tioned shall never exceed per annum, for governor, the sum of $4,000; for secretary of state, the sum of $2,500; for treasurer of state, the sum of $3,000; for auditor of state, the sum of $3,000; for attorney-general, the sum of $2,500; for commissioner of State lands, the sum of $2,500; for judges of the supreme court, each, the sum of $4,000; for judges of the circuit courts and chancellors, each, the sum of $3,000; for prosecuting attorneys, the sum of $400: And provided further, That the general assembly shall provide for no increase of salaries of its members which shall take effect before the meeting of the next general assembly.

SEC. 12. An accurate and detailed statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public money, the several amounts paid, to whom and on what account, shall, from time to time, be published as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 13. All contracts for a greater rate of interest than 10 per centum per annum shall be void as to principal and interest, and the general assembly shall prohibit the same by law; but when no rate of interest is agreed upon, the rate shall be 6 per centum per annum.

SEC. 14. No lottery shall be authorized by this State, nor shall the sale of lotterytickets be allowed.

SEC. 15. All stationery, printing, paper, fuel, for the use of the general assembly and other departments of government, shall be furnished, and the printing, binding, and distributing of the laws, journals, department reports, and all other printing and binding, and the repairing and furnishing the halls and rooms used for the meetings of the general assembly and its committees, shall be performed under contract, to be given to the lowest responsible bidder, below such maximum price and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by law. No member or officer of any department of the government shall in any way be interested in such contracts, and all such contracts shall be subject to the approval of the governor, auditor, and treasurer.

SEC. 16. All contracts for erecting or repairing public buildings or bridges in any county, or for materials therefor, or for providing for the care and keeping of paupers, where there are no almshouses, shall be given to the lowest responsible bidder, under such regulations as may be provided by law.

SEC. 17. The laws of this State, civil and criminal, shall be revised, digested, arranged, published, and promulgated at such times and in such manner as the general assembly may direct.

SEC. 18. The general assembly, by suitable enactments, shall require such appliances and means to be provided and used as may be necessary to secure, as far as possible, the lives, health, and safety of persons employed in mining and of persons travelling upon railroads and by other public conveyances, and shall provide for enforcing such enactments by adequate pains and penalties.

SEC. 19. It shall be the duty of the general assembly to provide by law for the support of institutions for the education of the deaf and dumb and of the blind, and also for the treatment of the insane.

SEC. 20. Senators and representatives, and all judicial and executive, State and county officers, and all other officers, both civil and military, before entering on the duties of their respective offices, shall take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation: "I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Arkansas, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of -, upon which I am now about

to enter:"

SEC. 21. The sureties upon the official bonds of all State officers shall be residents of and have sufficient property within the State, not exempt from sale under execution, attachment, or other process of any court, to make good their bonds; and the sureties upon the official bonds of all county officers shall reside within the counties where such officers reside, and shall have sufficient property therein, not exempt from such sale, to make good their bonds.

SEC. 22. Either branch of the general assembly, at a regular session thereof, may propose amendments to this constitution, and if the same be agreed to by a majority of all the members elected to each house, such proposed amendments shall be entered on the journals, with the yeas and nays, and published in at least one newspaper in

each county, where a newspaper is published, for six months immediately preceding the next general election for senators and representatives, at which time the same shall be submitted to the electors of the State for approval or rejection, and if a majority of the electors voting at such election adopt such amendments the same shall become a part of this constitution. But no more than three amendments shall be proposed or submitted at the same time. They shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote on each amendment separately.

SEC. 23. No officer of this State, nor of any county, city, or town, shall receive, directly or indirectly, for salary, fees, and perquisites, more than five thousand dollars net profit per annum in par funds, and any and all sums in excess of this amount shall be paid into the State, county, city, or town treasury, as shall hereafter be directed by appropriate legislation.

SEC. 24. The general assembly shall provide by law the mode of contesting elections in cases not specifically provided for in this constitution.

SEC. 25. The present seal of the State shall be and remain the seal of the State of Arkansas until otherwise provided by law, and shall be kept and used as provided in this constitution.

SEC. 26. Militia officers, and officers of the public schools, and notaries may be elected to fill any executive or judicial office.

SEC. 27. Nothing in this constitution shall be so construed as to prohibit the general assembly from authorizing assessments on real property for local improvement, in towns and cities, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law; to be based upon the consent of the majority in value of the property-holders owning property adjoining the locality to be affected; but such assessments shall be ad valorem and uniform.

SCHEDULE.

1 SECTION 1. All laws now in force, which are not in conflict or inconsistent with this constitution, shall continue in force until amended or repealed by the general assembly, and all laws exempting property from sale on execution, or by decree of a court, which were in force at the time of the adoption of the constitution of 1868, shall remain in force with regard to contracts made before that time. Until otherwise provided by law, no distinction shall exist between sealed and unsealed instruments, concerning contracts between individuals, executed since the adoption of the constitution of 1868: Provided, That the statutes of limitation with regard to sealed and unsealed instruments, in force at that time, continue to apply to all instruments afterwards executed, until altered or repealed.

