For what pur. poses debts may be contracted by the state. Under what circumstances may contract debts on behalf of state. No law shall relate to more than one subject paid, but may pass laws to increase them; and the whole resources of said fund, from year to year, shall be sacredly set apart and applied to the payment of the interest and principal of the State debt, and to no other use or purpose, until the whole debt of the State is fully paid and satisfied. SECTION 35. The General Assembly may contract debts to meet casual deficits or failures in the revenue, but such debts, direct or contingent, singly or in the aggregate, shall not at any time exceed five hundred thousand dollars; and the money's arising from loans creating such debts, shall be applied to the purposes for which they were obtained, or to repay such debts: Provided, that the State may contract debts to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or, if hostilities are threatened, provide for the public defense. SECTION 36. No act of the General Assembly shall authorize any debt to be contracted on behalf of the Commonwealth, except for the purposes mentioned in the thirty fifth section of this article, unless provision be made therein to lay and collect an annual tax sufficient to pay the interest stipulated, and to discharge the debt within thirty years; nor shall such act take effect until it shall have been submitted to the people at a general election, and shall have received a majority of all the votes cast for and against it: Provided, that the general Assembly may contract debts, by borrowing money to pay any part of the debt of the State, without submission to the people, and without making provision in the act authorising the same for a tax to discharge the debt so contracted, or the interest thereon. SECTION 37. No law, enacted by the General Assembly, shall relate to more than one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title. SECTION 38. The General Assembly shall not change the Changes of ve venue in any criminal or penal prosecution, but shall provide for the same by general laws. nue, how to be provided for. SECTION 39. The General Assembly may pass laws auWrits of error thorizing writs of error in criminal or penal cases, and regulating the right of challenge of jurors therein. in criminal and penal cases. by of money to be SECTION 40. The General Assembly shall have no power Appropriation to pass any act, or resolution, for the appropriation of any money, or the creation of any debt, exceeding the sum of one hundred dollars, at any one time, unless the same, on its final passage, shall be voted for by a majority of all the members then elected to each branch of the General As 1 sembly; and the yeas and nays thereon entered on the journal. ARTICLE THIRD. Concerning the Executive Department. The executive SECTION 1. The Supreme Executive power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Chief Magistrate, who power. shall be styled the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Governor to for be elected SECTION 2. The Governor shall be elected for the term of four years, by the qualified voters of the State, at the time four years. when, and places where, they shall respectively vote for Representatives. The person having the highest number of votes shall be Governor; but if two or more shall be equal and highest in votes, the election shall be determined by lot, in such manner as the General Assembly may direct. Ineligible for succeeding four SECTION 3. The Governor shall be ineligible for the succeeding four years after the expiration of the term for which years. he shall have been elected. SECTION 4. He shall be at least thirty-five years of age, and a citizen of the United States, and have been an inhabitant of this State at least six years next preceding his election. SECTION 5. He shall commence the execution of the duties of his office on the fifth Tuesday succeeding the day of the general election on which he shall have been chosen, and shall continue in the execution thereof until his successor shall have taken the oaths, or affirmations, prescribed by this Constitution. SECTION 6. No member of Congress, or person holding any office under the United States, or minister of any religious society, shall be eligible to the office of Governor. SECTION 7. The Governor shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the term for which he was elected. Qualifications for governor. Commencement of his service. and termination Who ineligible Compensation. Military powers SECTION 8. He shall be Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy of this Commonwealth, and of the militia there- and restrictions. of, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States; but he shall not command personally in the field, unless advised so to do by a resolution of the General Assembly. May fill vacan. SECTION 9. He shall have power to fill vacancies that may occur, by granting commissions, which shall expire when cles. governor. such vacancies shall have been filled according to the provisions of this Constitution. SECTION 10. He shall have power to remit fines and forPowers of the feitures, grant reprieves and pardons, except in cases of impeachment. In cases of treason, he shall have power to grant reprieves until the end of the next session of the General Assembly, in which the power of pardoning shall be vested; but he shall have no power to remit the fees of the Clerk, Sheriff, or Commonwealth's Attorney, in penal or criminal cases. May require in formation from executive off cers. formation to the SECTION 11. He may require information, in writing, from the officers in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices. SECTION 12. He shall, from time to time, give to the GenShall give in: eral Assembly information of the state of the Commonwealth, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem expedient. general assem. bly. May convene the general. assembly. General duty. Lieutenant tion of. SECTION 13. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General Assembly at the seat of government, or at a different place if that should have become, since their last adjournment, dangerous from an enemy, or from contagious disorders; and in case of disagreement between the two houses, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper, not exceeding four months. SECTION 14. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. SECTION 15. A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen at every regular election for Governor, in the same manner, Fovernor, elec to continue in office for the same time, and possess the same qualifications as the Governor, In voting for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the electors shall state for whom they vote as Governor, and for whom as Lieutenant Governor. SECTION 16. He shall, by virtue of his office, be Speaker To be speaker of the Senate, have a right, when in committee of the whole, to debate and vote on all subjects, and when the Senate are equally divided, to give the casting vote. of the senate. as governor. SECTION 17. Should the Governor be impeached, removed When to act from office, die, refuse to qualify, resign, or be absent from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall exercise all the power and authority appertaining to the office of Governor, until another be duly elected and qualified, or the Governor absent or impeached, shall return or be acquitted. When senate to elect a speak SECTION 18. Whenever the government shall be administered by the Lieutenant Governor, or he shall fail to attend er pro tempore. as Speaker of the Senate, the Senators shall elect one of their own members as Speaker for that occasion. And if, during the vacancy of the office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall be impeached, removed from office, refuse to qualify, resign, die, or be absent from the State, the Speaker of the Senate shall, in like manner, administer the government: Provided, that whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of Governor, before the first two years of the term shall have expired, a new election for Governor shall take place to fill such vacancy. SECTION 19. The Lieutenant Governor, or Speaker pro Lieutenant gov tempore of the Senate, while he acts as Speaker of the Sen-pensation, comate, shall receive for his services the same compensation which shall, for the same period, be allowed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and no more; and during the time he administers the government as Governor, shall receive the same compensation which the Governor would have received, had he been employed in the duties of his office. SECTION 20. If the Lieutenant Governor shall be called upon to administer the government, and shall, while in such administration, resign, die, or be absent from the State during the recess of the General Assembly, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, for the time being, to convene the Senate for the purpose of choosing a Speaker. SECTION 21. The Governor shall nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint a Secretary of State, who shall be commissioned during the term for which the Governor was elected, if he shall so long behave himself well. He shall keep a fair register, and attest all the official acts of the Governor, and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers, relative thereto, before either house of the General Assembly; and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by law. On death of lieutenant gov. ernor the secre tary of state to convene the sen ate. Secretary of state, appoint. ment and duty. Mode of passing bills; dissent SECTION 22. Every bill which shall have passed both houses; shall be presented to the Governor. If he approve, of governor, &c he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it originated, who shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and proceed Majority of all a bill, governor objecting. to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, a majority elected may pass of all the members elected to that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which it shall likewise be considered, and if approved by a majority of all the members elected to that house, it shall be a law; but in such cases, the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill, shall be entered upon the journals of each house, respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor, within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been preor to return a sented to him, it shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent its return; in which case it shall be a law, unless sent back within three days after their next meeting. When govern bill. Orders, resolu tions, and votes to be approved by governor. tions for a gov. SECTION 23. Every order, resolution, or vote, in which the concurrence of both houses may be necessary, except on a question of adjournment, shall be presented to the Governor, and before it shall take effect,be approved by him; or being disapproved, shall be re-passed by a majority of all the members elected to both houses, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in case of a bill. SECTION 24. Contested elections for Governor and LieuContested elec- tenant Governor shall be determined by both houses of the General Assembly, according to such regulations as may be established by law. ernor, &c. Treasurer, aud itor, register, & attorney general election of, and term of office. State officers, first election of, when to be held. SECTION 25. A treasurer shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State, for the term of two years; and an Auditor of Public Accounts, Register of the Land Office, and Attorney General, for the term of four years. The duties and responsibilities of these officers shall be prescribed by law: Provided, that inferior State officers, not specially provided for in this Constitution, may be appointed, or elected, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law, for a term not exceeding four years. SECTION 26. The first election, under this Constitution, for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Register of the Land Office, and Attorney General, shall be held on the first Monday in August in the year 1851. |