held.

SEC. 12. The first session of the legislature under this Sessions, when constitution shall be held on the fourth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six; and all regular sessions thereafter shall commence on the first Thursday after the first Monday in January, biennially. But the legislature may, on extraordinary occasions, be convened by proclamation of the governor, and when so convened, shall transact no business except such as relates to the object for which they were so convened, to be stated in the proclamation of the governor.

eligible to

SEC. 13. No member of the legislature shall, during Members not the term for which he was elected, be appointed or elected office, when. to any civil office in the state which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased, during the term for which he was elected.

congress not

seat.

SEC. 14. No person being a member of congress or Members of holding any military or civil office under the United States, eligible to a shall be eligible to a seat in the legislature; and if any person shall, after his election as a member of the legislature, be elected to congress, or be appointed to any office, civil or military, under the government of the United States, his acceptance thereof shall vacate his seat.

SEC. 15. The governor shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies as may occur in either house of the legislature.

Vacancies, how

filled.

members.

SEC. 16. Members of the legislature shall, in all cases, Privileges of except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest, nor shall they be subjected to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement, and after the termination of each session.

words

SEC. 17. No member of the legislature shall be liable Not liable for in any civil action or criminal prosecution whatever, for debate used in words spoken in debate.

Bills.

Contents of bills.

I Neb., 182.

Presiding officers to sign all bills.

Compensation

of members.

Lottery and divorce.

Stationery and printing let by

contract.

SEC. 18. Bills may originate in either house; but may be altered, amended or rejected in the other.

SEC. 19. Every bill shall be fully and distinctly read on three different days, unless, in case of urgency, threefourths of the house in which it shall be pending, shall dispense with the rule. No bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title; and no law shall be revived or amended, unless the new act contain the entire act revived, and the sections amended; and the section or sections so amended shall be repealed.

SEC. 20. The presiding officer of each house shall sign publicly, in the presence of the house over which he presides, while the same is in session and capable of transacting business, all bills and joint resolutions passed by the legislature.

SEC. 21. Each member of the legislature shall receive for his services three dollars for each day's attendance during the session, and ten cents for every mile he shall travel in going to and returning from the place of meeting of the legislature, on the most usual route: Provided however, That they shall not receive pay for more than forty days at any one session.

SEC. 22. The legislature shall never authorize any lottery, or grant any divorce.

SEC. 23. The legislature shall provide by law that all stationery required for the use of the state, and all printing authorized and required by them to be done for their use, or for the state, shall be let by contract to the lowest bidder; but the legislature may establish a maximum price. No member of the legislature, or other state officer, shall be interested, either directly or indirectly, in any such contract.

SEC. 24. The legislature shall never grant any extra compensation to any public officer, agent, servant, or cou

not increased.

tractor, after the services shall have been rendered or the Compensation contract entered into. Nor shall the compensation of any public officer be increased or diminished during his term of office.

SEC. 25. Members of the legislature, and all officers, Oath of office, executive and judicial, except such inferior officers as may be by law exempted, before they enter upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the State of Nebraska, and faithfully discharge the duties of their respective offices to the best of their ability.

SEC. 26. The legislature shall determine what persons Militia. shall constitute the militia of the state, and may provide

for organizing and disciplining the same, in such manner

as shall be prescribed by law.

taken.

SEC. 27. In all elections by the legislature, the Votes, how members thereof shall vote viva voce and their votes shall

be entered on the journal.

SEC. 28. The house of representatives shall have the Impeachment. sole power of impeachment, but a majority of the members elected must concur therein. Impeachment shall be tried by the senate; and the senators, when sitting for that purpose, shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the senators.

to impeach.

SEC. 29. The governor, secretary of state, auditor, treas- Officers liable urer, and judges of the supreme and district courts, shall be ment." liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office; but 3 Neb., 463. judgment in such cases shall extend only to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit, under this state; but the party convicted or acquitted, shall, nevertheless, be liable to indictment, trial and punishment, according to law; All other

Appropriations to be specific.

Vaca cies in office.

Issuance of

bonds.

civil officers shall be tried for misdemeanor in office in such manner as the legislature may provide.

SEC. 30. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, except in pursuance of a specific appropriation made by law; and no appropriation shall be made for a longer period than two years.

SEC. 31. The legislature may declare the cases in which any office shall be deemed vacant, and also the manner of filling the vacancy where no provision is made for that purpose in this constitution.

SEC. 32. The legislature shall not authorize the borrowing of money or the issuance of state bonds for any sum exceeding in the aggregate fifty thousand dollars, without submitting a proposition therefor to a vote of the people for their approval or rejection, except in case of war to repel invasion or suppress insurrection.

Officers of executive department.

ARTICLE III.

EXECUTIVE.

SECTION 1. The executive department shall consist of a governor, secretary of state, auditor, and treasurer, who shall be chosen by the electors of the state, on the second Terms of office. Tuesday of October, and at the places of voting for members of the legislature.

Returns of election.

SEC. 2. The governor, secretary of state and treasurer shall hold their offices for two years; and the auditor for four Their terms of office shall commence on the years. second Monday of January next after their election, and continue until their successors are elected and qualified.

SEC. 3. The returns of every election for the officers named in the foregoing section, shall be sealed up and transmitted to the seat of government by the returning officers, directed to the president of the senate, who, during the first week of the session, shall open and publish them,

and declare the result, in the presence of a majority of the members of each house of the legislature. The person having the highest number of votes shall be declared duly elected; but if any two or more shall be highest and equal in votes for the same office, one of them shall be chosen by the joint vote of both houses.

office.

SEC. 4. No person except a citizen of the United States Eligibility to and a qualified elector of the State, shall be eligible to any office provided for by this constitution.

canvassed it no

legislature.

SEC. 5. Should there be no session of the legislature Returns, how in January next after an election for any of the officers session of the aforesaid, the returns of such election shall be made to the secretary of state, and opened, and the result declared by the governor, in such manner as may be provided by law. SEC. 6. The supreme executive power of this state Executive shall be vested in the governor.

power.

formation in

SEC. 7. He may require information, in writing, from May require inthe officers in the executive department, upon any subject writing. relating to the duties of their respective offices; and shall see that the laws are faithfully executed.

legislature.

SEC. 8. He shall communicate at every session, by Message to message to the legislature, the condition of the state, and recommend such measures as he shall deem expedient.

legislature in

SEC. 9. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene May convene the legislature by proclamation, and shall state to both extra session. houses, when assembled, the purpose for which they have 3 Neb., 409. been convened.

journ legisla

SEC. 10. In case of disagreement between the two Power to adhouses in respect to the time of adjournment, he shall have ture. power to adjourn the legislature to such time as he may think proper, but not beyond the regular meetings thereof. SEC. 11. He shall be commander-in-chief of the mil-Commander-initary and naval forces of the state, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States.

SEC. 12. He shall have power, after conviction, to

chief.