of the State in such manner as may be prescribed by law. No part of this fund, principal or interest, shall ever be transferred to any other fund, or used or appropriated except as herein provided. The State treasurer shall be the custodian of this fund, and the same shall be securely and profitably invested as may be by law directed. The State shall supply all losses thereof that may in any manner occur.

SEC. 4. Each county treasurer shall collect all school-funds belonging to his county, and the several school-districts therein, and disburse the same to the proper districts upon warrants drawn by the county superintendent, or by the proper district authorities as may be provided by law.

SEC. 5. The public-school fund of the State shall consist of the proceeds of such lands as have heretofore been, or may hereafter be, granted to the State by the General Government for educational purposes; all estates that may escheat to the State; also all other grants, gifts, or devises that may be made to this State for educational purposes.

SEC. 6. There shall be a county superintendent of schools in each county whose term of office shall be two years, and whose duties, qualifications, and compensation `shall be prescribed by law. He shall be ex officio commissioner of lands within his county, and shall discharge the duties of said office under the direction of the State board of land commissioners, as directed by law.

SEC. 7. Neither the general assembly, nor any county, city, town, township, schooldistrict, or other public corporation shall ever make any appropriation, or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever, anything in aid of any church or sectarian society, or for any sectarian purpose, or to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university, or other literary or scientific institution controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatsoever; nor shall any grant or donation of land, money, or other personal property ever be made by the State, or any such public corporation, to any church or for any sectarian purpose.

SEC. 8. No religious test or qualification shall ever be required of any person as a condition of admission into any public educational institution of the State, either as teacher or student; and no teacher or student of any such institution shall ever be required to attend or participate in any religious service whatever. No sectarian tenets or doctrines shall ever be taught in the public schools, nor shall any distinction or classification of pupils be made on account of race or color.

SEC. 9. The governor, superintendent of public instruction, secretary of state, and attorney-general shall constitute the State board of land commissioners, who shall have the direction, control, and disposition of the public lands of the State, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 10. It shall be the duty of the State board of land commissioners to provide for the location, protection, sale, or other disposition of all the lands heretofore, or which may hereafter be, granted to the State by the General Government, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, and in such manner as will secure the maximum possible amount therefor. No law shall ever be passed by the general assembly granting any privileges to persons who may have settled upon any such public lands subsequent to the survey thereof by the General Government, by which the amount to be derived by the sale, or other disposition of such lands, shall be diminished, directly or indirectly. The general assembly shall, at the earliest practicable period, provide by law that the several grants of land made by Congress to the State shall be judiciously located and carefully preserved and held in trust subject to disposal for the use and benefit of the respective objects for which said grants of land were made, and the general assembly shall provide for the sale of said lands from time to time, and for the faithful application of the proceeds thereof in accordance with the terms of said grants.

SEC. 11. The general assembly may require, by law, that every child of sufficient mental and physical ability shall attend the public school during the period between the ages of six and eighteen years, for a time equivalent to three years, unless edu cated by other means.

SEC. 12. There shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State, at the first general election under this constitution, six regents of the university, who shall, imme

diately after their election, be so classified, by lot, that two shall hold their office for the term of two years, two for four years, and two for six years; and every two years after the first election there shall be elected two regents of the university, whose term of office shall be six years. The regents thus elected, and their successors, shall constitute a body-corporate, to be known by the name and style of "The Regents of the University of Colorado."

SEC. 13. The regents of the university shall, at their first meeting, or as soon thereafter as practicable, elect a president of the university, who shall hold his office until removed by the board of regents for cause; he shall be ex officio a member of the board, with the privilege of speaking, but not of voting, except in cases of a tie; he shall preside at the meetings of the board, and be the principal executive officer of the university, and a member of the faculty thereof.

SEC. 14. The board of regents shall have the general supervision of the university, and the exclusive control and direction of all the funds of, and appropriations to, the university.

SEC. 15. The general assembly shall, by law, provide for organization of school districts of convenient size, in each of which shall be established a board of education, to consist of three or more directors, to be elected by the qualified electors of the district. Said directors shall have control of instruction in the public schools of their respective districts.

