enues of the sinking funds

faith.

so increase the revenues of the said funds as to make them, In certain cases respectively, sufficient perfectly to preserve the public Every contribution or advance to the canals, or their debt, from any source, other than their direct revenues, shall, with quarterly interest, at the rates then current, be repaid into the treasury, for the use of the state, out of the canal revenues, as soon as it can be done consistently with the just rights of the creditors holding the said. canal debt.

State canals not to be sold or leased.

Salt Springs.

Appropriation bills.

State credit not to be loaned.

Power to contract debts limited.

Debts to repel invasion, &c., may be contracted.

SECTION 6. The legislature shall not sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of the canals of the state; but they shall remain the property of the state and under its management forever.

SECTION 7. The legislature shall never sell or dispose of the salt springs belonging to this state. The lands contiguous thereto, and which may be necessary and convenient for the use of the salt springs, may be sold by authority of law and under the direction of the commissioners of the land office, for the purpose of investing the moneys arising therefrom in other lands alike convenient; but by such sale and purchase the aggregate quantity of these lands shall not be diminished.

SECTION 8. No moneys shall ever be paid out of the treasury of this state, or any of its funds, or any of the funds under its management, except in pursuance of an appropriation by law; nor unless such payment be made within two years next after the passage of such an appropriation act; and every such law, making a new appropriation, or continuing or reviving an appropriation, shall distinctly specify the sum appropriated, and the object to which it is to be applied; and it shall not be sufficient for such law to refer to any other law to fix such sum.

SECTION 9. The credit of the state shall not, in any manner, be given or loaned to, or in aid of any individual association or corporation.

SECTION 10. The state may, to meet casual deficits or failures in revenues, or for expenses not provided for, contract debts but such debts, direct and contingent, singly or in the aggregate, shall not at any time exceed one million of dollars; and the moneys arising from the loans creating such debts, shall be applied to the purpose for which they were obtained, or to repay the debt so contracted, and to no other purpose whatever.

SECTION 11. In addition to the above limited power to contract debts, the state may contract debts to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the state in war; but the money arising from the contracting of such debts shall

be applied to the purpose for which it was raised, or to repay such debts, and to no other purpose whatever.

the legislative

creation of

SECTION 12. Except the debts specified in the tenth and Limitation of eleventh sections of this article, no debt shall be hereafter power in the contracted by or on behalf of this State, unless such debt debts. shall be authorized by a law, for some single work or object, to be distinctly specified therein; and such law shall impose and provide for the collection of a direct annual tax to pay, and sufficient to pay the interest on such debt as it falls due, and also to pay and discharge the principal of such debt within eighteen years from the time of the contracting thereof.

No such law shall take effect until it shall, at a general election, have been submitted to the people, and have received a majority of all the votes cast for and against it at such election.

On the final passage of such bill in either house of the legislature, the question shall be taken by ayes and noes, to be duly entered on the journals thereof, and shall be: "Shall this bill pass, and ought the same to receive the sanction of the people?"

The legislature may at any time, after the approval of such law by the people, if no debt shall have been contracted in pursuance thereof, repeal the same; and may at any time, by law, forbid the contracting of any further debt or liability, under such law; but the tax imposed by such act, in proportion to the debt and liability which may have been contracted, in pursuance of such law, shall remain in force and be irrepealable, and be annually collected, until the proceeds thereof shall have made the provision hereinbefore specified to pay and discharge the interest and principal of such debt and liability.

The money arising from any loan or stock creating such debt or liability shall be applied to the work or object specified in the act authorizing such debt or liability, or for the repayment of such debt or liability and for no other purposes whatever.

No such law shall be submitted to be voted on, within three months after its passage, or at any general election, when any other law, or any bill, or any amendment to the constitution shall be submitted to be voted for or against.

passing bills,

SECTION 13. Every law which imposes, continues or Manner of revives a tax, shall distinctly state the tax and the object imposing a tax. to which it is to be applied; and it shall not be sufficient to refer to any other law to fix such tax or object.

SECTION 14. On the final passage, in either house of the legislature, of every act which imposes, continues or revives a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, con

Corporations how created.

Debts of corporations.

Corporations defined.

Charters for banking pur. poses.

Specie pay.

ments.

Registry of bills or notes.

Individual responsibility of

tinues or revives any appropriation of public or trust money, or property, or releases, discharges or commutes any claim or demand of the state, the question shall be taken by ayes and noes, which shall be duly entered on the journals, and three-fifths of all the members elected to either house, shall, in all such cases, be necessary to constitute a quorum therein.

ARTICLE VIII.

SECTION 1. Corporations may be formed under general laws; but shall not be created by special act, except for municipal purposes, and in cases where, in the judgment of the legislature, the object of the corporation cannot be attained under general laws. All general laws and special acts, passed pursuant to this section, may be altered from time to time or repealed.

SECTION 2. Dues from corporations shall be secured by such individual liability of the corporators and other means as may be prescribed by law.

