an original, explicit, and solemn compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain, and establish, the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. Equality and natural rights of all men. Right and duty of publio reli A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the ARTICLE I. All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness. II. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in gious worship. society, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the Protection therein. 2 Cush. 104. 12 Allen, 129. See amendments, Art. XLVI. Amendments, Legislature empowered to SUPREME BEING, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession of sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship. III. [As the happiness of a people, and the good order tuted for this. and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community but by the institution of the public worship of GOD, and of public instructions in piety, religion, and morality: Therefore, to promote their happiness, and to secure the good order compel provi- and preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of GOD, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers sion for public worship. of piety, religion, and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily. to enjoin thereon. And the people of this commonwealth have also a right Legislature to, and do, invest their legislature with authority to enjoin attendance upon all the subjects an attendance upon the instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend. Provided, notwithstanding, that the several towns, par- Exclusive right ishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious socie- gious teachers ties, shall, at all times, have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers, and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance. of electing reli secured. whom parochial paid, unless, And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of Option as to public worship, and of the public teachers aforesaid, shall, taxes may be if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the etc. public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid towards the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said moneys are raised. tions equally 8 Met. 162. another pro hibited. And every denomination of Christians, demeaning them- All denominaselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the common- protected. wealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law: Subordination and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to of one sect to another shall ever be established by law.] IV. The people of this commonwealth have the sole Right of self and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, secured. sovereign, and independent state; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exercise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter be, by them expressly delegated to the United States of America, in Congress assembled. government of all officers, V. All power residing originally in the people, and Accountability being derived from them, the several magistrates and etc. officers of government, vested with authority, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, are their substitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them. dered to the peculiar privi VI. No man, nor corporation, or association of men, Services renhave any other title to obtain advantages, or particular public being and exclusive privileges, distinct from those of the com- the only title to munity, than what arises from the consideration of serv- leges, herediices rendered to the public; and this title being in absurd and nature neither hereditary, nor transmissible to children, tary offices are unnatural. Objects of government; right of people to institute and change it. Right of people to secure rota or descendants, or relations by blood, the idea of a man born a magistrate, lawgiver, or judge, is absurd and unnatural. VII. Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men: Therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it. VIII. In order to prevent those who are vested with tion in office. authority from becoming oppressors, the people have a right, at such periods and in such manner as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to return to private life; and to fill up vacant places by certain and regular elections and appointments. All, having the qualifications prescribed, IX. All elections ought to be free; and all the inhab itants of this commonwealth, having such qualifications as equally eligible they shall establish by their frame of government, have an the definition of equal right to elect officers, and to be elected, for public see Ch. 1, Sect. employments. "inhabitant," 2, Art. II. Right of protec of contribution correlative. Taxation founded on consent. See amendments, Art. XLV. 122 Mass. 595, 596. X. Each individual of the society has a right to be tion and duty protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, consequently, to contribute his share to the expense of this protection; to give his personal service, or an equivalent, when necessary: but no part of the property of any indi12 Pick. 184, 467. vidual can, with justice, be taken from him, or applied to 16 Mass. 326. 1 Pick. 418. 7 Pick. 344. 16 Pick. 87. 23 Pick. 360. 7 Met. 388. 4 Gray, 474. 7 Gray, 363. 14 Gray, 154. 1 Allen, 150. 4 Allen, 474. public uses, without his own consent, or that of the representative body of the people. In fine, the people of this commonwealth are not controllable by any other laws than those to which their constitutional representative body have given their consent. And whenever the pubtaken for public lic exigencies require that the property of any individual should be appropriated to public uses, he shall receive a reasonable compensation therefor. Private prop erty not to be uses without, etc. See amend ments, Arts. XXXIX and XLVII. Remedies, by recourse to the complete and 6 Cush. 327. 