Section 2. Enumeration of what property is to remain exempt from taxation. 3. All mines and mining claims of gold, silver or other valuable mineral deposits have to purchase thereof from the United States, shall be taxed at the price paid the United States therefor. 4. The Legislature shall not levy taxes upon inhabitants or property in any county, city, town, etc. 5. Taxes for city, town and school purposes may be levied, but the assessed valuation of such property taxed shall not exceed the valuation for State and county purposes. 6. No city, county, town, etc., shall be released from its propor tionate share of State taxes. 7. The power of tax corporations shall never be relinquished. 8. The corporate debts of public corporations shall be provided for by law. 9. The rate of taxation on real and personal property. 10. No money shall be drawn from the treasury except by appro priation made by law. 11. Taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of subjects. 12. No appropriations shall be made or expenditures authorized whereby the expenditures of the State shall exceed the total tax. 13. The Treasurer shall keep separate account of each fund in his hands, and shall make quarterly report to the a a Section shall have been located it shall electors of the State. capital buildings, etc. 5. The counties shall provide for those in need of aid. ARTICLE XI. Education. 1. A uniform system of free pub lic schools. 2. Public school fund of the State and school lands. 3. Such public school funds shall forever remain inviolate. 4. State Board of Land Commis sioners, to consist of whom, funds, etc., shall be appor- districts of the State. by the Legislature by taxa tion. children and youths between one. State for any sectarian pur pose. shall be required for admis- institution. to be separate from those of the State. 11. State Board of Education has general supervision. versity and all other State Governor. lic moneys shall be deemed a felony. 15. The Board of Equalization for State and county. 16. Property shall be assessed in the manner prescribed by law, ARTICLE XII. Rerenue and Taration, port of the State shall be pro- or Section for municipal corporations, etc. 3. The Legislature shall have the power to alter or revoke or annul charters. 4. It shall provide by law for the election of directors, etc., of incorporated companies. 5. All railroads shall be public highways, and with transportation and express companies, common carriers. 6. No such corporations shall con solidate with competing or parallel lines. 7. No discrimination in charges for transportation of freight passengers of the same class should be made. 8. No railroad, express or other Section except if otherwise provided for. laws necessary to carry out ARTICLE XIII. Public Indebtedness. 1. The State or any of its subdi visions shall not give or loan its credit. 2. In regard to the power of the Legislature to create debt, and the limit thereof. 3. In regard to borrowed money and the purpose for which it shall be used. 4. The State shall not assume the debts of any of its subdivi sions. 5. In regard to the powers of a county to create a debt. 6. The same of cities, towns, town ship or school districts. transportation company in existence at the time of the adoption of this Constitution shall have the benefit of fu ture legislation, etc. 9. The right of eminent domain shall never be abridged. 10. Fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness shall be void. 11. No foreign corporation shall do business in this State without having one or more known places of business, etc. 12. No street railroad shall be con structed in any city or town without the consent of the local authorities. 13. The Legislature shall pass no law for the benefit of a rail road or other corporation, etc. 14. In regard to the right to con struct or maintain telegraph or telephone lines.-They shall not consolidate with any other similar company. 15. If any State, railroad, telegraph, telephone or express corpora. tion shall consolidate with any other corporation organized under other States or Territories they shall not become foreign corporations. ARTICLE XIV. Military Affairs. 1. The militia, to consist of whom. 2. They shall be organized, equip ped and disciplined. 3. The militia shall be maintained by State appropriations. 4. The Legislature shall provide by law for military records, relics, etc. of the State in time of war he ARTICLE XV. under which business has not have no validity. shall be extended, etc., except ARTICLE XIX. Amendments. 1. The following oath to be taken by officers. 2. Lotteries and gift enterprises illegal. 3. Laws shall be enacted to pre vent the destruction by fire of the grasses and forests on the lands of the State. 4. The Legislature shall enact lib eral homestead and exemption laws. 5. No perpetuities shall al Municipal Corporations and Officers. 1. The counties of the Territory of Montana, as they exist at the time of its admission as State, shall remain the same be lowed, except for charitable purposes. 6. County officers to keep their offices at the county seats. 