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Section

11. Members of the General Assembly, when privileged from arrest.

12. Apportionment of members to House of Representatives.

13. Division of the State into districts.

14. Privilege of writ of habeas corpus.-Bill of attainder.

15. No law shall embrace more than one subject.

16. Those who may be impeached. 17. Charters not granted to religious denominations.

18. Lotteries.

19. Formation of a new county. 20. Divorces and change of names of persons.

21. Registration of births, marriages and deaths.

22. Conducting elections and filling vacancies.

23. Government of towns and cities provided for by Legislature.

24. Removal of disabilities incurred by duelling.

ARTICLE VI.

Judiciary Department.

1. Jurisdiction of Supreme Court Circuit Courts, of Appeals, and County Courts, to be regulated by law.

2. Supreme Court of Appeals to consist of five judges.

3. Special Courts of Appeals.

4. Reversal of judgment.

5. Choosing of judges and their term of office.

6. Duties and compensation described by law.

7. Session of Supreme Court of Appeals.

8. Election of Attorney-General. 9. Judicial districts, how divided. 10. Rearrangement of circuits. 11. Term of office of Circuit Judge. 12. Circuit Court to be held once a

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Whereas, the delegates and representatives of the good people of Virginia, in convention assembled, on the twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, reciting and declaring, that whereas George the Third, King of Great Britain and Ireland, and elector of Hanover, before that time intrusted with the exercise of the kingly office in the government of Virginia, had endeavored to pervert the same into a detestable and insupportable tyranny, by putting his negative on laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good; by denying his governors permission to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation for his assent, and when so suspended, neglecting to attend to them for many years; by refusing to pass certain other laws unless the persons to be benefited by them would relinquish the inalienable right of representation in the legisla ture; by dissolving legislative assemblies, repeatedly and continually, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions of the rights of the people; when dissolved by refusing to call others for a long space of time, thereby leaving the political system

without any legislative head; by endeavoring to prevent the population of our country, and for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; by keeping among us, in time of peace, standing armies and ships of war; by affecting to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power; by combining with others to subject us to a foreign jurisdiction, giving his assent to their pretended acts of legislation for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us; for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world; for imposing taxes on us without our consent; for depriving us of the benefit of trial by jury; for transporting us beyond the seas for trial for pretended offenses; for suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever; by plundering our seas, ravaging our coasts, burning our towns, and destroying the lives of our people; by inciting insurrection of our fellow-subjects with the lurements of forfeiture and confiscation; by prompting our negroes to rise in arms among us-those very negroes whom, by an inhuman use of his negative, he had refused us permission to exclude by law; by endeavoring to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions of existence; by transporting hither a large army of foreign mercenaries to complete the work of death, desolation and tyranny, then already begun, with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy unworthy the head of a civilized nation; by answering our repeated petitions for redress with a repetition of our injuries; and finally, by abandoning the helm of government and declaring us out of his allegiance and protection -- by which several acts of misrule, the government of this country, as before exercised under the crown of Great Britain, was totally dissolved did, therefore, having maturely considered the premises, and viewing with great concern the deplorable condition to which this once happy country would be reduced unless some regular, adequate mode of civil policy should be speedily adopted, and in compliance with the recommendations of the general congress, ordain and declare a form of government of Virginia.

And, whereas, a convention, held on the first Monday in October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine, did propose to the people of this Commonwealth an amended constitution or form of government, which was ratified by them;

And, whereas, the General Assembly of Virginia, by an act passed on the fourth of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty, did provide for the election, by the people, of delegates to meet in general convention, to consider, discuss and propose a new constitution, or alterations and amendments to the existing constitution of this Commonwealth; and by an act passed on the thirteenth of March, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, did further provide for submitting the same to the people for ratification or rejection, and the same having been submitted accordingly was ratified by them;

And, whereas, the General Assembly of Virginia, by an act passed on the twenty-first day of December, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, did provide for the election, by the people, of delegates to meet in general convention, to consider, discuss and adopt alterations and amendments to the existing Constitution of this Commonwealth, the delegates so assembled. did, therefore, having maturely considered the premises, adopt a revised and amended Constitution as the form of government of Virginia;

And, whereas, the Congress of the United States did, by an act passed on the second day of March, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, and entitled "An act to provide for the more efficient government of the rebel States," and by acts supplementary thereto passed on the twenty-third day of March and the nineteenth day of July, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, provide for the election, by the people of Virginia, qualified to vote under the provisions of said acts, of delegates to meet in convention to frame a Constitution or form of government for Virginia in conformity with said acts; and by the same acts did further provide for the submitting of such Constitution to the qualified voters for ratification or rejec tion;

We, therefore, the delegates of the good people of Virginia, elected and in convention assembled, in pursuance of said act, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do propose to the people the following Constitution and form of government for this Commonwealth:

Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE I.

A declaration of rights made by the representatives of the good people of Virginia, assembled in full and free convention; which

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