that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and to the utmost of my power and ability observe, conform to, support, and defend the Constitution thereof."

20. No person who hath been or may be convicted of felony before any court of this State, or any of the United States, shall be eligible to any office or appointment of honor, profit, or trust, within this State.

21. Neither house, during the session of the General Assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that at which the two branches shall be sitting; and in case of disagreement between the Senate and House of Representatives, with respect to their adjournment, the Governor may adjourn them.

22. The General Assembly shall have power to make all laws and ordinances which they shall deem necessary and proper for the good of the State, which shall not be repugnant to this Consti

tution.

23. They shall have power to alter the boundaries of the present counties, and lay off new ones, as well out of the counties already laid off, as out of the other territory belonging to the State; but the property of the soil, in a free government, being one of the essential rights of a free people, it is necessary, in order to avoid disputes, that the limits of this State should be ascertained with precision and exactness; and this Convention, composed of the immediate representatives of the people, chosen by them to assert their rights, to revise the powers given by them to the government, and from whose will all ruling authority of right flows, doth assert and declare, the boundaries of this State shall be as follows, that is to say the limits, boundaries, jurisdictions, and authority of the State of Georgia, do, and did, and of right ought to, extend from the sea or mouth of the river Savannah, along the northern branch or stream thereof, to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugalo and Keowee, and from thence along the most northern branch or stream of the said river Tugalo, till it intersect the northern boundary line of South Carolina, if the said branch or stream of Tugalo extends so far north, reserving all the islands in the said river Savannah and Tugalo to Georgia; but, if the head spring or source of any branch or stream of the said river Tugalo does not extend to the north boundary line of South Carolina, then a west line to the Mississippi, to be drawn from the head spring or source of the said branch or stream of Tugalo river, which extends to the highest northern latitude; thence, down the middle of the said river Mississippi, until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirtyfirst degree of north latitude; south, by a line drawn due east, from the termination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola, or Chatahoochee; thence, along the middle thereof, to its junction with Flint river; thence, straight to the head of St.

Mary's river; and thence, along the middle of St. Mary's river, to the Atlantic ocean, and from thence to the mouth or inlet of Savannah river, the place of beginning: including and comprehending all the lands and waters within the said limits, boundaries, and jurisdictional rights; and also all the islands within twenty leagues of the sea coast. And this Convention doth further declare and assert, that all the territory without the present temporary line, and within the limits aforesaid, is now, of right, the property of the free citizens of this State, and held by them in sovereignty, inalienable but by their consent. Provided, nevertheless, That nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to prevent a sale to, or contract with the United States, by the Legislature of this State, of and for all or any part of the western territory of this State, lying westward of the river Chatahoochee, on such terms as may be beneficial to both parties; and may procure an extension of settlement, and extinguishment of Indian claims, in and to the vacant territory of this State to the east and north of the said river Chatahoochee, to which territory, such power of contract or sale, by the Legislature, shall not extend: And provided also, The Legislature may give its consent to the establishment of one or more governments westward thereof; but monopolies of land by individuals being contrary to the spirit of our free government, no sale of territory of this State, or any part thereof, shall take place to individuals or private companies, unless a county or counties shall have been first laid off, including such territory, and the Indian rights shall have been extinguished thereto.

24. The foregoing section of this article having declared the common rights of the free citizens of this State, in and to all the territory without the present temporary boundary line, and within the limits of this State thereby defined, by which the contemplated purchases of certain companies of a considerable portion thereof are become constitutionally void; and justice and good faith require, that the State should not detain a consideration for a contract which has failed; the Legislature, at their next session, shall make provision by law for returning to any person or persons who has or have bona fide deposited moneys for such purchases in the treasury of this State: Provided, that the same shall not have been drawn therefrom in terms of the act passed the thirteenth day of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, commonly called the rescinding act, or the appropriation laws of the years one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven; nor shall the moneys paid for such purchases ever be deemed a part of the funds of this State, or be liable to appropriation as such; but until such moneys be drawn from the treasury, they shall be considered altogether at the risk of the persons who have deposited the same. No money shall be drawn out of the treasury or from the public funds of this State, except by appropriation made by law; and a regular statement and account of the

receipts and expenditures of all public moneys shall be published from time to time. No vote, resolution, law, or order, shall pass the General Assembly, granting a donation or gratuity in favor of any person whatever, but by the concurrence of two-thirds of the General Assembly.

