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They may be re-elected until they shall have served three years, but no longer ; after which, three years must elapse before they can be again capable of serving.

8. Justices of the peace shall be elected by ballot at the annual meetings of the townships in the several counties of the state, and of the wards in cities that may vote in wards, in such manner, and under such regulations, as may be hereafter provided by law.

They shall be commissioned for the county, and their commissions shall bear date and take effect on the first day of May next after their election.

They shall hold their offices for five years ;-except when elected to fill vacancies, they shall hold for the unexpired term only; provided, that the commission of any justice of the peace shall become vacant upon his ceasing to reside in the township in which he was elected.

The first election for justices of the peace shall take place at the next annual town meetings of the townships in the several counties of the state, and of the wards in cities that may vote in wards.

9. All other officers, whose appointments are not otherwise provided for by law, shall be nominated by the governor, and appointed by him, with the advice and consent of the senate; and they shall hold their offices for the time prescribed by law.

10. All civil officers nominated by the governor, and appointed by him, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall be commissioned by the governor.

11. The term of office of all officers elected or appointed pursuant to the provisions of this constitution, except when herein otherwise directed, shall commence on the day of the date of their respective commissions; but no commission for any office shall bear date prior to the expiration of the term of the incumbent of said office.

ARTICLE VIII.

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. The secretary of state shall be ex-officio an auditor of the accounts of the treasurer, and, as such, it shall be his duty to assist the legislature in the annual examination and settlement of said accounts, until otherwise provided by law.

2. The seal of the state shall be kept by the governor or person administering the government, and used by him officially, and shall be called the great seal of the state of New Jersey.

3. All grants and commissions shall be in the name and by the authority of the state of New Jersey, sealed with the great seal, signed by the governor or person administering the government, and countersigned by the secretary of state, and shall run thus : “ The state of New Jersey to

-, greeting.” All writs shall be in the name of the state; and all indictments shall conclude in the following manner, viz:

against the

peace

of this state, the government and dignity of the same."

4. This constitution shall take effect and go into operation on the second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-four.

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ARTICLE IX.

AMENDMENTS.

Any specific amendment or amendments to the constitution may be proposed in the senate or general assembly, and if the same shall be agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be entered on their journals, with the yeas

and
nays

taken thereon, and referred to the legislature then next to be chosen, and shall be published, for three months previous to making such choice, in at least one newspaper of each county, if

any

be published therein; and if in the legislature next chosen, as aforesaid, such proposed amendment or amendments, or any of them, shall be agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house, then it shall be the duty of the legislature to submit to such proposed amendment or amendments; or such of them as may have been agreed to as aforesaid by the two legislatures, to the people, in such manner and at such time, at least four months after the adjournment of the legislature, as the legislature shall prescribe; and if the people, at a special election to be held for that purpose only, shall approve and ratify such amendment

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or amendments, or any of them, by a majority of the electors qualified to vote for members of the legislature voting theron, such amendment or amendments, so approved and ratified, shall become part of the constitution ; provided, that if more than one amendment be submitted, they shall be submitted in such manner and form that the people may vote for or against each amendment separately and distinctly; but no amendment or amendments shall be submitted to the people by the legislature oftener than once in five years.

ARTICLE X.

SCHEDULE.

That no inconvenience may arise from the change in the constitution of this state, and in order to carry the same into complete operation, it is hereby declared and ordained, that

I. The common law and the statute laws now in force, not repugnant to this constitution, shall remain in force until they expire by their own limitation, or be altered or repealed by the legislature; and all writs, actions, causes of such action, prosecutions, contracts, claims, and rights of individuals, and of bodies corporate, and of the state, and all charters of incorporation, shall continue, and all indictments which shall have been found, or which may hereafter be found, for any crime or offence committed before the adoption of this constitution, may be proceeded upon as if no change had taken place. The several courts of law and equity, except as herein otherwise provided, shall continue with the like powers and jurisdiction as if this constitution had not been adopted.

II. All officers now filling any office or appointment, shall continue in the exercise of the duties thereof, according to their respective commissions or appointments, unless, by this constitution, it is otherwise directed.

III. The present governor, chancellor, and ordinary or surro. gate-general, and treasurer of this state, shall continue in office until successors elected or appointed under this constitution shall be sworn or affirmed into office.

IV. In case of the death, resignation, or disability of the present governor, the person who may be vice-president of the council at the time of the adoption of this constitution shall continue in office, and administer the government, until a governor shall have been elected and sworn or affirmed into office under this constitution.

V. The present governor, or in case of his death or disability lo act, the vice-president of council, together with the present members of the legislative council and secretary of state, shall constitute a board of state canvassers, in the manner now provided by law, for the purpose of ascertaining and declaring the result of the next ensuing election for governor, members of the house of representatives, and electors of the president and vicepresident.

VI. The returns of the votes for governor, at the said next ensuing election, shall be transmitted to the secretary of state ; the votes counted, and the election declared, in the manner now provided by law in the case of the election of electors of president and vice-president.

VII. The election of clerks and surrogates, in those counties where the term of office of the present incumbent shall expire previous to the general election of eighteen hundred and fortyfive, shall be held at the general election next ensuing the adoption of this constitution ; the result of which election shall be ascertained in the manner now provided by law for the election of sheriffs.

VIII. The elections for the year eighteen hundred and fortyfour shall take place as now provided by law.

IX. It shall be the duty of the governor to fill all vacancies in office happening between the adoption of this constitution and the first session of the senate, and not otherwise provided for, and the commissions shall expire at the end of the first session of the senate, or when a successor shall be elected or appointed and qualified.

X. The restriction of the pay of members of the legislature, after forty days from the commencement of the session, shall not be applied to the first legislature convened under this constitution.

XI. Clerks of counties shall be clerks of the inferior courts of

common pleas and quarter sessions of the several counties, and perform the duties and be subject to the regulations now required of them by law, until otherwise ordained by the legislature.

XII. The legislature shall pass all laws necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this constitution.

Done in convention, at the State House in Trenton, on the twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the sixty-eighth.

ALEXANDER WURTS,

President of the Convention.
WILLIAM PATERSON, Secretary.
Th. J. SAUNDERS, Assistant Secretary.

Now, therefore, I, DANIEL HAINES, Governor of the State of New Jersey, have caused, and by these presents do cause the said Constitution to be published pursuant to the direction of the said act. Given under my hand and privy seal, at the city of Trenton,

this twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord [L. S.] one thousand eight hundred and forty-four.

DANIEL HAINES.

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