AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF 1859. RATIFIED 1861. ART. XIII. SEC. 7. No banking institution shall issue circulating notes of a less denomination than five dollars. RATIFIED 1864. ART. II SEC. 12. Bills may originate in either house, but may be amended or rejected by the other. ART. V. SEC. 3. For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by reason of his presence or absence while employed in the service of the United States, nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of this State, or of the United States, or on the high seas, nor while a student in any seminary of learning, nor while kept at any almshouse or other asylum at public expense, nor while confined in any public prison; and the legislature may make provisions for taking the votes of electors who may be absent from their townships or wards in the volunteer military service of the United States, or the militia service of this State; but nothing herein contained shall be deemed to allow any soldier, seaman, or marine in the Regular Army or Navy of the United States the right to vote. RATIFIED 1867. ART. V. SEC. 2. No person under guardianship, non compos mentis, or insane; no person convicted of felony, unless restored to civil rights; no person who has been dishonorably discharged from the service of the United States, unless reinstated; no person guilty of defrauding the Government of the United States, or any of the States thereof; no person guilty of giving or receiving a bribe, or offering to give or receive a bribe; and no person who has ever voluntarily borne arms against the Government of the United States, or in any manner voluntarily aided or abetted in the attempted overthrow of said Government, except all persons who have been honorably discharged from the military service of the United States since the first day of April, A. D. 1861, provided that they have served one year or more therein, shall be qualified to vote or hold office in this State, until such disability shall be removed by a law passed by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of both branches of the legislature. RATIFIED 1868. ART. XV. SEC. 4. All public printing shall be done by a State printer, who shall be elected by the legislature, in joint session, and shall hold his office for two years, and until his successor shall be elected and qualified. The joint session of the legislature, for the election of a State printer, shall be on the third Tuesday of January, A. D. 1869, and every two years thereafter. All public printing shall be done at the capital, and the prices of the same shall be regulated by law. RATIFIED 1875. ART. II. SEC. 25. All sessions of the legislature shall be held at the State capital, and beginning with the session of eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, all regular sessions shall be held once in two years, commencing on the second Tuesday of January of each alternate year thereafter. ART. XI. SEC. 3. The legislature shall provide, at each regular session, for raising sufficient revenue to defray the current expenses of the State for two years. ART. II. SEC. 29. At the general election held in eighteen hundred and seventysix, and thereafter, members of the house of representatives shall be elected for two years, and members of the senate shall be elected for four years. RATIFIED 1876. ART. IX. SEC. 3. All county officers shall hold their offices for the term of two years, and until their successors shall be qualified, except county commissioners, who shall hold their offices for the term of three years: Provided, That at the general election in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-seven the commissioner elected from district number one in each county shall hold his office for the term of one year, the commissioner elected from district number two in each county shall hold his office for the term of two years, and the commissioner elected from district number three in each county shall hold his office for the term of three years; but no person shall hold the office of sheriff or county treasurer for more than two consecutive terms. KENTUCKY.* THE THREE CHARTERS OF VIRGINIA-1606, 1609, 1611-'12. [See "Virginia," pages 1888-1902.] CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA-1776. THE TERRITORY SOUTH OF THE OHIO-1790. An Act for the government of the territory south of the river Ohio. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the territory of the United States south of the river Ohio, for the purposes of temporary government, shall be one district; the inhabitants of which shall enjoy all the privileges, benefits, and advantages set forth in the ordinance of the late Congress for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ŏhio. And the government of the said territory south of the Ohio shall be similar to that which is now exercised in the territory northwest of the Ohio; except so far as is otherwise provided in the conditions expressed in an act of Congress of the present session, entitled "An act to accept a cession of the claims of the State of North Carolina to a certain district of western territory."‡ SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the salaries of the officers, which the President of the United States shall nominate, and with the advice and consent of the Senate appoint, by virtue of this act, shall be the same as those, by law established, of similar officers in the government northwest of the river Ohio. And the powers, duties, and emoluments of a superintendent of Indian affairs for the southern department shall be united with those of the governor. APPROVED, May 26, 1790. ACT ADMITTING KENTUCKY INTO THE UNION-1791. [FIRST CONGRESS, THIRD SESSION.] Whereas the legislature of the commonwealth of Virginia, by an act entitled "An act concerning the erection of the district of Kentucky into an independent State," passed the eighteenth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and eighty * Kentucky was originally settled by the whites as a colony of Virginia, but after the revolutionary war the settlers demanded an independent government, under the following provision in the