year, and of the county in which he claims his vote five months, next before the election, shall be entitled to vote for all officers that now are, or hereafter may be, elective by the people; provided, that no person in the military, navy, or marine service of the United States shall be considered a resident in this state, by being stationed in any garrison, barrack, or military or naval place or station within the state ; and no pauper, idiot, insane person, or person convicted of a crime which now excludes him from being a witness, unless pardoned and restored by law to the right of suffrage, shall enjoy the right of an elector.

II. The legislature may pass laws to deprive persons of the right of suffrage who shall be convicted of bribery at elections.

ARTICLE III.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT.

1. One of the powers of the government shall be divided into three distinct departments—the legislative, executive, and judicial ; and no person or persons belonging to, or constituting one of these departments, shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others, except as herein expressly provided.

ARTICLE IV.-SECTION I.

.

LEGISLATIVE.

1. The legislative power of this state shall be vested in a Senate and General Assembly.

2. No person shall be a member of the senate who shall not have attained the age of thirty years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state for four years, and of the county for which he shall be chosen one year, next before his election ; and no person shall be a member of the general assembly who shall not have attained the age of twenty-one years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state for two years, and of the county for which he shall be chosen one year next before his election ; provided, that no person shall be eligible as a member of either house of the legislature, who shall not be entitled to the right of suffrage.

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3. Members of the senate and general assembly shall be elected yearly and every year, on the second Tuesday of October; and the two houses shall meet separately on the second Tuesday in January next after the said day of election : at which time of meeting the legislative year shall commence, but the time of holding such election may be altered by the legislature.

SECTION II.

1. The senate shall be composed of one senator from each county in the state, elected by the legal voters of the counties respectively, for three years.

2. As soon as the senate shall meet after the first election to be held in pursuance of this constitution, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the first year; of the second class at the expiration of the second year; and of the third class at the expiration of the third year; so that one class may be elected every year : and if vacancies happen, by resignation or otherwise, the persons elected to supply such vacancies shall be elected for the unexpired terms only.

SECTION III.

1. The general assembly shall be composed of members annu. ally elected by the legal voters of the counties respectively, who shall be apportioned among the said counties as nearly as may be according to the number of their inhabitants. The present apportionment shall continué until the next census of the United States shall have been taken, and an apportionment of members of the general assembly shall be made by the legislature at its first session after the next and every subsequent enumeration or census, and when made shall remain unaltered until another enumeration shall have been taken; provided, that each county shall at all times be entitled to one member: and the whole number of members shall never exceed sixty.

SECTION IV.

1. Each house shall direct writs of election for supplying vacancies, occasioned by death, resignation or otherwise ; but if no vacancies occur during the recess of the legislature, the writs may

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