SEC. 16. Neither the general assembly nor the State board of education shall have power to prescribe text-books to be used in the public schools.

ARTICLE X.

REVENUE.

SECTION 1. The fiscal year shall commence on the first day of October in each year, unless otherwise provided by law.

SEC. 2. The general assembly shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other resources, to defray the estimated expenses of the State government for each fiscal year.

SEC. 3. All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of subjects within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and shall be levied and collected under general laws, which shall prescribe such regulations as shall secure a just valuation for taxation of all property, real and personal: Provided, That mines and miningclaims bearing gold, silver, and other precious metals, (except the net proceeds and surface improvements thereof,) shall be exempt from taxation for the period of ten years from the date of the adoption of this constitution, and thereafter may be taxed as provided by law. Ditches, canals, and flumes owned and used by individuals or corporations for irrigating lands owned by such individuals or corporations, or the individual members thereof, shall not be separately taxed so long as they shall be owned and used exclusively for such purpose.

SEC. 4. The property, real and personal, of the State, counties, cities, towns, and other municipal corporations, and public libraries, shall be exempt from taxation.

SEC. 5. Lots, with the buildings thereon, if said buildings are used solely and exclusively for religious worship, for schools, or for strictly charitable purposes, also cemeteries not used or held for private or corporate profit, shall be exempt from taxation, unless otherwise provided by general law.

SEC. 6. All laws exempting from taxation property other than that hereinbefore mentioned shall be void.

SEC. 7. The general assembly shall not impose taxes for the purposes of any county, city, town, or other municipal corporation, but may, by law, vest in the corporate authorities thereof respectively the power to assess and collect taxes for all purposes of such corporation.

SEC. 8. No county, city, town, or other municipal corporation, the inhabitants thereof, nor the property therein, shall be released or discharged from their, or its, proportionate share of taxes to be levied for State purposes.

SEC. 9. The power to tax corporations and corporate property, real and personal, shall never be relinquished or suspended.

SEC. 10. All corporations in this State, or doing business therein, shall be subject to taxation for State, county, school, municipal, and other purposes, on the real and personal property owned or used by them within the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax.

SEC. 11. The rate of taxation on property, for State purposes, shall never exceed six mills on each dollar of valuation; and whenever the taxable property within the State shall amount to one hundred million dollars the rate shall not exceed four mills on each dollar of valuation; and whenever the taxable property within the State shall amount to three hundred million dollars the rate shall never thereafter exceed two mills on each dollar of valuation, unless a proposition to increase such rate, specifying the rate proposed, and the time during which the same shall be levied, be first submitted to a vote of such of the qualified electors of the State as in the year next preceding such election shall have paid a property-tax assessed to them within the State, and a majority of those voting thereon shall vote in favor thereof, in such manner as may be provided by law.

SEC. 12. The treasurer shall keep a separate account of each fund in his hands, and shall, at the end of each quarter of the fiscal year, report to the governor in writing, under oath, the amount of all moneys in his hands to the credit of every such fund, and the place where the same are kept or deposited, and the number and amount of every warrant received, and the number and amount of every warrant paid therefrom during the quarter. Swearing falsely to any such report shall be deemed perjury. The governor shall cause every such report to be immediately published in at least one newspaper printed at the seat of government, and otherwise as the general assembly may require. The general assembly may provide by law further regulations for the safe-keeping and management of the public funds in the hands of the treasurer; but notwithstanding any such regulation, the treasurer and his sureties shall in all cases be held responsible therefor.

SEC. 13. The making of profit, directly or indirectly, out of State, county, city, town or school-district money, or using the same for any purpose not authorized by law, by any public officer, shall be deemed a felony, and shall be punished as provided by law.

SEC. 14. Private property shall not be taken or sold for the payment of the corporate debt of municipal corporations.

