SEC. 5. Members of the General Assembly, before they enter upon their official duties, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation: I shall be expressed in the title. But if any subject shall be embraced in an act which shall not be expressed in the title, such act shall be void only as to so much thereof as shall not be so expressed; and no law shall be revived or law revived, or the section amended, shall be amended by reference to its title only, but the inserted at length in the new act. ARTICLE VI. * * * judges of the supreme court shall, on or before the 1st day of January, of each year, report in writing to the Governor such defects and omissions in the constitution and laws as they may find to exist, together with appropriate forms of bills to cure such defects and omis sions in the law. * * ARTICLE VII. * * "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will SEC. 31. All judges of courts of record, support the Constitution of the United States inferior to the supreme court, shall, on or and the constitution of the State of Illinois, before the 1st day of June, of each year, and will faithfully discharge the duties of Sen- report in writing to the judges of the supreme ator (or Representative) according to the best court such defects and omissions in the laws of my ability; and that I have not, knowingly as their experience may suggest; and the or intentionally, paid or contributed anything, or made any promise in the nature of a bribe, to directly or indirectly influence any vote at the election at which I was chosen to fill the said office, and have not accepted, nor will I accept or receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, from any corporation, company or person, for any vote or influence I may give or withhold on any bill, resolution, or appropriation, or for any other official act." * SECS. 7 and 8. The House of Representatives shall consist of three times the number of the members of the Senate, and the term of office shall be two years. Three representatives shall be elected in each senatorial district at the general election in the year of our Lord 1872, and every two years thereafter. In all elections of representatives aforesaid, each qualified voter may cast as many votes for one candidate as there are representatives to be elected, or may distribute the same, or equal parts thereof, among the candidates, as he shall see fit; and the candidates highest in votes shall be declared elected. * * * * * * * SEC. 1. Every person having resided in this State one year, in the county ninety days, and in the election district thirty days next preceding any election therein, who was an elector in this State on the 1st day of April, in the year of our Lord 1848, or obtained a certificate of naturalization, before any court of record in this State, prior to the 1st day of January, in the year of our Lord 1870, or who shall be a male citizen of the United States, above the age of twenty-one years, shall be entitled to vote at such election. SEC. 3. Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation or pay from any pubSEC. 11. On the final passage of all bills lic fund whatever, anything in aid of any the vote shall be by yeas and nays, upon each church or sectarian purpose, or to help supbill separately, and shall be entered upon the port or sustain any school, academy, seminary, journal; and no bill shall become a law with- college, university, or other literary or scienout the concurrence of a majority of the mem-tific institution, controlled by any church or bers elected to each House. sectarian denomination whatever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money, or other personal property ever be made by the State, or any such public corporation, to any church, or for any sectarian purpose. created; and all stock dividends, and other fictitious increase of the capital stock or indebtedness of any such corporation, shall be void. The capital stock of no railroad corporation shall be increased for any purpose, except upon giving sixty days' public notice, in such manner as may be provided by law. SEC. 3. The General Assembly shall provide, SEC. 13. No railroad corporation shall issue by law, that in all elections for directors or any stock of bonds, except for money, labor managers of incorporated companies every or property actually received and applied to stockholder shall have the right to vote, in the purposes for which such corporation was person or by proxy, for the number of shares of stock owned by him, for as many persons as there are directors or managers to be elected, or to cumulate said shares, and give one candidate as many votes as the number of directors multiplied by the number of his shares of stock, shall equal, or to distribute them on the same principle among as many candidates as he shall think fit; and such directors or managers shall not be elected in and other manner. * * * * SEC. 9. Every railroad corporation organized or doing business in this State, under the laws or authority thereof, shall have and maintain a public office or place in this State for the transaction of its business, where transfers of stock shall be made and in which shall be kept, for public inspection, books, in which shall be recorded the amount of capital stock subscribed, and by whom; the names of the owners of its stock, and the amounts owned by them respectively; the amount of stock paid in and by whom; the transfers of said stock; the amount of its assets and liabilities, and the names and place of residence of its officers. The directors of every railroad corporation shall, annually, make a report, under oath, to the auditor of public accounts, or some officer to be designated by law, of all their acts and doings, which report shall include such matters relating to