7. In regard to public lands, pre ference shall always be given to actual settlers thereon. 8. A convention to revise, alter or amend the Constitution may be called. 9. Amendments may be proposed in either house. until changed by law. 2. In regard to removal of the county seat. ment of a new county it shall rateable proportion which it is formed, etc. 4. Each county shall elect three county commissioners, their term of office. 5. Enumeration of the county officers to be elected. of such other county, town- ARTICLE XVII. Public Lands. ARTICLE XX. Schedule. 1. All laws of the Territory not in consistent with the Constitu tion shall remain in full force. The same of all lawful orders, judgments, decrees, etc. 3. No crime or criminal offense committed against the laws of the Territory shall abate by reason of the change to a State form of government. 4. In regard to the changing of certain words in the laws of 1. In regard to public lands. leased. disposed of as provided by law. Section to remain the same as while under the Territory. Territorial government shall wise provided for. fenses against the laws of the Territory shall not abate. 8. Persons confined under lawful commitments shall continue to be confined. 9. All rich processes, etc., shall continue. 10. All undertakings, bonds, obliga tions, etc., shall continue. etc., belonging to the Terri- erty of the State. ghall be assumed by the Section ing in any Probate Court of county. 14. All actions, cases and proceed ings pending in the Supreme and District Courts of the Territory shall be transferred to the United States Circuit and District Courts. 15. All actions, cases, etc., pending in the Supreme and District Courts of the Territory shall be transferred to the Supreme and District Courts of the State. 16. Until otherwise provided for, the seal of the Territory shall be the seal of the State. 17. All Territorial, county and township officers shall continue the same in the State. PREAMBLE. We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a State government, do, in accordance with the provisions of the Enabling Act of Congress, approved the 22d of February, A. D. 1889, ordain and establish this Constitution. ARTICLE I. Boundaries. Section 1. The boundaries of the State of Montana shall be as follows, to wit: Beginning at a point formed by the intersection of the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington with the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, thence due west on the forty-fifth degree of latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the thirty-fourth degree of longitude west from Washington, thence due south along the thirty-fourth degree of longitude to a point formed by its intersection with the crest of the Rocky Mountains, thence following the crest of the Rocky Mountains northward to its intersection with the Bitter Root Mountains, thence northward along the crest of the Bitter Root Mountains to its intersection with the thirty-ninth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence along the thirty-ninth degree of longitude northward to the boundary line of the British possessions; thence eastward along that boundary line to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence southward along the twenty-seventh degree of longitude to the place of beginning. ARTICLE II. Military Reservations. Section 1. Authority is hereby granted to and acknowledged in the United States to exercise exclusive legislation as provided by the Constitution of the United States, over the military reservations of Fort Assinaboine, Fort Custer, Fort Keough, Fort Maginnis, Fort Missoula and Fort Shaw, as now established by law, so long as said places remain military reservations, to the same extent and with the same effect as if said reservations had been purchased by the United States by consent of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Montana; and the Legislative Assembly is authorized and directed to enact any law necessary or proper to give effect to this article. Provided, That there be and is hereby reserved to the State the right to serve all legal process of the State, both civil and criminal, upon persons and property found within any of said reservations in all cases where the United States has not exclusive jurisdiction. ARTICLE III. A Declaration of Rights of the People of the State of Montana. Section 1. All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government of rights originates with the people; is founded upon their will only and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Sec. 2. The people of the State have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, sovereign and independent State, and to alter and abolish their Constitution and form of government, whenever they may deem it necessary to their safety and happiness, provided such change be not repugnant to the Constitution of the United States. Sec. 3. All persons are born equally free, and have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and |
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