SEC. 15. There shall be a State board of equalization, consisting of the governor, State auditor, State treasurer, secretary of state, and attorney-general; also, in each county of this State, a county board of equalization, consisting of the board of county commissioners of said county. The duty of the State board of equalization shall be to adjust and equalize the valuation of real and personal property among the several counties of the State. The duty of the county board of equalization shall be to adjust and equalize the valuation of real and personal property within their respective counties. Each board shall also perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law. SEC. 16. No appropriation shall be made, nor any expenditure authorized by the general assembly, whereby the expenditure of the State, during any fiscal year, shall exceed the total tax then provided for by law and applicable for such appropriation or expenditure, unless the general assembly making such appropriation shall provide for levying a sufficient tax, not exceeding the rates allowed in section eleven of this article, to pay such appropriation or expenditure within such fiscal year. This provision shall not apply to appropriations or expenditures to suppress insurrection, defend the State, or assist in defending the United States in time of war.

ARTICLE XI.

PUBLIC INDEBTEDNESS.

SECTION 1. Neither the State, nor any county, city, town, township, or schooldistrict shall lend or pledge the credit or faith thereof, directly or indirectly, in any manner to, or in aid of, any person, company, or corporation, public or private, for any amount or for any purpose whatever, or become responsible for any debt, contract, or liability of any person, company, or corporation, public or private, in or out of the State.

SEC. 2. Neither the State, nor any county, city, town, township, or school-district shall make any donation or grant to, or in aid of, or become a subscriber to, or shareholder in, any corporation or company, or a joint owner with any person, company, or corporation, public or private, in or out of the State, except as to such ownership as may accrue to the State by escheat, or by forfeiture, by operation or provision of law; and except as to such ownership as may accrue to the State, or to any county, city, town, township, or school-district, or to either or any of them, jointly with any person, company, or corporation, by forfeiture or sale of real estate for non-payment of taxes, or by donation or devise for public use, or by purchase by or on behalf of any or either of them, jointly with any or either of them, under execution in cases of fine, penalties, or forfeiture of recognizance, breach of condition of official bond, or of bond to secure public moneys, or the performance of any contract in which they or any of them may be jointly or severally interested.

SEC. 3. The State shall not contract any debt by loan, in any form, except to provide for casual deficiencies of revenue, erect public buildings for use of the State, suppress insurrection, defend the State, or, in time of war, assist in defending the United States; and the amount of debt contracted in any one year to provide for deficiencies of the revenue shall not exceed one-fourth of a mill on each dollar of valuation of taxable property within the State, and the aggregate amount of such debt shall not at any time exceed three-fourths of a mill on each dollar of said valuation until the valuation shall equal one hundred millions of dollars, and thereafter such debt shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars, and the debt incurred in any one year for erection of public buildings shall not exceed one-half mill on each dollar of said valuation, and the aggregate amount of such debt shall never at any time exceed the sum of fifty thousand dollars, (except as provided in section five of this article;) and in all cases the valuation in this section mentioned shall be that of the assessment last preceding the creation of said debt.

SEC. 4. In no case shall any debt above mentioned in this article be created, except by a law which shall be irrepealable, until the indebtedness therein provided for shall have been fully paid or discharged; such law shall specify the purposes to which the funds so raised shall be applied, and provide for the levy of a tax sufficient to pay the interest on, and extinguish the principal of, such debt within the time limited by such law for the payment thereof, which, in the case of debts contracted for the erection of public buildings and supplying deficiencies of revenue, shall not be less than ten nor more than fifteen years; and the funds arising from the collection of any such tax shall not be applied to any other purpose than that provided in the law levying the same; and when the debt thereby created shall be paid or discharged such tax shall cease, and the balance, if any, to the credit of the fund, shall immediately be placed to the credit of the general fund of the State.

SEC. 5. A debt for the purpose of erecting public buildings may be created by law, as provided for in section four of this article, not exceeding in the aggregate three mills on each dollar of said valuation: Frovided, That before going into effect such law shall be ratified by the vote of a majority of such qualified electors of the State as shall vote thereon at a general election, under such regulations as the general assembly may prescribe.