SEC. 2. In civil actions no witness shall be excluded because he is a party to the suit, or interested in the issue to be tried: Provided, That in actions by or against executors, administrators, or guardians, in which judgment may be rendered for or against them, neither party shall be allowed to testify against the other as to any transactions with or statements of the testator, intestate, or ward, unless called to testify thereto by the opposite party: Provided, further, That this section may be amended or repealed by the general assembly.

SEC. 3. An election shall be held at the several election precincts of every county in the State, on Tuesday, the thirteenth day of October, 1874, for governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, attorney-general, commissioner of State lands, (for two years, unless the office is sooner abolished by the general assembly,) chancellor and clerk of the separate chancery court of Pulaski County, chief-justice, and two associate justices of the supreme court, a circuit judge and prosecuting attorney for each judicial circuit provided for in this constitution, senators and representatives to the general assembly, all county and township officers provided for in this constitution; and also for the submission of this constitution to the qualified electors of the State, for its adoption or rejection.

SEC. 4. The qualification of voters at the election, to be held as provided in this schedule, shall be the same as is now prescribed by law.

SEC. 5. The State board of supervisors hereinafter mentioned shall give notice of

said election immediately after the adoption of this constitution by this convention, by proclamation in at least two newspapers published at Little Rock and such other newspapers as they may select. And each county board of supervisors shall give public notice, in their respective counties, of said election, immediately after their appointment.

SEC. 6. The governor shall also issue a proclamation enjoining upon all peace-officers the duty of preserving good order on the day of said election, and preventing any disturbance of the same.

SEC. 7. Augustus H. Garland, Gordon N. Peay, and Dudley E. Jones are hereby constituted a State board of supervisors of said election, who shall take an oath faithfully and impartially to discharge the duties of their office; a majority of whom shall be a quorum, and who shall perform the duties herein assigned them. Should a vacancy occur in said board, by refusal to serve, death, removal, resignation, or otherwise; or if any member should become incapacitated from performing said duties, the remaining members of the board shall fill the vacancy by appointment. But if all the places on said board become vacant at the same time, the said vacancies shall be filled by the president of this convention.

SEC. 8. Said State board shall at once proceed to appoint a board of election-supervisors for each county of this State, consisting of three men of known intelligence and uprightness of character, who shall take the same oath as above provided for the State board. A majority of each board shall constitute a quorum, and shall perform the duties herein assigned to them; and vacancies occurring in the county boards shall be filled by the State board.

SEC. 9. The State board shall provide the form of poll-books, and each county board shall furnish the judges of each election precinct with three copies of the pollbooks in the form prescribed, and with ballot-boxes, at the expense of the county.

SEC. 10. The State board of supervisors shall cause to be furnished in pamphlet form a sufficient number of copies of this constitution to supply each county supervisor and judge of election with a copy, and shall forward the same to the county election boards for distribution.

SEC. 11. The boards of county election supervisors shall at once proceed to appoint three judges of election for each election precinct in their respective counties; and the judges shall appoint three election-clerks for their respective precincts, all of whom shall be good, competent men, and take an oath as prescribed above. Should the judges of any election precinct fail to attend at the time and place provided by law, or decline to act, the assembled electors shall choose competent persons, in the manner provided by law, to act in their place, who shall be sworn as above.

SEC. 12. Said election shall be conducted in accordance with existing laws, except as herein provided. As the electors present themselves at the polls to vote, the judges of the election shall pass upon their qualifications, and the clerks of the election shall register their names on the poll-books if qualified; and such registration by said clerks shall be a sufficient registration in conformity with the constitution of this State, and then their votes shall be taken.

SEC. 13. Each elector shall have written or printed on his ticket " For constitution," or "Against constitution," and also the offices and the names of the candidates for the offices for whom he desires to vote.

SEC. 14. The judges shall deposit the tickets in the ballot-box; but no elector shall vote outside of the township or ward in which he resides. The names of the electors shall be numbered, and the corresponding numbers shall be placed on the ballots by the judges when deposited.

SEC. 15. All dram-shops and drinking-houses in this State shall be closed during the day of said election, and the succeeding night; and any person selling or giving away intoxicating liquors during said day or night shall be punished by fine, not less than two hundred dollars, for each and every offence, or imprisoned not less than six months, or both.

SEC. 16. The polls shall be opened at eight o'clock in the forenoon, and shall be kept open until sunset. After the polls are closed the ballots shall be counted by the judges at the place of voting, as soon as the polls are closed, unless prevented by

violence or accident; and the results by them certified on the poll-books, and the ballots sealed up. They shall be returned to the county board of election supervisors, who shall proceed to cast up the votes and ascertain and state the number of votes cast for the constitution, and the number cast against the constitution, and also the number of votes cast for each candidate voted for for any office, and shall forthwith forward to the State board of supervisors, duly certified by them, one copy of the statement or abstracts of the votes so made out by them, retain one copy in their possession, and file one copy in the office of the county clerk, where they shall also deposit, for safe-keeping, the ballots, sealed up, and one copy of the poll-books, retaining possession of the other copies.