14 Gray, 155. 16 Gray, 417, 431. 11 Allen, 530. 12 Allen, 223, 230. 100 Mass. 544, 560. 103 Mass. 120, 624. 106 Mass. 356, 362. 108 Mass. 202, 213. 126 Mass. 428, 441. 127 Mass. 50, 52, 358, 363, 410, 413. 129 Mass. 559. XI. Every subject of the commonwealth ought to find law, to be free, a certain remedy, by having recourse to the laws, for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or character. He ought to obtain right and prompt. justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it; completely, and without any denial; promptly, and without delay; conformably to the laws. regulated. 8 18 Pick. 434. 2 Met. 329. 1 Gray, 1. XII. No subject shall be held to answer for any crimes Prosecutions or offence, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially sick. 211. and formally, described to him; or be compelled to accuse, 10 Pick. 9. or furnish evidence against himself. And every subject 21 Pick. 542. shall have a right to produce all proofs that may be favor- 12 Cush. 246. able to him; to meet the witnesses against him face to face, 5 Gray, 160. and to be fully heard in his defence by himself, or his 10 Gray, 11. counsel, at his election. And no subject shall be arrested, 11 Gray, 31. imprisoned, despoiled, or deprived of his property, immu- 11 Allen, 238nities, or privileges, put out of the protection of the law, 473. exiled, or deprived of his life, liberty, or estate, but by the 97 Mass. 570, judgment of his peers, or the law of the land. 100 Mass. 287, 295. 103 Mass. 418. 107 Mass. 172, 180. 108 Mass. 5, 6. 122 Mass. 332. 127 Mass. 550, 554. And the legislature shall not make any law that shall subject any person to a capital or infamous punishment, excepting for the government of the army and navy, without trial by jury. 438. 240, 264, 439, 12 Allen, 170. 573. Crimes to be vicinity. proved in the 2 Pick, 550. and seizure Const. of U. S., 5 Cush. 369. 1Gray, 1. XIII. In criminal prosecutions, the verification of facts, in the vicinity where they happen, is one of the greatest securities of the life, liberty, and property of the citizen. XIV. Every subject has a right to be secure from all Right of search unreasonable searches, and seizures, of his person, his regulated. houses, his papers, and all his possessions. All warrants, Amend't IV. therefore, are contrary to this right, if the cause or founda- 2 Met. 329, tion of them be not previously supported by oath or affirmation, and if the order in the warrant to a civil officer, to make search in suspected places, or to arrest one or more suspected persons, or to seize their property, be not 273. accompanied with a special designation of the persons or objects of search, arrest, or seizure: and no warrant ought to be issued but in cases, and with the formalities prescribed by the laws. 13 Gray, 454. 10 Allen, 403. 100 Mass. 136, 139. 126 Mass. 269, by jury sacred, Const. of U. S., XV. In all controversies concerning property, and in Right to trial all suits between two or more persons, except in cases in except, etc. which it has heretofore been otherways used and practised, Amend' VII. the parties have a right to a trial by jury; and this method 2 Pick. 382. of procedure shall be held sacred, unless, in causes arising 5 Gray, 144. on the high seas, and such as relate to mariners' wages, 11 Allen, 574, the legislature shall hereafter find it necessary to alter it. 102 Mass. 45, 47. Liberty of the press. Right to keep and bear arms. dangerous. Military power XVI. The liberty of the press is essential to the security of freedom in a state: it ought not, therefore, to be restrained in this commonwealth. XVII. The people have a right to keep and to bear Standing armies arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the civil authority, and be governed by it. subordinate to civil. 5 Gray, 121. Moral qualifications for office. Moral obligations of lawgivers and magistrates. Right of people Power to sus pend the laws tion. XVIII. A frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of the constitution, and a constant adherence to those of piety, justice, moderation, temperance, industry, and frugality, are absolutely necessary to preserve the advantages of liberty, and to maintain a free government. The people ought, consequently, to have a particular attention to all those principles, in the choice of their officers and representatives: and they have a right to require of their lawgivers and magistrates an exact and constant observance of them, in the formation and execution of the laws necessary for the good administration of the commonwealth. XIX. The people have a right, in an orderly and peaceable manner, to assemble to consult upon the common good; give instructions to their representatives, and to request of the legislative body, by the way of addresses, petitions, or remonstrances, redress of the wrongs done them, and of the grievances they suffer. XX. The power of suspending the laws, or the execuor their execu- tion of the laws, ought never to be exercised but by the legislature, or by authority derived from it, to be exercised in such particular cases only as the legislature shall expressly provide for. Freedom of debate, etc., and XXI. The freedom of deliberation, speech, and debate, reason thereof. in either house of the legislature, is so essential to the rights of the people, that it cannot be the foundation of any accusation or prosecution, action or complaint, in any other court or place whatsoever. Frequent sessions, and objects thereof. Taxation founded on consent. 8 Allen, 247. XXII. The legislature ought frequently to assemble for the redress of grievances, for correcting, strengthening, and confirming the laws, and for making new laws, as the common good may require. XXIII. No subsidy, charge, tax, impost, or duties ought to be established, fixed, laid, or levied, under any pretext whatsoever, without the consent of the people or their representatives in the legislature. |