This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the constitution.

[NOTE. The constitution was adopted September 17, 1787, by the unanimous consent of the states present in the convention appointed in pursuance of the resolution of the congress of the confederation of February 21, 1787, and was ratified by the conventions of the several states, as follows, viz.: By convention of Delaware, December 7, 1787; Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18, 1787; Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788; Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28, 1788; South Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire, June 21, 1788; Virginia, June 26, 1788; New York, July 26, 1788; North Carolina, November 21, 1789; Rhode Island, May 29, 1790.

The first ten of the amendments were proposed at the first session of the first congress of the United States, September 25, 1789, and were finally ratified by the constitutional number of states on December 15, 1791. The eleventh amendment was proposed at the first session of the third congress, March 5, 1794, and was declared in a message from the President of the United States to both houses of congress, dated January 8, 1798, to have been adopted by the constitutional number of states. The twelfth amendment was proposed at the first session of the eighth congress, December 12, 1803, and was adopted by the constitutional number of states in 1804, according to a public notice thereof by the secretary of state, dated September 25 of the same year.

The thirteenth amendment was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the thirty-eighth congress on February 1, 1855, and was declared, in a proclamation of the secretary of state, dated December 18, 1855, to have been ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.

The fourteenth amendment was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the thirty-ninth congress, on June 16, 1866.

On July 20, 1868, the secretary of state of the United States issued his certificate, setting out that it appeared by official documents on file in the department of state that said amendment had been ratified by the legislatures of the states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, New York, Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Iowa, and by newly established bodies avowing themselves to be and acting as the legislatures of the states of Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama; that the legislatures of Ohio and New Jersey had since passed resolutions withdrawing the consent of those states to

said amendment; that the whole number of states in the United States was thirty-seven, that the twenty-three states first above named and the six states next above named together, constituted three-fourths of the whole number of states, and certifying that if the resolutions of Ohio and New Jersey, ratifying said amendment were still in force, notwithstanding their subsequent resolutions, then said amendment had been ratified and so become valid as part of the constitution.

On July 21, 1888, congress passed a resolution reciting that the amendment had been ratified by Connecticut, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Maine, Iowa, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana, being threefourths of the several states of the Union, and declaring said fourteenth article to be a part of the constitution of the United States, and making it the duty of the secretary of state to duly promulgate it as such.

On July 28, 1838, the secretary of state issued his certificate, reciting the above resolution, and stating that official notice had been received at the department of state that action had been taken by the legislatures of the states in relation to said amendment, as follows: "It was ratified in A.D. 1866, by Connecticut, June 30; New Hampshire, July 7; Tennessee, July 19; Oregon, September 19; Vermont, November 9. In A.D. 1867, by New York, January 10; Illinois, January 15; West Virginia, January 16; Kansas, January 18; Maine, January 19; Nevada, January 22; Missouri, January 26; Indiana, January 29; Minnesota, February 1; Rhode Island, February 7; Wisconsin, February 13; Pennsylvania, February 13; Michigan, February 15; Massachusetts, March 20; Nebraska, June 15. In A.D. 1868 by Iowa, April 3; Arkansas, April 6; Florida, June 9, Louisiana, July 9; and Alabama, July 13.

"It was first ratified and the ratification subsequently withdrawn by New Jersey, ratified September 11, 1863, withdrawn April, 1868; Ohio, ratified January 11, 1867, and withdrawn January, 1868.

"It was first rejected and then ratified by Georgia, rejected November 13, 1856, ratified July 21, 1868; North Carolina, rejected December 4, 1863, ratified July 4, 1863; South Carolina, rejected December 20, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868..

"It was rejected by Texas, November 1, 1866; Virginia, January 9, 1867; Kentucky, January 10, 1867; Delaware, February 7, 1967; and Maryland, March 23, 1867."

And on said July 28, 1868, and in execution of the act proposing the amendment and of the concurrent resolution of congress above mentioned and in pursuance thereof, the secretary of state directed that said amendment to the constitution be published in the newspapers authorised to promulgate the laws of the United States, and certified that it

had been adopted in the manner above specified by the states named in said resolution, and that it "has become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the constitution of the United States."

Subsequently it was ratified by Virginia, October 8, 1869, by Georgia, again, February 2, 1870, and by Texas, February 18, 1870.

The fifteenth amendment was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the fortieth congress on February 27, 1859, and was declared, in a proclamation of the secretary of state, dated March 30, 1870, to have been ratified by the constitutional number of states and to have "become valid to all intents and purposes as part of the constitution of the United States."

