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had not been adopted. But the monopoly features in the charter of any corporation now existing in the State, save such as may be contained in the charters of railroad companies, are hereby abolished.

Art. 259. In order that no inconvenience may result to the public service form the taking effect of this Constitution, no officer shall be superseded thereby, but the laws of the State relative to the duties of the several officers-executive, judicial and military-shall remain in full force though the same be contrary to this Constitution, and the several duties shall be performed by the respective officers of the State, according to the existing laws, until the organization of the government under this Constitution and the entering into office of the new officers to be appointed or elected under this government, and no longer. Art. 260. Appointments to office by the executive under this Constitution shall be made by the Governor to be elected under its authority.

Art. 261. All causes in which appeals have been or may be hereafter taken or now pending in the Supreme Court under the Constitution of 1868, and of which jurisdiction has been vested by this Constitution in the courts of appeal, shall, after the adoption of this Constitution, be transferred for trial to the Court of Appeals of the circuit from which the appeal has been or may be taken.

All other causes that may be pending in the Supreme Court, under the Constitution of 1868, shall be transferred to the Supreme Court created by this Constitution as soon as it shall be organized.

All causes that may be pending in all other courts, under the Constitution of 1868, upon the adoption of this Constitution and the organization of the courts created by this Constitution, shall be transferred to the courts respectively having jurisdiction thereof under this Constitution.

Art. 262. Immediately after the adjournment of this convention the Governor shall issue his proclamation, directing the several officers of the State, authorized by law to hold elections for members of the General Assembly, to open and hold a poll in every parish in the State, at the places designated by law, upon the first Tuesday in the month of December next, 1879, for the purpose of taking the sense of the good people of this

State in regard to the adoption or rejection of this Constitution; and it shall be the duty of said officers to receive the votes of all persons entitled to vote under the Constitution of 1868.

Each voter shall express his opinion by depositing in the ballot box a ticket, whereon shall be written or printed, "For the Constitution," or "Against the Constitution," or some such words. as will distinctly convey the intention of the voter.

It shall also be the duty of the Governor in his said proclamation, to direct the said officers authorized by law to hold elections to open and hold a poll at the above stated time and places for the election of Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, members of the General Assembly, Secretary of State, Attorney-General, State Auditor and Superintendent of Public Education, and of all other officers whose election by the people is provided for in this Constitution; and the names of the persons voted for shall be written or printed on the same ticket and deposited in the same box as the votes "For or against the Constitution."

And the said election for the adoption or rejection of the Constitution and for the said officers shall be conducted and the returns thereof made in conformity with existing laws upon the subject of State elections.

Upon the receipt of said returns, or on the last Monday in December, 1879, if the returns be not sooner received, it shall be the duty of the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Secretary of State and the Attorney-General, in the presence of all such persons as may choose to attend, to compile the votes given at the said polls for ratification or rejection of this Constitution; and if it shall appear from said returns that a majority of all the votes given on the question of adoption and rejection of the Constitution is for ratifying this Constitution, then it shall be the duty of the Governor to make immediate proclamation of that fact, and thenceforth this Constitution shall be ordained and established as the Constitution of the State of Louisiana, and the General Assembly elected in 1878 shall thereupon be dissolved. Whether this Constitution be adopted or rejected, it shall be the duty of the Governor to cause to be published in the official paper of the Convention the result of the polls, showing the number of votes cast in each parish for and against the said Constitution.

If the Constitution be ratified it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to examine and compile the returns and publish

the result of the election of officers herein ordained, and in the manner provided by existing laws.

Art. 263. The General Assembly first elected under this Constitution shall convene in the city of New Orleans upon the second Monday in January next, 1880, after the election, and the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elected shall be duly installed in office during the first week of the session, and before it shall be competent for the said General Assembly to proceed with the transaction of business beyond their own organization. Art. 264. The State Auditor, Attorney-General, Secretary of State and Superintendent of Public Education, elected at the first election herein provided for, shall enter upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices on the second Monday of January, 1880, after complying with the requisites of existing laws; and all other officers whose election or appointment is provided for by this Constitution shall enter upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices on the first Monday of April, eighteen hundred and eighty, after complying with the requirements of existing laws; until which period all officers under the Constitution of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight shall receive the pay and emoluments provided for under said Constitution: Provided, That the pay of the officers elected or appointed under this Constitution shall not commence until after their induction into office. The State Treasurer elected in November, 1878, shall continue in office as if elected at the elec tion to be held on the first Tuesday in December, 1879; but the salary of said officer shall be as established by this Constitution from and after the second Monday in January, 1880.

Art. 265. The time of service of all officers chosen by the people at the first election under this Constitution shall terminate as though the election had been holden on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April, 1880.

Art. 266. The judges of the Court of Appeals, district judges, city judges, district attorney, coroner, clerks of courts, sheriffs, recorder of martgages and register of conveyances, all of whose election and appointment are provided for by this Constitution, in the parish of Orleans, shall only enter on the discharge of the duties of their respective offices on the first Monday of August, 1880, and the present incumbents shall continue until

then in the performance of the duties of their respective offices and the enjoyment of the emoluments thereof as now prescribed by law.

Art. 267. The General Assembly is required to make provision for paying J. H. Cosgrove, printer of the convention, for the balance due him for work done previous to adjournment, and for all work that may be done by him after adjournment of the convention by its direction, and shall make a special appropriation to liquidate the debt which this convention has contracted, authorizing the fiscal agent of the State to negotiate a loan of twenty-five thousand dollars; and also for the payment of such vouchers as may be issued by the chairman of the Committee on Contingent Expenses, under authority of this convention, in excess of the foregoing appropriation, for the purpose of enabling this convention to complete its work: Provided, Said vouchers are approved by the president of the convention.

Art. 268. There shall not be any municipal election in the cities of New Orleans and Shreveport in December, 1879; the General Assembly shall provide for a municipal election in the city of New Orleans or such municipal corporations as may be created within the territorial limits of the parish of Orleans during the year 1880. The General Assembly may fix the time for a municipal election in the city of Shreveport before April, 1884.

LOUIS A. WILTZ. President and Delegate from the Ninth Representative

District of the Parish of Orleans.

WILLIAM H. HARRIS, Secretary.

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

STATE OF MAINE.

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