Liberia ^ 



Section 12. The people have a right to keep and to bear 

 arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, 

 armies are dangerous to Uberty, they ought not to be maintained 

 without the consent of the legislature, and the military power 

 shall always be held in exact subordination to the civil authority, 

 and be governed by it. 



Section 13. Private property shall not be taken for public 

 use without just compensation. 



Section 14. The powers of this Government shall be divided 

 into three distinct departments — the Legislature, Executive, and 

 Judicial ; and no person belonging to one of these departments 

 shall exercise any of the powers belonging to others. This 

 section is not to be construed to include justices of the peace. 



Section 15. The liberty of the press is essential to the 

 security of freedom in a state ; it ought not, therefore, to be 

 restrained in this republic. 



The press shall be free to every person who undertakes 

 to examine the proceedings of the legislature, or any branch 

 of the Government ; and no law shall ever be made to restrain 

 the rights thereof. The free communication of thoughts and 

 opinions is one of the invaluable rights of man, and every 

 citizen may freely speak, write, and print on any subject, being 

 responsible for the abuse of that liberty. 



In prosecutions for the publication of papers investigating 

 the official conduct of officers or men in a public capacity, or 

 where the matter published is proper for public information, 

 the truth thereof may be given in evidence. And in all 

 indictments for hbels, the jury shall have a right to determine 

 the law and the facts, under the direction of the Court, as in 

 other cases. 



Section 16. No subsidy, charge, impost, or duties ought 

 to be established or levied under any pretext whatsoever, without 



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