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King, Queen, or Government of Great Britain (as the cafe may be), and every other foreign power whatsoever: And that no foreign Prince, Perfon, Prelate, State or Potentate, hath, or ought to have, any jurifdiction, fuperiority, pre-eminence, authority, difpenfing or other power, in any matter, civil, ecclefiaftical or fpiritual, within this Commonwealth, except the authority or power which is or may be vested by their conftituents in the Congress of the United States. And I do further teftify and declare, that no man or body of men hath or can have any right to abfolve or discharge me from the obligation of this oath, declaration or affirmation; and that I do make this acknowledgement, profeffion, teftimony, declaration, denial, renunciation and abjuration, heartily and truly, according to the common meaning and acceptation of the foregoing words, without any equivocation, mental evafion, or fecret refervation, whatsoever, So help me

God."

"I, A. B. do folemnly fwear and affirm, that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me as according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to the rules and

and regulations of the Conftitution, and the laws of this Commonwealth. So help me

God."

Provided always, that when any perfon chofen or appointed as aforefaid fhall be of the denomination of the people called Quakers, and shall decline taking the said oaths, he shall make his affirmation in the foregoing form, and fubfcribe the fame, omitting the words, "I do fwear," "and abjure," " oath or, "" and abjuration," in the first oath; and in the fecond oath, the words, "fwear and ;" and in each of them the words,

fubjoining instead thereof,

So help me God;"

"This I do under

the pains and penalties of perjury."

And the faid oaths or affirmations fhall be taken and subscribed by the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and Councillors, before the Prefident of the Senate, in the prefence of the two Houses of Affembly; and by the Senators and Representatives first elected under this Conftitution, before the Prefident and five of the Council of the former Conftitution; and forever afterwards before the Governor and Council for the time being; and by the refidue of the officers aforefaid, before fuch perfons and in fuch manner as from time to time shall be prescribed by the legislature.

II. No Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court, fhall hold any other office or place under the authority of this Commonwealth, except fuch as by this Constitution they are admitted to hold; faving that the Judges of the faid court may hold the offices of juftices of the peace through the State; nor shall they hold any other place or office, or receive any penfion or salary from any other State or Government or Power whatever.

No perfon fhall be capable of holding or exercising at the fame time more than one of the following offices within this State, viz. Judge of Probate, Sheriff, Register of Probate, or Register of Deeds; and never more than any two offices which are to be held by appointment of the Governor, or the Governor and Council, or the Senate, or the House of Reprefentatives, or by the election of the people of the State at large, or of the people of any county, military offices and the office of juftice of the peace excepted, shall be held by one person.

No perfon holding the office of Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court, Secretary, Attorney-general, Solicitor-general, Treasurer of Receiver-general, Judge of Probate, Commiss

fary.

fary-general; Prefident, Profeffor, or Inftructor of Harvard College; Sheriff, Clerk of the House of Representatives, Register of Probate, Register of Deeds, Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common-pleas, or Officer of the Customs, including in this defcription Naval Officers, fhall at the fame time have a feat in the Senate or House of Reprefentatives; but their being chofen or appointed to, and accepting the fame, shall operate as a refignation of their feat in the Senate or House of Reprefentatives, and the place fo vacated shall be fil

led up.

And the fame rule fhall take place in cafe any Judge of the faid Supreme Judicial Court, or Judge of Probate, fhall accept of a seat in Council; or any Councillor fhall accept of either of thofe offices or places.

And no perfon fhall ever be admitted to hold a feat in the legislature, or any office of truft or importance under the Government of this Commonwealth, who fhall, in the due courfe of law, have been convicted of bribery or corruption in obtaining an election or appoint

`ment.

III. In

III. In all cafes where fums of money are mentioned in this Constitution, the value thereof fhall be computed in filver, at fix fhillings and eight-pence per ounce: and it shall be in the power of the legiflature from time to time to increase fuch qualifications, as to property of the perfons to be elected into offices, as the circumstances of the Commonwealth fhall require.

IV. All commiffions fhall be in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, signed by the Governor and attested by the Secretary or his deputy, and have the great feal of the Commonwealth affixed thereto.

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V. All writs iffsuing out of the clerk's office in any of the courts of law fhall be in the name of the Commonwealth of Maffachusetts ¿ they shall be under the feal of the court from whence they iffue: they fhall bear test of the first Juftice of the court to which they shall be returnable who is not a party, and be figned by the clerk of such

court.

2

VI. All the laws which have heretofore been adopted, used and approved in the Province, Colony, or State of Maffachusetts-Bay, and usually

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