CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. 221 
State taxes, shall be elected by the qualified electors of the district, county or 
town, in which the property taxed for State, county or town purposes is 
situated. 
Sec. 14. All property, both real and personal, of the wife, owned or claimed 
by her before marriage, and that acquired afterwards by gift, devise or de¬ 
scent, shall be her separate property; and laws shall be passed more clearly 
defining the rights of the wife, in relation as well to her separate property, as 
to that held in common with her husband. Laws shall also be passed pro¬ 
viding for the registration of the wife’s separate property. 
Sec. 15. The Legislature shall protect by law, from forced sale, a certain 
portion of the homestead and other property of all heads of families. 
Sec. 16. No perpetuities shall be allowed, except for eleemosynary pur¬ 
poses. 
Sec. 17. Every person shall be disqualified from holding any office of profit 
in this State, who shall have been convicted of having given or offered a bribe, 
to procure his election or appointment. 
Sec. 18. Laws shall be made to exclude from office, serving on juries, and 
from the right of suffrage, those who shall hereafter be convicted of bribery, 
perjury, forgery, or other high crimes. The privilege of free suffrage shall be 
supported by laws regulating elections, and prohibiting, under adequate penal¬ 
ties, all undue influence thereon, from power, bribery, tumult, or other im¬ 
proper practice. 
Sec. 19. Absence from this State on business of the State, or of the United 
States, shall not affect the question of residence of any person. 
Sec. 20. A plurality of the votes given at any election shall constitute a 
choice, where not otherwise directed in this constitution. 
Sec. 21. All laws, decrees, regulations, and provisions, which from their 
nature require publication, shall be published in English and Spanish. 
ARTICLE XII. 
BOUNDARY. 
The boundary of the State of California shall be as follows :— 
Commencing at the point of intersection of the 42d degree of north latitude 
with the 120th degree of longitude west from Greenwich, and running south 
on the line of said 120th degree of west longitude until it intersects the 39th 
degree of north latitude; thence running in a straight line in a southeasterly 
direction to the river Colorado, at a point where it intersects the 35th degree of 
•north latitude; thence down the middle of the channel of said river, to the 
boundary line between the United States and Mexico, as established by the 
treaty of May 30th, 1848; thence running west and along said boundary line 
to the Pacific Ocean, and extending therein three English miles; thence run¬ 
ning in a northwesterly direction, and following the direction of the Pacific 
coast to the 42d degree of north latitude; thence on the line of said 42d de¬ 
gree of north latitude to the place of beginning. Also all the islands, harbors 
and bays, along and adjacent to the Pacific coast. 