railroads as may be prescribed by law. And the General Assembly shall pass laws enforcing by suitable penalties the provisions of this section. SEC. 14. The exercise of the power and the right of eminent domain shall never be so construed or abridged as to prevent the taking, by the General Assembly, of the property and franchises of incorporated companies already organized, and subjecting them to the public necessity the same as of individuals. The right of jury shall be held inviolate, in all trials of claims for compensation, when, in the exercise of the said right of eminent domain, any incorporated company shall be interested either for or against the exercise of said right. SEC. 15. The General Assembly shall pass laws to correct abuses and prevent unjust discrimination and extortion in the rates of freight and passenger tariffs on the different railroads in this State, and enforce such laws by adequate penalties, to the extent, if neces sary for that purpose, of forfeiture of their property and franchises. (Separate sections.) Illinois Central Railroad. No contract, obligation, or liability whatever of the Illinois Central Railroad Company to pay any money into the State treasury, nor any lien of the State upon or right to tax SEC. 10. The rolling stock and all other property of said company, in accordance with movable property belonging to any railroad the provisions of the charter of said company, company or corporation in this State shall be approved February 10, in the year of our Lord considered personal property, and shall be 1851, shall ever be released, suspended, modliable to execution and sale in the same man-ified, altered, remitted, or in any manner ner as the personal property of individuals, diminished or impaired by legislative or other and the General Assembly shall pass no law authority; and all moneys derived from said exempting any such property from execution company, after the payment of the State debt, and sale. shall be appropriated and set apart for the payment of the ordinary expenses of the State government, and for no other purposes what SEC. 11. No railroad corporation shall consolidate its stock, property, or franchises with any other railroad corporation owning a par allel or competing line; and in no case shall any consolidation take place except upon pub lic notice given, of at least sixty days, to all stockholders in such manner as may be provided by law. A majority of the directors of any railroad corporation, now incorporated or hereafter to be incorporated by the laws of this State, shall be citizens and residents of this State. SEC. 12. Railways heretofore constructed or that may hereafter be constructed in this State, are hereby declared public highways, and shall be free to all persons, for the transportation of their persons and property thereon, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. And the General Assembly shall, from time to time, pass laws establishing reasonable maximum rates of charges for the transportation of passengers and freight on the different railroads in this State. ever. Municipal subscriptions to railroads or private corporations. municipality, shall ever become subscriber to No county, city, town, township, or other the capital stock of any railroad or private corporation, or make donation to or loan its however, that the adoption of this article shall credit in aid of such corporation; provided, such municipality to make such subscriptions not be construed as affecting the right of any where the same have been authorized, under existing laws, by a vote of the people of such municipalities prior to such adoptions. Canal. The Illinois and Michigan canal shall never be sold or leased until the specific proposition for the sale or lease thereof shall first have been submitted to a vote of the people of the State, at a general election, and have been approved by a majority of all the votes polled at such election. The General Assembly shall never loan the credit of the State, or make appropriations from the Treasury thereof, in aid of railroads or canals; provided, that any surplus earnings of any canal may be appropriated for its enlargement or extension. Louisiana. The following amendments to the constitution of 1868 were ratified by popular vote November 7, 1870: ART. 50. Abrogating and striking out article 50 of the constitution, which renders the Governor ineligible for the succeeding four years after the expiration of his term of office. For, 64,447; against, 40,928. ART 59. No person shall hold any office, or shall be permitted to vote at any election, or to act as a juror, who, in due course of law, shall have been convicted of treason, perjury, forgery, bribery, or other crime punishable by imprisonment in the penitentiary, or who shall be under interdiction. For, 103,848; against, 263. ART. No person who, at any time, may have been a collector of taxes, whether State, parish, or municipal, or who may have been otherwise intrusted with public money, shall be eligible to the General Assembly or to any office of profit or trust under the State government, until he shall have obtained a discharge for the amount of such collection and for all public moneys with which he may have been intrusted. For, 102,972; against, 748. ART. Prior to the 1st day of January, 1890, the debt of the State shall not be so increased as to exceed twenty-five millions of dollars. For, 100,170; against, 3,150. Michigan. The following proposed amendments to the constitution of the State of Michigan were submitted to popular vote at fall election in 1870: ART. X. To stand as section nine, limiting county supervisors to $2,000 annual expenditures, unless otherwise authorized by majority of the county voters. Lost: 39,180 yeas; 61,904 nays. ART. IV. To stand as sections three and