bring forward or advocate any bill, petition or other business to be transacted in the Legislature, or advocate any cause, as counsel in either house of legislation, except when employed in behalf of the State.

Sec. 20. No person ought in any case, or in any time, to be declared guilty of treason or felony, by the Legislature.

Sec. 21. Every man of the full age of twenty-one years, having resided in this State for the space of one whole year next before the election of Representatives, and is of a quiet and peaceable behavior, and will take the following oath or affirmation shall be entitled to all the privileges of a freeman of this State:

"You solemnly swear (or affirm) that whenever you give your vote or suffrage, touching any matter that concerns the State of Vermont, you will do it so as in your conscience you shall judge will most conduce to the best good of the same, as established by the Constitution, without fear or favor of any man."

Sec. 22. The inhabitants of this State shall be trained and armed for its defense, under such regulations, restrictions and exceptions, as Congress, agreeably to the Constitution of the United States, and the Legislature of this State, shall direct. The several companies of militia shall, as often as vacancies happen, elect their captain and other officers, and the captains and subalterns shall nominate and recommend the field officers of their respective regiments, who shall appoint their staff officers.

Sec. 23. All commissions shall be in the name of the freemen of the State of Vermont, sealed with the State seal, signed by the Governor, and, in his absence the Lieutenant-Governor, and attested by the Secretary; which seal shall be kept by the Governor.

Sec. 24. Every officer of State, whether judicial or executive, shall be liable to be impeached by the General Assembly, either when in office, or after his resignation or removal for maladministration. All impeachments shall be before the Governor, or Lieutenant-Governor, and Council, who shall hear and determine the same, and may award costs; and no trial or impeachment shall be a bar to a prosecution at law.

Sec. 25. As every freeman, to preserve his independence (if without a sufficient estate) ought to have some profession, calling, trade or farm, whereby he may honestly subsist, there can be no necessity for, nor use in, establishing offices of profit, the

usual effects of which are dependence and servility, unbecoming freemen, in the possessors or expectants, and faction, contention and discord among the people. But if any man is called into public service to the prejudice of his private affairs, he has a right to a reasonable compensation; and whenever an office, through increase of fees or otherwise, become so profitable as to occasion many to apply for it, the profit ought to be lessened by the Legislature. And if any officer shall wittingly and willfully take greater fees than the law allows him, it shall ever after disqualify him from holding any office in this State, until he shall be restored by act of legislation.

Sec. 26. No person in this State shall be capable of holding or exercising more than one of the following offices at the same time, viz.: Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, judge of the Supreme Court, Treasurer of the State, member of the Council, member of the General Assembly, Surveyor-General or sheriff. Nor shall any person holding any office of profit or trust under the authority of Congress be eligible to any appointment in the Legislature, or of holding any executive or judiciary office under this State.

Sec. 27. The Treasurer of the State shall, before the Governor and Council, give sufficient security to the Secretary of the State in behalf of the General Assembly; and each high-sheriff, before the first judge of the County Court, to the treasurer of their respective counties, previous to their respectively entering upon the execution of their offices, in such manner and in such sums as shall be directed by the Legislature.

Sec. 28. The Treasurer's accounts shall be annually audited and a fair statement thereof laid before the General Assembly at their session in October.

Sec. 29. Every officer, whether judicial, executive or military, in authority under this State, before he enters upon the execution of his office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation of allegiance to this State (unless he shall produce evidence that he has before taken the same), and also the following oath or affirmation of office, except military officers, and such as shall be exempted by the Legislature.

The Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance.

"You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will be true and faithful to the State of Vermont, and that you will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or thing injurious to the Constitution or

government thereof, as established by convention. (If an oath) so help you God. (If an affirmation) under the pains and penalties of perjury."

"You,

The Oath or Affirmation of Office.

do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will

faithfully execute the office of

for the

of

; and will therein do equal right and justice to all men, to the best of your judgment and abilities, according to law. (If an oath) so help you God. (If an affirmation) under the pains and penalties of perjury."

Sec. 30. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor or Lieutenant-Governor until he shall have resided in this State four years next preceding the day of his election.

Sec. 31. Trials of issues, proper for the cognizance of a jury, in the Supreme and County Courts, shall be by jury, except where parties otherwise agree; and great care ought to be taken to prevent corruption or partiality in the choice and return or appointment of juries.

Sec. 32. All prosecution shall commence, "By the authority of the State of Vermont." All indictments shall conclude with these words: "Against the peace and dignity of the State." And all fines shall be proportioned to the offenses.

