general court shall issue precepts, or direct them to be issued from the secretary's office, to the several towns, to elect delegates to meet in Convention, for the purpose aforesaid.

The said delegates to be chosen in the same manner and proportion, as their representatives in the second branch of the legislature are by this Constitution to be chosen.

11. This form of Government shall be enrolled on parchment, and deposited in the secretary's office, and be a part of the laws of the land: and printed copies thereof shall be prefixed to the book containing the laws of this commonwealth, in all future editions of the said laws. JAMES BOWDOIN, President. Attest, SAMUEL BARRET, Secretary.

AMENDMENTS.

Article 1. If any bill or resolve shall be objected to, and not approved of by the Governor; and if the general court shall adjourn within five days after the same shall have been laid before the Governor for his approbation, and thereby prevent his returning it, with his objections, as provided by the Constitution; such bill or resolve shall not become a law, nor have force as such.

Art. 2. The general court shall have full power and authority to erect or constitute municipal or city governments in any corporate town or towns, in this commonwealth, and to grant to the inhabitants thereof such powers, privileges, and immunities, not repugnant to the Constitution, as the general court shall deem necessary or expedient, for the regulation and Government thereof, and to prescribe the manner of calling and holding public meetings of the inhabitants in wards, or otherwise, for the election of officers, under the Constitution, and the manner of returning the votes given at such meetings. provided, that no such Government shall be erected or constituted in any town not containing twelve thousand inhabitants, nor unless it be with the consent, and on the application of a majority of the inhabitants of such town, present and voting thereon, pursuant to a vote at a meet

ing duly warned and holden for that purpose: and provided, also, that all by-laws, made by such municipal or city government, shall be subject, at all times, to be annulled by the general court.

Art. 3. Every male citizen of twenty-one years of age, and upwards, (excepting paupers and persons under guardianship,) who shall have resided within the commonwealth one year, and within the town or district in which he may claim a right to vote, six calendar months next preceding any election of Governor, LieutenantGovernor, senators, representatives, 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 exempt from taxation, and who shall be in all other respects qualified as above mentioned, shall have a right to vote in such election of Governor, and Lieutenant-Governor, senators, and representatives; and no other person shall be entitled to a vote in such election.

Art. 4. Notaries public shall be appointed by the Governor, in the same manner as judicial officers are appointed, and shall hold their offices during seven years, unless sooner removed by the Governor, with the consent of the council, and upon the address of both Houses of the legislature.

In case the office of secretary or treasurer of the commonwealth shall become vacant from any cause, during the recess of the general court, the Governor, with the consent of the council shall nominate and appoint, under such regula tions as may be prescribed by law,a competent and suitable person to such vacant office, who shall hold the same until a successor shall be appointed by the general court.

Whenever the exigencies of the commonwealth shall require the appointment of a commissary-general, he shall be nominated, appointed, and commissioned, in such manner as the legislature may, by law, prescribe.

All officers commissioned to command in the militia, may be removed from office in such manner as the legis lature may, by law, prescribe.

Art. 5. In the election of captains and subalterns of the militia, all the members of their respective companies, as well as those under, as those above the age of twenty-one years, shall have a right to vote.

Art. 6. Instead of the oath of allegiance, prescribed by the Constitution, the following oath shall be taken and subscribed by every person chosen or appointed to any office, civil or military, under the government of this commonwealth, before he shall enter upon the duties of his office, to wit:

"I, A. B., do solemnly swear, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will support the Constitution thereof. So help me God."

Provided, that when any person shall be of the denomination called Quakers, and shall decline taking said oath, he shall make his affirmation in the foregoing form, omitting the word "swear," and inserting, instead thereof, the word " affirm," and omitting the words "so help me God," and subjoining, instead thereof, the words "this I do under the pains and penalties of perjury."

Art. 7. No oath, declaration, or subscription, excepting the oath prescribed in the preceding article, and the oath of office, shall be required of the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, counsellors, senators, or representatives, to qualify them to perform the duties of their respective offices.

Art. 8. No judge of any court of this commonwealth, (except the court of sessions,) and no person holding any office under the authority of the United States, (post masters excepted,) shall, at the same time, hold the office of Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or counsellor, or have a seat in the Senate or House of Representatives of this commonwealth; and no judge of any court in this com monwealth, (except the court of sessions,) nor the attor ney-general, solicitor-general, county attorney, clerk of any court, sheriff, treasurer, and receiver-general, register of probate, nor register of deeds, shall continue to hold his said office after being elected a member of the Congress of the United States, and accepting that trust; but ne acceptance of such trust, by any of the officers afore

said, shall be deemed and taken to be a resignation of his said office; and judges of the courts of common pleas shall hold no other office, under the government of this commonwealth, the office of the justice of the peace and militia officers excepted.

Art. 9. If at any time hereafter, any specific and particular amendment, or amendments to the Constitution be proposed in the general court, and agreed to by a majority of the senators, and two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives present and voting thereon, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be entered on the journals of the two Houses, with the yeas and nays taken thereon, and referred to the general court then next to be chosen, and shall be published; and if in the general court then next chosen, as aforesaid, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be agreed to by a majority of the senators and two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives present and voting thereon; then it shall be the duty of the general court to submit such proposed amendment or amendments to the people; and if they shall be approved and ratified by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon, at meetings legally warned and holden for that purpose, they shall become part of the Constitution of this commonwealth.

Resolved, That the above recited articles of amendment, shall be enrolled on parchment, and deposited in the secretary's office, as a part of the Constitution and fundamental laws of this commonwealth, and published in immediate connexion therewith, in all future editions of the laws of this commonwealth, printed by public autho rity. And in order that the said amendments may be promulgated and made known to the people of this commonwealth, without delay, it is further

Resolved, That his excellency, the Governor, be, and he hereby is authorized and requested to issue his proclamation, reciting the articles aforesaid; announcing that the same have been duly adopted and ratified by the people of this commonwealth, and become a part of the Constitution thereof; and requiring all magistrates, officers, civil and military, and all the citizens of this commonwealth, to take notice thereof, and govern themselves accordingly.'

Now, therefore, I, John Brooks, Governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority to me given by the resolution last above written, do issue this my proclamation, and I do hereby announce, that the several articles aforesaid have been duly ratified and adopted by the people of this commonwealth, and have become a part of the Constitution thereof. And all magistrates, officers, civil and military, and all the citizens of the commonwealth, are required to take notice thereof, and govern themselves accordingly. Given at the council chamber, in Boston, the day and year first above written, and in the forty-fifth year of the independence of the United States.

JOHN BROOKS.

By his Excellency, the Governor,

ALDEN BRADFORD, Secretary. God save the commonwealth of Massachusetts !

ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT.

ADOPTED MARCH 24, 1887, AS THE 12TH ARTICLE OF THE COX

STITUTION.

In order to provide for a representation of the citizens of this commonwealth, founded upon the principles of equality, a census of the rateable polls in each city, town, and district of the commonwealth, on the first day of May, shall be taken and returned into the secretary's office, in such manner as the legislature shall provide, within the month of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, and in every tenth year thereafter in the month of May, in manner aforesaid; and each town or city having three hundred rateable polls at the last preceding decennial census of polls, may elect one representative, and for every four hundred and fifty rateable polls in addition to the first three hundred, one represen

tative more.

Any town having less than three hundred rateable polls,