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Amendments, Art. XXVIII. amended.

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ART. XXXI. Article twenty-eight of the Amendments of the Constitution is hereby amended by striking out in the fourth line thereof the words "being a pauper", and inserting in place thereof the words: - receiving or having received aid from any city or town, and also by striking out in said fourth line the words "if a pauper", so that the article as amended shall read as follows: ARTICLE XXVIII. No person having served in the army or navy of the United States in time of war, and having been honfrom voting for orably discharged from such service, if otherwise qualified to vote, shall be disqualified therefor on account of receiving or having received aid from any city or town, or because of the non-payment of a poll tax.

Person who

served in army or navy, etc., not disqualified

non-payment of poll tax.

Provisions of amendments,

to payment of a

qualification, annulled.

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ART. XXXII. So much of article three of the AmendArt. III.relative ments of the Constitution of the Commonwealth as is contax as a voting tained in the following words: and who shall have paid, by himself, or his parent, master, or guardian, any state or county tax, which shall, within two years next preceding such election, have been assessed upon him, in any town or district of this Commonwealth; and also every citizen who shall be, by law, exempted from taxation, and who shall be, in all other respects, qualified as above mentioned", is hereby annulled.

Quorum, in each
branch of the
general court,
to consist of a
majority of
members.

ART. XXXIII. A majority of the members of each branch of the general court shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent members. All the provisions of the existing Constitution inconsistent with the provisions herein contained are hereby annulled.

The constitution of Massachusetts was agreed upon by delegates of the people, in convention, begun and held at Cambridge, on the first day of September, 1779, and continued by adjournments to the second day of March, 1780, when the convention adjourned to meet on the first Wednesday of the ensuing June. In the mean time the constitution was submitted to the people, to be adopted by them, provided two-thirds of the votes given should be in the affirmative. When the convention assembled, it was found that the constitution had been adopted by the requisite number of votes, and the convention accordingly Resolved, "That the said Constitution or Frame of Government shall take place on the last Wednesday of October next; and not before, for any purpose, save only for that of making elections,

agreeable to this resolution." The first legislature assembled at Boston, on the twenty-fifth day of October, 1780.

The first nine Articles of Amendment were submitted, by delegates in convention assembled, November 15, 1820, to the people, and by them ratified and adopted, April 9, 1821.

The tenth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1829-30, and 1830-31, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people May 11, 1831.

The eleventh Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1832 and 1833, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people November 11, 1833.

The twelfth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1835 and 1836, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people the fourteenth day of November, 1836.

The thirteenth Article was adopted by the legis'atures of the political years 1839 and 1840, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people the sixth day of April, 1840.

The fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1854 and 1855, respectively, and ratified by the people the twenty-third day of May, 1855.

The twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1856 and 1857, respectively, and ratified by the people on the first day of May, 1857.

The twenty-third Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1858 and 1859, respectively, and ratified by the people on the ninth day of May, 1859, and was repealed by the twenty-sixth Amendment.

The twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1859 and 1860, and ratified by the people on the seventh day of May, 1860.

The twenty-sixth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1862 and 1863, and ratified by the people on the sixth day of April, 1863.

The twenty-seventh Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1876 and 1877, and was approved and ratified by the people on the sixth day of November, 1887.

The twenty-eighth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1880 and 1881, and was approved and ratified by the people on the eighth day of November, 1881.

The twenty-ninth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1884 and 1885, and was approved and ratified by the people on the third day of November, 1885.

The thirtieth and thirty-first Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1889 and 1890, and were approved and ratified by the people on the fourth day of November, 1890.

The thirty-second and thirty-third Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1890 and 1891, and were approved and ratified by the people on the third day of November, 1891.

[A proposed Article of Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of Intoxicating Liquor as a beverage, adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1888 and 1889, was rejected by the people on the twenty-second day of April, 1889.]

INDEX TO THE CONSTITUTION.

A.

Address of both houses of the legislature, judicial officers may be
removed by governor with consent of council upon,

Adjutant-general, appointed by the governor,

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29

27

Adjutants, to be appointed by commanding officers of regiments,
Affirmations, instead of the required oaths, may be made by Quakers, 30, 31, 35
Agriculture, arts, commerce, etc., to be encouraged,
Alimony, divorce, etc.,
Amendment to the constitution, proposed in the general court,
agreed to by a majority of senators and two-thirds of
house present and voting thereon by yeas and nays; en-
tered upon the journals of both houses, and referred to
the next general court; if the next general court agrees
to the proposition in the same manner, and to the same
effect, it shall be submitted to the people, and, if approved
by them by a majority vote, becomes a part of the con-
stitution,

Apportionment of councillors,

state to be divided into eight districts,

Apportionment of senators,

on basis of legal voters, and state to be divided into forty
districts,

Apportionment of representatives,

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36, 37

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46

16, 39, 40, 44

44

8

to the several counties, made on the basis of legal voters,
Armies, dangerous to liberty, and not to be maintained without con-

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Arms, right of people to keep and to bear, for public defence,
Arrest, members of house of representatives exempted from, on
mesne process, while going to, returning from, or attend-
ing the general assembly,

Arrest, search and seizure, right of, regulated,

warrant to contain special designation,

18

7

7

Attorney-general, to be chosen by the people annually in November, 21, 43
to hold office for one year from third Wednesday in January
next thereafter, and until another is chosen and qualified,
election determined by legislature,

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in failure of election by the voters, or in case of decease of
person elected, vacancy to be filled by joint ballot of legis-
lature from the two persons having the highest number of
votes at November election,

43

51

Page

43

43

43

43

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44

43

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43

43

43

43

43

Attorney-general, vacancy occurring during session of the legisla-
ture, filled by joint ballot of legislature from the people
at large,

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vacancy occurring during recess of legislature, filled by gov-
ernor by appointment, with consent of council,
not eligible, unless an inhabitant of the state for five years
next preceding election or appointment,
office to be deemed vacant if person elected or appointed fails
to be qualified within ten days,
Attorneys, district, elected by the people of the several districts,
Auditor, to be chosen by the people annually in November,

to hold office for one year from third Wednesday in January
next thereafter, and until another is chosen and qualified,
election determined by legislature,

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vacancy filled in same manner as in office of attorney-general,
not eligible, unless an inhabitant of the state for five years
next preceding election,
office to be deemed vacant if person elected or appointed fails
to be qualified within ten days, .

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Bail or sureties, excessive, not to be required, .
Bills, money, to originate in the house of representatives,
Bills and resolves, to be laid before governor for revisal,
to have force of law if signed by governor,
if objected to by governor in writing, to be returned to
branch in which originated, and may be passed by two-
thirds of each branch present and voting thereon by yeas
and nays,

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if not returned by governor within five days after presenta-
tion, to have force of law, unless the legislature adjourns
before that time expires,

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Boards, public, to make quarterly reports to the governor,
Body politic, formation and nature of,

title of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Bribery or corruption used in procuring an appointment or election,
to disqualify from holding any office of trust, etc.,

C.

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of inhabitants and legal voters taken in the year 1865, and
every tenth year thereafter,
enumeration of voters to determine the apportionment of
representatives,

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