SEC. 6. No county shall contract any debt by loan in any form, except for the purpose of erecting necessary public buildings, making or repairing public roads and bridges; and such indebtedness contracted in any one year shall not exceed the rates upon the taxable property in such county following, to wit: counties in which the assessed valuation of taxable property shall exceed five millions of dollars, one dollar and fifty cents on each thousand dollars thereof; counties in which such valuation shall be less than five millions of dollars, three dollars on each thousand dollars thereof; and the aggregate amount of indebtedness of any county, for all purposes, exclusive of debts contracted before the adoption of this constitution, shall not at any time exceed twice the amount above herein limited, unless when, in manner provided by law, the question of incurring such debt shall, at a general election, be submitted to such of the qualified electors of such county as in the year last preceding such election shall have paid a tax upon property assessed to them in such county, and a

majority of those voting thereon shall vote in favor of incurring the debt; but the bonds, if any be issued therefor, shall not run less than ten years; and the aggregate amount of debt so contracted shall not at any time exceed twice the rate upon the valuation last herein mentioned: Provided, That this section shall not apply to counties having a valuation of less than one million of dollars.

SEC. 7. No debt by loan in any form shall be contracted by any school-district for the purpose of erecting and furnishing school-buildings or purchasing grounds, unless the proposition to create such debt shall first be submitted to such qualified electors of the districts as shall have paid a school-tax therein in the year next preceding such election, and a majority of those voting thereon shall vote in favor of incurring such debt.

SEC. 8. No city or town shall contract any debt by loan in any form, except by means of an ordinance, which shall be irrepealable until the indebtedness therein provided for shall have been fully paid or discharged, specifying the purposes to which the funds to be raised shall be applied, and providing for the levy of a tax, not exceeding twelve mills on each dollar of valuation of taxable property within such city or town, sufficient to pay the annual interest and extinguish the principal of such debt within fifteen, but not less than ten, years from the creation thereof; and such tax, when collected, shall be applied only to the purposes in such ordinance specified until the indebtedness shall be paid or discharged; but no such debt shall be created unless the question of incurring the same shall, at a regular election for councilmen, aldermen, or officers of such city or town, be submitted to a vote of such qualified electors thereof as shall, in the year next preceding, have paid a property-tax therein, and a majority of those voting on the question, by ballot deposited in a separate ballot-box, shall vote in favor of creating such debt; but the aggregate amount of debt so created, together with the debt existing at the time of such election, shall not at any time exceed three per cent. of the valuation last aforesaid. Debts contracted for supplying water to such city or town are excepted from the operation of this section. The valuation in this section mentioned shall be in all cases that of the assessment next preceding the last assessment before the adoption of such ordinance.

SEC. 9. Nothing contained in this article shall be so construed as to either impair or add to the obligation of any debt heretofore contracted by any county, city, town, or school-district in accordance with the laws of Colorado Territory, or prevent the contracting of any debt, or the issuing of bonds therefor, in accordance with said laws, upon any proposition for that purpose which may have been, according to said laws, submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of any county, city, town, or school-district before the day on which this constitution takes effect.

ARTICLE XII.

OFFICERS.

SECTION 1. Every person holding any civil office under the State or any municipality therein shall, unless removed according to law, exercise the duties of such office until his successor is duly qualified; but this shall not apply to members of the general assembly, nor to members of any board or assembly two or more of whom are elected at the same time; the general assembly may by law provide for suspending any officer in his functions pending impeachment or prosecution for misconduct in office.

SEC. 2. No person shall hold any office or employment of trust or profit, under the laws of the State or any ordinance of any municipality therein, without devoting his personal attention to the duties of the same.

SEC. 3. No person who is now or hereafter may become a collector or receiver of public money, or the deputy or assistant of such collector or receiver, and who shall have become a defaulter in his office, shall be eligible to or assume the duties of any office of trust or profit in this State, under the laws thereof, or of any municipality therein, until he shall have accounted for and paid over all public money for which he may be accountable.

SEC. 4. No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of public moneys, bribery,