officers.

SEC. 17. Judge of Court of Appeals, or Justice of Supreme Court; election or appointment of-Question to be submitted to people.

SEC. 18. Justices of the Peace.

SEC. 19. Inferior local courts.

SEC. 20. Clerks of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

SEC. 21. No judicial officer, except Justice of Peace, to receive fees. SEC. 22. Judgments, etc., may be ordered directly to Court of Appeals for review.

SEC. 23. Publication of Statutes to be provided for -To be free to all SEC. 24. Judges, first election of- When to enter upon duties.

SEC. 25. Local Judicial Officers-Term of office of present incumbents SEC. 26. Courts of Special Sessions.

SEC. 27. Surrogates' Courts.

ARTICLE VII.

SECTION 1. Canal debt-Sinking Fund-June 1, 1846, $1,300,000June 1, 1855, $1,700,000.

SEC. 2. General Fund Debt-Sinking Fund $350,000; after certai period, $1,500,000.

SEC. 3. $200,000 of the surplus canal revenues annually appropriated to General Fund, and the remainder to specific public works- Certain deficiencies in the revenues not exceeding $250,000, annually to be supplied from the revenues of the canals.

SEC. 4. Loans to incorporated companies not to be released or compromised.

SEC. 5. Legislature shall, by equitable taxes, increase the revenues of the Sinking Fund in certain cases.

SEC. 6. Canals of the State not to be leased or sold.

SEC. 7. Salt springs.

SEC. 8. Appropriation bills.

SEC. 9. State credit not to be loaned.

SEC. 10. Power to contract debts limited.

SEC. 11. Debts to repel invasion, &c., may be contracted.

SEC. 12. Limitation of the legislative power in the creation of debts. SEC. 13. Manner of passing bills imposing a tax.

SEC. 14. Same subject.

ARTICLE VIII.

SECTION 1. Corporations, how created.

SEC. 2. Debts of corporations.

SEC. 3. " Corporations" defined.

SEC. 4. Charters for banking purposes.

SEC. 5. Specie payments.

SEC. 6. Registry of bills or notes.

SEC. 7. Individual responsibility of stockholders.

SEC. 8. Insolvency of banks, preference.

SEC. 9. Legislature to provide for the incorporation of cities and vil lages, and to define powers thereof in certain cases.

ARTICLE IX.

SECTION 1. Common School, Literature and United States Deposi Funds.

ARTICLE X.

SECTION 1. Sheriffs, Clerks of counties, Register and Clerk of New York, Coroners and District Attorneys-Governor may remove.

SEC. 2. Officers, how chosen or appointed.

SEC. 3. Duration of office.

SEC. 4. Time of election.

SEC. 5. Vacancies in office, how filled.

SEC. 6. Political year.

SEC. 7. Removal from office.

SEC. 8. When office deemed vacant.

ARTICLE XI.

SECTION 1. Militia.

SEC. 2. Manner of choosing or appointing militia officers

SEC. 3. Officers to be appointed by Governor and Senate-Commissary-General.

SEC. 4. Election of militia officers.

SEC. 5. Officers, how commissioned.

SEC. 6. Election of militia officers may be abolished.

ARTICLE XII.

SECTION 1. Oath of office prescribed.

ARTICLE XIII.

SECTION 1. Amendments.

SEC. 2. Future conventions, how called.

ARTICLE XIV.

SECTION 1. Election-Term of office of Senators and Members of Assembly.

SEC. 2. First election of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, when. SEC. 3. State officers, and others, to remain in office till December 81, 1847.

SEC. 4. First election of Judicial officers, when.

SEC. 5. Jurisdiction of suits

SEC. 6. Chancellor and Supreme Court-Masters in Chancery.

SEC. 7. Vacancy in office of Chancellor, or Justice of Supreme Court, how filled.

SEC. 8. Offices abolished.

SEC. 9. Chancellor and Justices of present Supreme Court, eligible. SEC. 10. Officers to hold until expiration cf term.

SEC. 11. Judicial officers may receive fees.

SEC. 12. Local courts to remain, &c.

SEC. 13. Constitution goes into operation

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