first constitution of Virginia: "The western and northern extent of Virginia shall, in all other respects, stand, as fixed by the charter of King James I, in the year 1609, and by the public treaty of peace between the courts of Great Britain and France, in the year 1763, unless by act of this legislature one or more governments be established westward of the Alleghany Mountains." It was not, however, until after there had been ten successive conventions elected by the people of the "district," and four successive enabling acts passed by the legislature of Virginia, that Kentucky was allowed to enter the Federal Union as an independent State, on an equality with those which had established themselves as a nation. See "Tennessee," pages 1664. Illinois," pages 429. + See " nine, have consented that the district of Kentucky, within the jurisdiction of the said commonwealth, and according to its actual boundaries at the time of passing the act aforesaid, should be formed into a new State; and whereas a convention of delegates, chosen by the people of the said district of Kentucky, have petitioned Congress to consent that, on the first day of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, the said district should be formed into a new State, and received into the Union, by the name of "The State of Kentucky:" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, and it is hereby enacted and declared, That the Congress doth consent that the said district of Kentucky, within the jurisdiction of the commonwealth of Virginia, and according to its actual boundaries on the eighteenth day of December, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, shall, upon the first day of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, be formed into a new State, separate from, and independent of, the said commonwealth of Virginia. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted and declared, That upon the aforesaid first day of June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, the said new State, by the name and style of the State of Kentucky, shall be received and admitted into this Union as a new and entire member of the United States of America. CONSTITUTION OF KENTUCKY-1792.* We, the representatives of the people of the State of Kentucky, in convention assembled, do ordain and establish this constitution for its government. ARTICLE I. The powers of government shall be divided into three distinct departments, each of them to be confided to a separate body of magistracy, to wit, those which are legislative to one, those which are executive to another, and those which are judiciary to another. No person, or collection of persons, being of one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly permitted. The legislative powers of this commonwealth shall be vested in a general assembly, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives. The representatives shall be chosen annually, by the qualified electors of each county respectively, on the first Tuesday in May; but the several elections may be continued for three days, if, in the opinion of the presiding officer or officers, it shall be necessary, and no longer. No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained the age of twentyfour years, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State two years preceding his election, and the last six months thereof an inhabitant of the county in which he may be chosen; unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States, or this State. Within two years after the first meeting of the general assembly, and within every subsequent term of four years, an enumeration of the free male inhabitants above twenty-one years of age shall be made, in such manner as may be directed by law. The number of the representatives shall, at the several periods of making such enumeration, be fixed by the legislature, and apportioned among the several counties, according to the number of free male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years in This constitution was adopted by a convention which met at Danville April 2, 1792, and completed its labors on the 19th of April, 1792. The constitution was not submitted to the people for ratification. each, and shall never be less than forty, nor greater than one hundred; but no county hereafter erected shall be entitled to a separate representation, until a sufficient number of free male inhabitants above the age of twenty-one years shall be contained within it, to entitle them to one representative, agreeable to the ratio which shall then be established. The senators shall be chosen for four years. Until the first enumeration be made, the senate shall consist of eleven members, and thereafter for every four members added to the house of representatives, one member shall be added to the senate. In choosing the senate, one member at least shall be elected from each county, until the number of counties is equal to the number of senators; after which, when a new county is made, it shall, as to the choice of senators, be considered as being a part of the county or counties from which it shall have been taken. The senate shall be chosen in the following manner: All persons qualified to vote for representatives shall, on the first Tuesday in May, in the present year, and on the same day in every fourth year, forever thereafter, at the place appointed by law for choosing representatives, elect by ballot, by a majority of votes, as many persons as they are entitled to have for representatives for their respective counties, to be electors of the senate. No person shall be chosen an elector who shall not have resided in the State three years next before his election, and who shall not have attained the age of twentyseven years. The electors of the senate shall meet at such place as shall be appointed for convening the legislature, on the third Tuesday in May, in the present year, and on the same day in every fourth year forever thereafter; and they, or a majority of them so met, shall proceed to elect by ballot, as senators, men of the most wisdom, experience, and virtue, above twenty-seven years of age, who shall have been residents