ever difabled to hold any office under government, or removed from office pro tempore, or fubjected to fuch pains and penalties as the laws shall direct. And all officers fhall be removed on conviction of misbehaviour at common law, or on impeachment, or upon the addrefs of the General Affembly.

XXIV. All Acts of Affembly in force in this State on the fifteenth day of May laft (and not hereby altered, or contrary to the refolutions of Congrefs, or of the late Houfe of Affembly of this State), fhall fo continue until altered or repealed by the legislature of this State, unless where they are temporary, in which cafe they shall expire at the times refpectively limited for their duration.

XXV. The common law of England, as well as fo much of the ftatute law as have been heretofore adopted in practice in this State, fhall remain in force, unless they shall be altered by a future law of the legislature; fuch parts only excepted as are repugnant to the rights and privileges contained in this Conftitution, and the Declaration of Rights, &c. agreed to by this Convention.

XXVI. No perfon hereafter imported into this State from Africa ought to be held in slavery

flavery under any pretence whatever; and no negro, Indian, or mulatto flave, ought to be brought into this State for fale from any part of the world.

XXVII. The first election for the General Affembly of this State fhall be held on the twenty-first day of October next, at the Court Houses in the feveral counties, in the manner heretofore used in the election of the Affembly, except as to choice of Infpectors and Affeffors, where Affeffors have not been chofen on the fixteenth day of September inftant, which shall be made on the morning of the day of election, by the electors, inhabitants of the refpective hundreds in each county; at which time the Sheriffs and Coroners for the faid counties respectively are to be elected; and the present Sheriffs of the counties of Newcastle and Kent may be re-chofen to that office until the first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and feventy-nine, and the present Sheriff for the county of Suffex may be re-chofen to that office until the first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventyeight, provided the freemen think proper to re-elect them at every general election;

and the present Sheriffs and Coroners refpeetively fhall continue to exercise their offices as heretofore, until the Sheriffs and Coroners to be elected on the said twenty-first day of October shall be commiffioned and fworn into office. The Members of the Legiflative Council and Affembly shall meet for tranfacting the business of the State on the twenty-eighth day of October next, and continue in office until the first day of October which will be in the year one thousand seven hundred and feventy-feven; on which day, and on the first day of October in each year forever after, the Legislative Council, Affembly, Sheriffs, and Coroners, shall be chofen by ballot in manner directed by the feveral laws of this State for regulating elections of Members of Affembly, and Sheriffs and Coroners; and the General Affembly shall meet on the twentieth day of the fame month, for tranfacting the business of the State; and if any the faid first and twentieth days of October fhould be Sunday, then, and in such case, the elections shall be held and the General Affembly meet the next day following.

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XXVIII. To prevent any violence or force

being used at the faid elections, no perfons shall come armed to any of them; and no mufter of the militia shall be made on that day, nor fhall any battalion or company give in their votes immediately fucceeding each other, if any other voter who offers to vote objects thereto; nor fhall any battalion or company in the pay of the Continent, or of this or any other State, be fuffered to remain at the time and place of holding the faid elections, nor within one mile of the faid places refpectively, for twenty-four hours before the opening faid elections, nor within twenty-four hours after the fame are clofed, fo as in any manner to impede the freely and conveniently carrying on the faid election: provided always, that every elector may in a peaceable and orderly manner give in his vote on the faid day of election.

XXIX. There fhall be no establishment of any one religious fect in this State in preference to another; and no Clergyman or Preacher of the Gospel of any denomination fhall be capable of holding any civil office in this State, or of being a Member of either of the branches of the legiflature, while they continue in the exercise of the pastoral function.

XXX.

No article of the Declaration of

Rights and Fundamental Rules of this State, agreed to by this Convention, nor the first, fecond, fifth (except that part thereof that relates to the right of fuffrage), twenty-fixth and twenty-ninth articles of this Conftitution, ought ever to be violated on any pretence whatever. No other part of this Constitution shall be altered, changed, or diminished, without the confent of five parts in feven of the Affembly, and feven Members of the Legiflative Council. Friday, September 20, 1776.

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