The sixteenth amendment was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the sixty-first congress, at its first session, in 1909. On February 25, 1913, the secretary of state made proclamation to the effect that, from official documents on file in the department, it appeared that the amendment had been ratified by the legislatures of the states of Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Maine, Tennessee, Arkansas, Wisconsin, New York, South Dakota, Arizona, Minnesota, Louisiana, Delaware, and Wyoming, in all thirty-six; and, further, that the states whose legislatures had so ratified the said proposed amendment constituted three-fourths of the whole number of states in the United States; and, further, that it appeared from official documents on file in the department that the legislatures of New Jersey and New Mexico had passed resolutions ratifying the said proposed amendment. He further certified that the amendment had "become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the constitution of the United States."

The seventeenth amendment was proposed to the legislatures of the several states by the sixty-second congress, at its second session, in 1912. On May 31, 1913, the secretary of state made proclamation to the effect that, from official documents on file in the department, it appeared that the amendment had been ratified by the legislatures of the states of Massachusetts, Arizona, Minnesota, New York, Kansas, Oregon, North Carolina, California, Michigan, Idaho, West Virginia, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, North Dakota, Nevada, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New Jersey, Tennessee, Arkansas, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin; and, further, that the states whose legislatures had so ratified the said proposed amendment constituted three-fourths of the whole number of states in the United States. He further certified that the amendment had "become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the constitution of the United States."]

ARTICLE 1. Equality and natural rights of all men. 34.

ART. 2. Right and duty of public religious worship - Protection therein. 34.

ART. 3. Legislature empowered to compel provision for public worship; and to enjoin attendance thereon Exclusive right of electing religious teachers secured - Option as to whom parochial taxes may be paid, unless, &c. All denominations equally protected Subordination of one sect to another prohibited. 34, 35. ART. 4. Right of self-government secured. 35. ART. 5. Accountability of all officers, &c. ART. 6. Services rendered to the public being the only title to peculiar privileges, hereditary offices are absurd and unnatural. 36. ART. 7. Objects of government; right of people to institute and change it. 36.

ART. 8.

35.

Right of people to secure rotation in office. 36.

ART. 9. All, having the qualifications prescribed, equally eligible to office.

36.

ART. 10. Right of protection and duty of contribution correlative - Taxation founded on consent - Private property not to be taken for public uses without, &c. 36, 37.

ART. 11. Remedies, by recourse to the law, to be free, complete and prompt. 37.

ART. 12. Prosecutions regulated

nal cases, except, &c. 37.

Right to trial by jury in crimi

ART. 13. Crimes to be proved in the vicinity. 37.
Right of search and seizure regulated. 37, 38.
Right to trial by jury sacred, except, &c. 38.

ART. 14.
ART. 15.

25

ART. 17. Right to keep and bear arms — Standing armies dangerous- - Military power subordinate to civil. 38.

ART. 18. Moral qualifications for office-Moral obligations of lawgivers and magistrates.

38.

ART. 19. Right of people to instruct representatives and petition legislature. 39.

ART. 20.

ART. 21.

ART. 22.

ART. 23.

Power to suspend the laws, or their execution.
Freedom of debate, &c., and reason thereof.
Frequent sessions, and objects thereof. 39.
Taxation founded on consent. 39.

39.

39.

ART. 25. ART. 26. ited. 39. ART. 27. No soldier to be quartered in any house, unless, &c. 40. ART. 28. Citizens exempt from law-martial, unless, &c. 40. ART. 29. Judges of supreme judicial court — - Tenure of their office Salaries. 40.

Legislature not to convict of treason, &c. 39.

Excessive bail or fines, and cruel punishments, prohib

ART. 30. Separation of executive, judicial and legislative departments. 40.

PART II.-FRAME OF GOVERNMENT.

Title of body politic. 41.

CHAPTER I.

SECTION 1.

ARTICLE 1. Legislative department. 41.

ART. 2. Governor's veto - Bill may be passed by two-thirds of each house, notwithstanding. 41, 42.

ART. 3. General court may constitute judicatories, courts of record, &c. Courts, &c., may administer oaths.

42.

ART. 4. General court may enact laws, &c., not repugnant to the constitution; may provide for the election or appointment of officers; prescribe their duties; impose taxes, duties and excises, to be disposed of for defence, protection, &c. Valuation of estates, once in ten years, at least, while, &c. 42, 43.

SECTION 2.

ARTICLE 1. Senate, number of, and by whom elected Counties to be districts, until, &c. 44.

ART. 2. Manner and time of choosing senators and councillors Word "inhabitant," defined Selectmen to preside at town meetings