APPENDIX. 391 



servitude in this state, otherwise than for the punishment of 

 crimes, whereof the party shill have been duly convicted; 

 nr>r shall any mile person arrived at the age of twentv-one 

 years, or female person arrived at the age of eighteen years, 

 be held to serve any person as a servant under the pretence 

 of indenture or otherwise, unless such person shall enter into 

 such indenture while in a state of perfect freedom, and on 

 condition of a bona j/?ic consideration, received or to be re- 

 ceived, for their service, except as before excepted. Nor shall 

 any indenture of any negro or mulatto hereafter made and ex- 

 ecuted out of the state, or if made in the state where the 

 term of service exceeds one year, be of the least validity, ex- 

 cept those given in the case of apprenticeships. 



Sec. 3. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right 

 to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of con- 

 science; that no human authority can in any case whatever, 

 control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no man 

 shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of 

 worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent; and 

 that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any re- 

 ligious society or mode of worship, and no religious test shall 

 be required as a qualificatiim to any office of trust or profit. 

 But religion, morality and knowledge, being essentially neces- 

 sary to good government and the happiness of mankind, 

 schools and the means of instruction shall forever be encour 

 aged by legislative provision, not inconsistent with the rights 

 of conscience. 



Sec. 4. Private property ought and shall ever be held 

 inviolate, but always subservient to the public welfare, provi- 

 ded a compensation in money be made to the owner. 



Sec. 5. That the people shall be secure in their persons, 

 houses, papers and possessions, from unwarrantable searches 

 and seizures; and that general warrants wherebv an officer 

 may be commanded to search suspected places, without proba- 

 ble evidence of the fact committed, or to seize any person or 

 persons not named, whose offences, are not particularly de- 



