112 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part II. 



CONSTITUTION OF VLRBIONT. 



FRAME OF GOVERNMENT. 



measures as may be resolved upon by tlie 

 general assembly ; and they may draw 

 upon the treasury for such sums as may 

 be appropriated by the house of represen- 

 tatives : they may also lay embargoes, or 

 prohibit the exportation of any commodity 

 for any time not exceeding thirty days, 

 in tlie recess of tlie house only. They 

 may grant such licences as sliall be di- 

 rected by law ; and shall have power to 

 call together the general assembly, when 

 necessary, before the day to which they 

 shall stand adjourned. The governor 

 shall be captain-general and commander 

 in chiL'f of the forces of the state, but 

 shall not command in person, except ad- 

 vised thereto by the council, and then 

 only so long as they shall approve there- 

 of. And the lieutenant governor shall, 

 by virtue of his office, be lieutenant gen- 

 eral of all the forces of the state. The 

 governor, or lieutenant governor, and the 

 council, shall meet at the time and place 

 with the general assembly: the lieuten- 

 ant governor shall, during the presence 

 of the commander in chief, vote and act 

 as one of the council; and the governor, 

 and, in his absence, the lieutenant gov- 

 ernor, shall, by virtue of their offices, pre- 

 side in council, and have a casting, but 

 no other vote. Every member of the 

 council shall be a justice of the peace for 

 the whole state, by virtue of his office. 

 The (Tovernor and council shall have a 

 secretary, and keep fair books of their 

 proceedings, wherein any councillor may 

 enter his dissent, with his reasons to sup- 

 port it. And the governor may appoint 

 a secretary for himself and his council. 



Sect. 12. The representatives having 

 met and chosen their speaker and clerk, 

 shall, each of them, before they proceed 

 to business, take and subscribe, as well 

 the oath or affirmation of allegiance here- 

 inafter directed, (except where they shall 

 produce rerlificates of their having here- 

 tofore taken and subscribed the same,) as 

 the following oath or affirmation, viz.: 



'■^Yoii do solcmnlij siccar 



(or affirm) that as a member of tliis as- 

 sc.mhh) you will not propose or assent tv 

 uiuj bill, vote, or resolution, icliich shall 

 appear to ijou injurious to the people, nor 

 do or consent to aiiif act or thing ichatevcr, 

 th it shall hare a tenilcncij to lessen or 

 abridge their rights and privileges, as de- 

 clared by the constitution of this state ; hut 

 will in all things conduct yourself as a 

 faithful, honest representative and guar- 

 dian of the people, according to the best of 

 your judgment and abilities. (In case ol 

 an oath) So help you God, (and in case of 

 an affirmation) under the pains and penal- 

 ties of perjury. 



Sect. V.). The doors of the house in 

 which the general assembly of this com- 

 monwealth shall sit, shall be open, for the 

 admission of all persons who behave de- 

 cently, except only when the welfare of 

 the state may require them to be shut. 



Sect. 14. The votes and proceedings 

 of the general assembly shall be ))rinted 

 ('when one third of the members think it 

 necessary) as soon as convenient after the 

 end of each session, with the yeas and 

 nays on any question, when required by 

 any member, (except w'here the votes 

 shall be taken by ballot,) in which case 

 every member shall have a right to insert 

 the reasons of his vote, upon the minutes. 



Sect. 15. The style of the laws of this 

 state, in future to be passed, shall be. It 

 is hereby enacted by the General Assembly 

 of the state of Vermont. 



Sect. 16. To the end that laws, be- 

 fore they are enacted, may be move ma- 

 turely considered, and the inconvenience 

 of hasty determinations as much as pos- 

 sible prevented, all bills, which originate 

 in the assembly, shall be laid before the 

 governor and council, for their revision 

 and concurrence, or proposals of amend- 

 ment, who shall return the same to the 

 assembly, with their proposals of amend- 

 ment, if any, in writing; and if the same 

 are not agreed to by the assembly, it shall 

 be in the power of the governor and coun- 

 cil to suspend the passing of such bills 

 until the next session of the legislature. 

 Provided, that if the governor and coun- 

 cil shall neglect or refuse to return any 

 such bill to the assembly, with written 

 proposals of amendment, within five days, 

 or before the rising of the legislature, the 

 same shall become a law. 



Sect. 17. No money shall be drawn 

 out of the treasury, unless first appropria- 

 ted by act of legislation. 



Sect. 18. No person shall be elected 

 a representative until he has resided two 

 vears in this state, the last of which shall 

 be in the town for which he is elected- 



Sect. 19. No member of the council, 

 or house of representatives, shall directly 

 or indirectly receive any fee or reward to 

 bring forward or advocate any bill, pe- 

 tition, or other business to be transacted 

 in the legislature, or advocate any cause 

 as counsel in either house of legislation, 

 except when employed in behalf of the 

 stale. 



Sect. 20. No person ought, in any 

 case, or in any time, to be declared guilty 

 of treason, or felony, by the legislature. 



Sect. 21. Every man of the full age 

 ot twenty one years, having resided in 

 this state for the space of one whole year 

 next before the election of representatives, 