SECTION 3. The term corporations, as used in this article, shall be construed to include all associations and joint stock companies having any of the powers or privileges of corpor ations not possessed by individuals or partnerships. And all corporations shall have the right to sue and shall be subject to be sued in all courts, in like cases as natural persons. SECTION 4. The legislature shall have no power to pass any act granting any special charter for banking purposes; but corporations or associations may be formed for such purposes under general laws.

SECTION 5. The legislature shall have no power to pass any law sanctioning in any manner, directly or indirectly, the suspension of specie payments, by any person, associa tion or corporation issuing bank notes of any description.

SECTION 6. The legislature shall provide by law for the registry of all bills or notes, issued or put in circulation as money, and shall require ample security for the redemption of the same in specie.

SECTION 7. The stockholders in every corporation and stockholders. joint stock association for banking purposes, issuing bank notes or any kind of paper credits to circulate as money, after the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, shall be individually responsible, to the amount of their respective share or shares of stock in any such corporation or association, for all its debts and liabilities of every kind, contracted after the said first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifty.

Insolvency of banks, prefer

ence.

SECTION 8. In case of the insolvency of any bank or banking association, the billholders thereof shall be enti

tled to preference, in payment, over all other creditors of such bank or association.

of cities and

SECTION 9. It shall be the duty of the legislature to Organization provide for the organization of cities and incorporated villages. villages, and to restrict their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, contracting debts and loaning their credit, so as to prevent abuses in assessments, and in contracting debt by such municipal corporations.

ARTICLE IX.

School, Literaed States Depo

SECTION 1. The capital of the common school fund, the Common capital of the literature fund and the capital of the United ture and Unit States deposit fund, shall be respectively preserved invio- sit Funds. late. The revenue of the said common school fund shall be applied to the support of common schools, the revenue of the said literature fund shall be applied to the support of academies, and the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars of the revenues of the United States deposit fund shall each year be appropriated to and made part of the capital of the said common school fund.

ARTICLE X.

SECTION 1. Sheriffs, clerks of counties, including the register and clerk of the city and county of New York, coroners and district attorneys, shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties, once in every three years and as often as vacancies shall happen. Sheriffs shall hold no other office, and be ineligible for the next three years after the termination of their offices. They may be required by law to renew their security from time to time; and in default of giving such new security, their offices shall be deemed vacant. But the county shall never be made responsible for the acts of the sheriff.

Sheriffs, clerks register and coroners and neys."

of counties, clerk of N. Y.,

district attor

remove.

chosen or ap.

The governor may remove any officer, in this section Governor may mentioned, within the term for which he shall have been elected, giving to such officer a copy of the charges against him, and an opportunity of being heard in his defense. SECTION 2. All county officers whose election or appoint- Officers how ment is not provided for by this constitution, shall be elected pointed. by the electors of the respective counties, or appointed by the boards of supervisors, or other county authorities, as the legislature shall direct. All city, town and village officers whose election or appointment is not provided for by this constitution, shall be elected by the electors of such cities, towns and villages, or of some division thereof, or appointed by such authorities thereof as the legislature shall designate for that purpose. All other officers whose

Duration of

office.

Time of election.

Vacancies in office, how filled.

Political year.

Removal from office.

When office

deemed vacant

Militia.

Manner of choosing or appointing

election or appointment is not provided for by this constitution, and all officers whose offices may hereafter be created by law, shall be elected by the people, or appointed as the legislature may direct.

SECTION 3. When the duration of any office is not provided by this constitution, it may be declared by law, and if not so declared, such office shall be held during the pleasure of the authority making the appointment.

SECTION 4. The time of electing all officers named in this article shall be prescribed by law.

SECTION 5. The legislature shall provide for filling vacancies in office, and in case of elective officers, no person appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold his office by virtue of such appointment longer than the commencement of the political year next succeeding the first annual election after the happening of the vacancy.

SECTION 6. The political year and legislative term shall begin on the first day of January; and the legislature shall, every year assemble on the first Tuesday in January, unless a different day shall be appointed by law.

SECTION 7. Provision shall be made by law for the removal for misconduct or malversation in office of all officers (except judicial) whose powers and duties are not local or legislative and who shall be elected at general elections, and also for supplying vacancies created by such removal. SECTION 8. The legislature may declare the cases in which any office shall be deemed vacant, when no provision is made for that purpose in this constitution.

ARTICLE XI.

SECTION 1. The militia of this state shall, at all times hereafter be armed and disciplined, and in readiness for service; but all such inhabitants of this state, of any religious denomination whatever, as from scruples of conscience may be averse to bearing arms, shall be excused therefrom, upon such conditions as shall be prescribed by law.

SECTION 2. Militia officers shall be chosen, or appointed, militia officers, as follows: captains, subalterns and non-commissioned officers shall be chosen by the written votes of the members of their respective companies. Field officers of regiments and separate battalions, by the written votes of the commissioned officers of the respective regiments and sepa rate battalions; brigadier-generals and brigade inspectors, by the field officers of their respective brigades; majorgenerals, brigadier-generals and commanding officers of regiments or separate battalions shall appoint the staff officers to their respective divisions, brigades, regiments or separate battalions.