25. It shall be the duty of the justices of the inferior court, or any three of them, in each county respectively, within sixty days after the adjournment of this Convention, to appoint one or more fit persons in each county, not exceeding one for each battalion district, whose duty it shall be to take a full and accurate census or enumeration of all free white persons and people of color residing therein, distinguishing, in separate columns, the free white persons from persons of color, and return the same to the clerks of the superior courts of the several counties, certified under their hands, on or before the first day of December next; the persons so appointed, being first severally sworn before the said justices, or either of them, duly and faithfully to perform the trust reposed in them; and it shall be the duty of the said clerks to transmit all such returns, under seal, directed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the first session of the Legislature thereafter. And it shall be the duty of the General Assembly, at their said first session, to apportion the members of the House of Representatives among the several counties, agreeably to the plans prescribed by this Constitution, and to provide an adequate compensation for the taking of the said census. Every person whose usual place of abode shall be in any family on the first Monday in July next. shall be returned as of such family; and of every person occasionally absent at the time of taking the enumeration, as belonging to that place in which he usually resides. The General Assembly shall, by law, direct the manner of taking such census or enumeration, within every subsequent term of seven years, in conformity to this Constitution. And it is declared to be the duty of all officers, civil and military, throughout the State, to be aiding and assisting in the true and faithful execution thereof. In case the justices of the inferior courts should fail to make such appointments, or if there should not be a sufficient number of such justices in any county, then the justices of the peace, or any three of them, shall have and exercise like powers and authority respecting the said census; and if the census or enumeration of any county shall not be so taken and returned, then, and in that case, the General Assembly shall apportion the representation of such county according to the best evidence in their power, relative to its population.

ARTICLE II.

SEC. 1. The executive power shall be vested in a Governor, who shall hold his office during the term of two years, and until such time as a successor shall be chosen and qualified. He shall have a competent salary, established by law, which shall not be increased or

diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected; neither shall he receive, within that period, any other emolument from the United States, or either of them, or from any foreign power.

2. The Governor shall be elected by the General Assembly, at their second annual session after the rising of this Convention, and at every second annual session thereafter, on the second day after the two houses shall be organized and competent to proceed to business.

3. No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor who shall not have been a citizen of the United States twelve years, and an inhabitant of this State six years, and who hath not attained to the age of thirty years, and who does not possess five hundred acres of land, in his own right, within this State, and other property to the amount of four thousand dollars, and whose estate shall not, on a reasonable estimation, be competent to the discharge of his debts, over and above that sum.

4. In case of the death, resignation, or disability of the Governor, the President of the Senate shall exercise the executive powers of government until such disability be removed, or until the next meeting of the General Assembly.

5. The Governor shall, before he enters on the duties of his office, take the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that I will faithfully execute the office of Governor to the State of Georgia; and will, to the best of my abilities, preserve, protect, and defend the said State, and cause justice to be executed in mercy therein, according to the Constitution and laws thereof."

6. He shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of this State, and of the militia thereof.

7. He shall have power to grant reprieves for offences against the State, except in cases of impeachment, and to grant pardons or to remit any part of a sentence, in all cases after conviction, except for treason or murder, in which cases he may respite the execution, and make report thereof to the next General Assembly, by whom a pardon may be granted.

8. He shall issue writs of election to fill up all vacancies that happen in the Senate or House of Representatives; and shall have power to convene the General Assembly on extraordinary occasions; and shall give them, from time to time, information of the state of the republic, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem necessary and expedient.

9. When any office shall become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, the Governor shall have the power to fill such vacancy; and persons so appointed shall continue in office until a successor is appointed, agrecably to the mode pointed out by this Constitution or by the Legislature.

10. He shall have the revision of all bills passed by both houses,

before the same shall become laws; but two-thirds of both houses may pass a law notwithstanding his dissent; and if any bill should not be returned by the Governor within five days after it hath been presented to him, the same shall be a law unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, shall prevent its return.

11. Every vote, resolution, or order, to which the concurrence of both houses may be necessary, except on a question of adjournment, shall be presented to the Governor; and, before it shall take effect, be approved by him; or, being disapproved, may be repassed by two-thirds of both houses, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in case of a bill.

12. There shall be a Secretary of the State, a Treasurer, and a Surveyor-General, appointed in the same manner and at the same session of the Legislature, and they shall hold their offices for the like period as the Governor, and shall have a competent salary, including such emoluments as may be established by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during the period for which they shall have been elected.

13. The great seal of the State shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State, and shall not be affixed to any instrument of writing, but by order of the Governor or General Assembly; and the General Assembly shall, at their first session after the rising of this Convention, cause the great seal to be altered by law.

14. The Governor shall have power to appoint his own secretaries.

ARTICLE III.

SEC. 1. The judicial powers of this State shall be vested in a Superior Court, and in such inferior jurisdictions as the Legislature shall, from time to time, ordain and establish. The judges of the Superior Court shall be elected for the term of three years, removable by the Governor, on the address of two-thirds of both houses for that purpose, or by impeachment and conviction thereon. The Superior Court shall have exclusive and final jurisdiction in all criminal cases which shall be tried in the county wherein the crime was committed, and in all cases respecting titles to land, which shall be tried in the county where the land lies; and shall have power to correct errors in inferior judicatories by writs of certiorari, as well as errors in the superior courts, and to order new trials on proper and legal grounds; Provided, that such new trials shall be determined, and such errors corrected, in the Superior Court of the county in which such action originated. And the said Court shall also have appellative jurisdiction in such other cases as the Legislature may by law direct, which shall in no case tend to remove the cause from the county in which the action originated; and the judges thereof, in all cases of application for new trials, or correction of error, shall enter their opinions on the minutes of the Court. The inferior courts shall have cognizance of all other civil cases, which