four; section one of article seven, and section one of article seventeen. SEC. 3. The House of Representatives to consist of not less than sixty-four nor more than one hundred members. Representatives to be chosen for two years, and by single districts. The balance of the section relates to equalizing representation, mode and manner of dividing the districts, &c. Section four provides for a State census every ten years after 1854, and for the rearrangement of the Senate districts at the first session after each such census, and after every United States census, and apportion anew the representatives. ARTICLE VII. SEC. 1. In all elections every male citizen, every male inhabitant residing in the State on the 24th day of June 1835; every male inhabitant residing in the State on the 1st day of January, 1850, who has declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, pursuant to the laws thereof, six months preceding an election, or who has resided in this State two years and six months, and declared his intention as aforesaid, and every civilized male inhabitant of Indian descent, a native of the United States, and not a member of any tribe, shall be an elector and entitled to vote; but no citizen or inhabitant shall be an elector or entitled to vote at any election unless, he shall be above the age of tweny-one years, and has resided in this State three months, and in the township or ward in which he offers to vote, ten days next preceding such election; provided that in time of war, insurrection or rebellion, no qualified elector in the actual military service of the United States, or of this State, in the army or navy thereof, shall be deprived of his vote by reason of his absence from the township, ward, or State in which be resides; and the Legislature shall have the power, and shall provide the manner in which, and the time and place at which such absent electors may vote, and for the canvass and return of their votes to the township or ward election district in which they respectively reside, or otherwise. solidate its stock, property, or franchises with any other railroad corporation owning a parallel or competing line; and in no case shall any consolidation take place except upon public notice given of at least sixty days to all stockholders, in such manner as shall be provided by law. ing to law, not less than one year nor more than five years before he offers to vote, who is over the age of twenty-one years, who has resided in this State one year next preceding his registration as a voter, and during the last sixty days of that period shall have resided in the county, city, or town where he SEC. 3. The Legislature may provide by law seeks registration as a voter, who is not confor the payment by the counties, townships, victed of bribery, perjury, or other infamous and municipalities of this State of all bonds crime, nor directly or indirectly interested in or other obligations heretofore issued or in- any bet or wager depending upon the result of curred in pursuance of acts of the Legislature, the election for which said registration is made, by such counties, townships, and municipal nor serving at the time of such registration in ities severally, for and in aid of any railroad the regular Army or Navy of the United company. Such bonds or obligations shall be States, shall be entitled to vote at such elecpaid by the county, township, or municipality tion, for all officers, State, county, or muniissuing or incurring the same; and in no event cipal, made elective by the people, or any shall the State pay or become liable for any other election held in pursuance of the portion of such bonds or obligatious. The Legislature shall submit to the electors of each of said several counties, townships, and municipalities for their decision the question of payment, together with the mode and manner of the same. Which was voted on separately. For section 1, the vote was-yeas, 78,602; nays, 51,397. For section 2, the vote was-yeas, 76,912; nays, 51,194. For section 3, the vote was-yeas, 50,078; nays, 78,543. Missouri. The following amendments to the constitution of Missouri were submitted to popular vote in November, 1870, and adopted: ARTICLE VIII. SEC. 6. Dues from private corporations shall be secured by such means as may be prescribed by law, but in no case shall any stockholder be individually liable in any amount over or above the amount of stock owned by him or her. ARTICLE IX. SEC. 10. Neither the General Assembly nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other municipal corporation, shall ever make any appropriation or pay from any public fund whatever anything in aid of any creed, church, or sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other institution of learning controlled by any creed, church or sectarian denomination whatever, nor shall any grant or donation of personal property or real estate ever be made by State, county, city, town, or such public corporation for any creed, church, or sectarian purpose whatever. laws of this State, but he shall not vote elsewhere than in the election district where his name is registered, except as provided in the twenty-first section of the second article of the constitution. Any person who shall, after the adoption of this amendment, engage in any rebellion against this State, or the United States, shall forever be disqualified from voting at any election. SEC. 2. Hereafter it shall not be required of any person, before he is registered as a voter or offers to vote, to take the oath of loyalty prescribed in the sixth section of the second article of the constitution; but every person, before he is registered as a qualified voter, of the United States and of the State of Misshall take an oath to support the Constitution souri. SEC. 3. Sections five, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen of the second article of the constitution, and all provisions thereof, and all laws of this State not consistent with this amendment, shall, upon its adoption, be forever rescinded and of no effect. ARTICLE. SEC. 1. No person shall hereafter be disqualified from holding in this State any office of honor, trust, or profit under its authority, or of being an officer, councilman, director, trustee, or other manager of any corporation, public or private, now existing or hereafter established by its authority, or of acting as a professor or a teacher in any educational institution, or in any common or other school, or of holding any real estate or other property in trust for the use of any church, religious society or congregation, on account of race, or color, or previous condition of servitude, nor on account of any of the provisions of the third section of the second article of the constitution; nor shall hereafter any such person, before he enters upon the discharge of his said duties, be required to take the oath of loyalty prescribed in the sixth section of said article, but every person who may be elected or appointed to any office shall, before entering upon its duties, take and subscribe an oath or affirmation that SEC. 1. Every male citizen of the United he will support the Constitution of the United States and every person of foreign birth, States and of the State of Missouri, and to who may have declared his intention to be- the best of his skill and ability diligently and come a citizen of the United States, accord-faithfully, without partiality or prejudice, dis ARTICLE II. Section eleven, requiring jurors to take the oath of loyalty prescribed in the sixth section of this article, is hereby stricken out and forever rescinded. ARTICLE -. charge the duties of such office according to the constitution and laws of this State. SEC. 2. Sections seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen, fourteen, of the second article of the Constitution, and all provisions thereof, and all laws of this State, not consistent with this amendment, shall, upon its adoption, be forever rescinded and of no effect. Nebraska. The votes upon the new Nebraska constitution, and upon the several independent propositions submitted therewith, at an election held September 19, 1871, were as below. Constitution: for, 7,986 votes; against it, 8,627. Liabilities of stockholders in banking companies and associations: for, 7,286; against, 8,580. Prohibitory courts, and municipal aid to corporations: for, 6,690; against, 9,549. Compulsory education and reformatory schools: for, 6,289; against, 9,958. Inhibition and license: for, 6,071; against, 10, 160. Extension of the right of suffrage: for, 3,502; against, 12,676. SEC. 8. Strike out "four" and insert "two," and add a proviso, so that the justices of the supreme court, after the expiration of their present official terms, shall be limited to one chief and two associates. Strike out sections twelve and thirteen and insert, so that the former shall read : "SEC. 12. The State shall be divided into nine judicial districts, for each of which a judge shall be chosen; and in each district a superior court shall be held at least twice in each year, to continue for such time in each county respectively as may be prescribed by law. The General Assembly shall lay off said districts in due time, so that the said nine judges may be chosen and begin their official term at the first general election for members of the General Assembly which shall occur after the ratification of this section." The General Assembly may reduce or increase the number of districts, to take effect at the end of each judicial term. SEC. 14. Strike out all after the word "office;" so that instead of leaving the matter to the Governor, it will read: "The General Assembly shall prescribe a the superior courts, so that no judge may ride proper system of rotation for the judges of the same district twice in succession, and the judges may also exchange districts with each other, as may be provided by law." SEC. 15. Strike out this section and insert: .6 The General Assembly shall have no power to deprive the judicial department of any power or jurisdiction which rightfully pertains to it as a coördinate department; but the General Assembly shall allot and distribute that portion of this power and jurisdiction which does not pertain to the supreme court among the other courts prescribed in this constitution, or which may be established by law, in such manner as it may deem best, provide also a proper system of appeals, and regulate by law when necessary the methods of proceeding, in the exercise of their powers, of all the courts below the supreme court, so far as the same may be done without conflict with other provisions of this constitution." Sections sixteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty-five, and thirty-three to be stricken out. These relate to appellate jurisdiction of superior courts, jurisdiction of clerks of superior courts, the establishment of special courts, the transfer of causes, the jurisdiction of justices of the peace, and modes of procedure. SEC. 26. Strike out the word "but" and all the words following it, which prescribe that the judges shall draw lots for four and eight-year terms at the first election, and insert certain other matter relative to the mode of electing judicial officers, the jurisdiction of peace justices, and judicial powers of chief magistrates of cities and incorporated towns. SEC. 30 so amended as to provide a constable for each "precinct," instead of "township;" and in case of vacancy in the offices of sheriff, coroner, or constable, the power of appointment is taken from the county commissioners and will be "prescribed by law." |