of the State above two whole years next preceding the election. If on the ballot two or more shall have an equal number of ballots in their favor, by which the choice shall not be determined by the first ballot, then the electors shall again ballot before they separate, in which they shall be confined to the persons who, on the first ballot, shall have had an equal number, and they who shall have the greatest number in their favor on the second ballot shall be accordingly declared and returned duly elected; and if on the second ballot an equal number shall still be in favor of two or more persons, then the election shall be determined by lot between those who have equal numbers; which proceedings of the electors shall be certified under their hands, and returned to the secretary for the time being; to whom shall also be made, by the proper officers, returns of the persons chosen as electors in the respective counties. The electors of senators shall judge of the qualifications and elections of members of their body, and on a contested election shall admit to a seat as an elector such qualified person as shall appear to them to have the greatest number of legal votes in his favor. The electors, immediately on their meeting, and before they proceed to the election of senators, shall take an oath, or affirmation, to elect, without favor, affection, partiality, or prejudice, such person for governor, and such persons for senators, as they in their judgment and conscience believe best qualified for the respective offices. That in case of refusal, death, resignation, disqualification, or removal out of this State, of any senator, the senate shall immediately thereupon, or at their next meeting thereafter, elect, by ballot, in the same manner as the electors are herein directed to choose senators, another person in his place, for the residue of the said term of four years. The general assembly shall meet on the first Monday in November in every year, till the time of their meeting shall be altered by the legislature, unless sooner convened by the governor. Each house shall choose its speaker and other officers, and the senate shall also choose a speaker, pro tempore, when their speaker shall exercise the office of governor. Each house shall judge of the qualifications of its members; contested elections shall be determined by a committee to be selected, formed, and regulated, in such manner as shall be directed by law. A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized by law to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as may be provided. Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member; but not a second time for the same cause. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and publish them weekly, except such parts of them as may require secrecy, and the yeas and nays of the members on any question shall, at the desire of any two of them, be entered on the journals. The doors of each house and of committees of the whole shall be open, unless when the business shall be such as ought to be kept secret. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days; nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. The members of the general assembly and the electors of the senate shall receive from the public treasury a compensation for their services, which for the present shall be six shillings a day during their attendance on, going to, and returning from the legislature, and the place for choosing the senators; but the same may be increased or diminished by law, if circumstances shall require it, but no alteration shall be made to take effect during the existence of the legislature which shall make such alteration. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony, breach, or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of the respective houses, and at the place for choosing senators, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. No senator or representative shall, during the time for which he shall have been elected, or for one year afterwards, be appointed to any civil office under this State, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased, during the time such senator or representative was in office: Provided, That no member of the first legislature which shall be assembled under this constitution shall be precluded from being appointed to any office which may have been created during his time of service in the said legislature; and no minister of religious society, member of Congress, or other person holding any office of profit under the United States, or this commonwealth, except attorneys at law, justices of the peace, militia officers, and coroners, shall be a member of either house, during his continuance to act as a minister, in Congress, or in office. When vacancies happen in the house of representatives, the speaker shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives, but the senate may propose amendments as in other bills. Each senator, representative, and sheriff shall, before he be permitted to act as such, take an oath, or make affirmation, that he hath not directly or indirectly given or promised any bribe or treat to procure his election to said office, and every person shall be disqualified from serving as a senator, representative, or sheriff, for the term for which he shall have been elected, who shall be convicted of having given or offered any bribe or treat, or canvassed for the said office. Every bill which shall have passed both houses shall be presented to the governor; if he approve, he shall sign it, but if he shall not approve, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large upon their journals, and proceed to reconsider it; if after such reconsideration two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which likewise it shall be reconsidered, and, if approved by two-thirds of 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 persons voting for or against the bill shall be entered on 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 presented to him, it shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it; unless the general assembly by their adjournment prevent |