SEC. 17. The State board of supervisors shall at once proceed, on receiving such returns from the county boards, to ascertain therefrom and state the whole number of votes given for the constitution, and the whole number given against it; and if a majority of all votes cast be in favor of the constitution, they shall at once make public that fact by publication in two or more of the leading newspapers published in the city of Little Rock, and this constitution, from that date, shall be in force; and they shall also make out and file, in the office of the secretary of state, an abstract of all the votes cast for the constitution, and all the votes cast against it; and also an abstract of all votes cast for every candidate voted for at the election, and file the same in the office of the secretary of state, showing the candidates elected. They shall also make out and certify, and lay before each house of the general assembly, a list of the members elected to that house; and shall also make out, certify, and deliver to the speaker of the house of representatives an abstract of all votes cast at the election for any and all persons for the office of governor, secretary of state, treasurer of state, auditor of state, attorney-general, and commissioner of State lands, and the said speaker shall cast up the votes, and announce the names of the persons elected to these offices. The governor, secretary of state, treasurer of state, auditor of state, attorney-general, and commissioner of State lands chosen at said election shall qualify and enter upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices within fifteen days after the announcement of their election as aforesaid.

SEC. 18. All officers shown to be elected by the abstract of said election, filed by the State board of supervisors in the office of the secretary of state, required by this constitution to be commissioned, shall be commissioned by the governor.

SEC. 19. At said election the qualified voters of each county and senatorial district, as defined in article eight of this constitution, shall elect, respectively, representatives and senators according to the numbers and apportionment contained in said article. The board of election supervisors of each county shall furnish certificates of election to the person or persons elected to the house of representatives as soon as practicable after the result of the election has been ascertained; and such board of election supervisors in each county shall make a correct return of the election for senator or senators to the board of election supervisors of the county first named in the senatorial apportionment, and said board shall furnish certificates of election to the person or persons elected as senator or senators in said senatorial district as soon as practicable.

SEC. 20. All officers elected under this constitution, except the governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer, attorney-general, and commissioner of State lands, shall enter upon the duties of their several offices when they shall have been declared duly elected by said State board of supervisors, and shall have duly qualified. All such officers shall qualify and enter upon the duties of their offices within fifteen days after they have been duly notified of their election.

SEC. 21. Upon the qualification of the officers elected at said election, the present incumbents of the offices for which the election is held shall vacate the same and turn over to the officers thus elected and qualified all books, papers, records, moneys, and documents belonging or pertaining to said offices by them respectively held. SEC. 22. The first session of the general assembly under this constitution shall commence on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in November, 1874.

SEC. 23. The county courts provided for in this constitution shall be regarded in law as a continuation of the boards of supervisors now existing by law, and the cir

cuit courts shall be regarded in law as continuations of the criminal courts wherever the same may have existed in their respective counties; and the probate courts shall be regarded as continuations of the circuit courts for the business within the jurisdiction of such probate courts, and the papers and records pertaining to said courts and jurisdictions shall be transferred accordingly; and no suit or prosecution of any kind shall abate because of any change made in this constitution.

SEC. 24. All officers now in office, whose offices are not abolished by this convention, shall continue in office and discharge the duties imposed on them by law until their successors are elected and qualified under this constitution. The office of commissioner of State lands shall be continued: Provided, That the general assembly at its next session may abolish or continue the same in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 25. Any election officer, appointed under the provisions of this schedule, who shall fraudulently and corruptly permit any person to vote illegally, or refuse the vote of any qualified elector, cast up or make a false return of said election, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and on conviction thereof shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than five years nor more than ten years. And any person who shall vote when not a qualified elector, or vote more than once, or bribe any one to vote contrary to his wishes, or intimidate or prevent any elector by threats, menace, or promises from voting, shall be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than five years.

SEC. 26. All officers elected at the election provided for in this schedule shall hold their offices for the respective periods provided for in the foregoing constitution, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The first general elections after the ratification of this constitution shall be held on the first Monday of September, A. D. 1876. Nothing in this constitution and the schedule thereto shall be so construed as to prevent the election of Congressmen at the time as now prescribed by law.

SEC. 27. The sum of five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the election provided for in this schedule, and the auditor of state shall draw his warrants on the treasurer for such expenses, not exceeding said amount, on the certificate of the State board of supervisors of election.

SEC. 28. For the period of two years from the adoption of this constitution, and until otherwise provided by law, the respective officers herein enumerated shall receive for their services the following salaries per annum :

For governor, the sum of $3,500; for secretary of state, the sum of $2,000; for treasurer, the sum of $2,500; for auditor, the sum of $2,500; for attorney-general, the sum of $2,000; for commissioner of State lands, the sum of $2,000; for judges of supreme court, each the sum of $3,500; for judges of circuit and chancery courts, each the sum of $2,500; for prosecuting attorneys, each the sum of $400; for members of the general assembly, the sum of $6 per day, and 20 cents per mile for each mile travelled in going to and returning from the seat of government, over the most direct and practicable route.

Attest:

THOS. W. NEWTON, Secretary.

G. D. ROYSTON, President.