Sec. 33. The person of a debtor, where there is not strong presumption of fraud, shall not be continued in prison after delivering up and assigning over bona fide, all his estate, real and personal, in possession, reversion or remainder, for the use of his creditors, in such manner as shall be hereafter regulated by law. And all prisoners, unless in execution, or committed for capital offenses, when the proof is evident or presumption great, shall be bailable by sufficient sureties; nor shall excessive bail be exacted for bailable offenses.

Sec. 34. All elections, whether by the people or the Legisla ture, shall be free and voluntary; and any elector who shall receive any gift or reward for his vote, in meat, drink, moneys or otherwise, shall forfeit his right to elect at that time, and suffer such other penalty as the law shall direct; and any person who shall directly or indirectly, give, promise or bestow, any such rewards to be elected, shall thereby be rendered incapable to serve for the ensuing year, and be subject to such further punishment as a future Legislature shall direct.

Sec. 35. All deeds and conveyances of land shall be recorded in the town clerk's office in their respective towns, and, for want thereof, in the county clerk's office of the same county.

Sec. 36. The Legislature shall regulate entails in such manner as to prevent perpetuities.

Sec. 37. To deter more effectually from the commission of crimes, by continued visible punishments of long duration, and to make sanguinary punishments less necessary, means ought to be provided for punishing by hard labor, those who shall be convicted of crimes not capital, whereby the criminal shall be employed for the benefit of the public, or for the reparation of injuries done to private persons; and all persons at proper times ought to be permitted to see them at their labor.

Sec. 38. The estates of such persons as may destroy their own lives, shall not, for that offense be forfeited, but descend or ascend in the same manner as if such persons had died in a natural way. Nor shall any article which shall accidentally occa sion the death of any person, be henceforth deemed a deodand, or in any wise forfeited on account of such misfortune.

Sec. 39. Every person of good character who comes to settle in this State, having first taken an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the same, may purchase, or by other means acquire, hold or transfer land, or other real estate; and after one year's residence shall be deemed a free denizen thereof, and entitled to all rights of a natural born subject of this State, except that he shall not be capable of being elected Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Treasurer, Councillor or Representative in Assembly, until after two years' residence.

Sec. 40. The inhabitants of this State shall have liberty in seasonable times, to hunt and fowl on the lands they hold, and on other lands not inclosed; and in like manner to fish in all boatable and other waters (not private property) under proper regulations, to be hereafter made and provided by the General Assembly.

Sec. 41. Laws for the encouragement of virtue and prevention of vice and immorality ought to be constantly kept in force and duly executed; and a competent number of schools ought to be maintained in each town for the convenient instruction of youth; and one or more grammar schools be incorporated and properly

supported in each county in this State. And all religious societies or bodies of men that may be hereafter united or incorporated for the advancement of religion and learning, or for other pious and charitable purposes, shall be encouraged and protected in the enjoyment of the privileges, immunities and estates, which they in justice ought to enjoy, under such regulations as the General Assembly of this State shall direct.

Sec. 42. The declaration of the political rights and privileges of the inhabitants of this State, is hereby declared to be a part of the Constitution of this Commonwealth; and ought not to be violated on any pretense whatsoever.

Sec. 43. In order that the freedom of this Commonwealth may be preserved inviolate forever, there shall be chosen, by ballot, by the freemen of this State, on the last Wednesday in March, in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine, and on the last Wednesday in March in every seven years thereafter, thirteen persons, who shall be chosen in the same manner the Council is chosen, except that they shall not be out of the Council or General Assembly, to be called the Council of Censors, who shall meet together on the first Wednesday of June next ensuing their election, the majority of whom shall be a quorum in every case, except as to calling a convention, in which twothirds of the whole number elected shall agree; and whose duty it shall be to inquire, whether the Constitution has been preserved inviolate in every part, during the last septenary (including the year of their service); and whether the legislative and execu tive branches of government have performed their duty as guardians of the people, or assumed to themselves or exercised other or greater powers than they are entitled to by the Consti tution. They are also to inquire whether the public taxes have been justly laid and collected in all parts of this Commonwealth — in what manner the public moneys have been disposed of — and whether the laws have been duly executed. For these purposes they shall have power to send for persons, papers and records they shall have authority to pass public censures, to order impeachments, and to recommend to the Legislature the repealing such laws as shall appear to them to have been passed contrary to the principles of the Constitution. These powers they shall continue to have for and during the space of one year from the day of their election, and no longer. The said Council of