No telegraph or telephone company shall consolidate with, or hold a controlling interest in, the stock or bonds of any other telegraph or telephone company owning or having the control of a competing line, or acquire by purchase or otherwise, any other competing line of telegraph or telephone.

Sec. 15. If any railroad, telegraph, telephone, express, or other corporation or company organized under any of the laws of this State, shall consolidate, by sale or otherwise, with any railroad, telegraph, telephone, express, of other corporation, organized under any of the laws of any other State or territory, or of the United States, the same shall not thereby become a foreign corporation, but the courts of this State shall retain jurisdiction over that part of the corporate property within the limits of the State, in all matters that may arise as if said consolidation had not taken place.

Sec. 16. It shall be unlawful for any person, company or corporation to require of its servants or employes, as a condition of their employment or otherwise, any contract or agreement whereby such persons, company or corporation, shall be released or discharged from liability or responsibility on account of personal injuries received by such servants or employes while in the service of such person, company or corporation, by reason of the negligence of such person, company or corporation, or the agents or employes thereof; and such contracts shall be absolutely null and void.

Sec. 17. The Legislative Assembly shall not pass any law permitting the leasing or alienation of any franchise so as to release or relieve the franchise or property held thereunder from any of the liabilities of the lessor or grantor, or lessee or grantee, contracted or incurred in the operation, use or enjoyment of such franchise, or any of its privileges.

Sec. 18. The term "corporation," as used in this article shall be held and construed to include all associations and joint stock companies, having or exercising any of the powers or privileges of corporations not possessed by individuals or partnerships; and all corporations shall have the right to sue, and shall be subject to be sued in all courts in like cases as natural persons, subject to such regulations and conditions as may be prescribed by law.

Sec. 19. Dues from private corporations shall be secured by such means as may be prescribed by law.

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Sec. 20. No corporation, stock company, person or association of persons in the State of Montana, shall directly or indirectly combine or form what is known as a trust, or make any contract with any person or persons, corporation or stock company, foreign or domestic, through their stockholders, trustees, or in any manner whatever, for the purpose of fixing the price, or regulating the production of any article of commerce, or of the product of the soil, for consumption by the people. The Legislative Assembly shall pass laws for the enforcement thereof by adequate penalties to the extent, if necessary for that purpose, of the forfeiture of their property and franchises, and in case of foreign corporations prohibiting them from carrying on business in the State.

ARTICLE XVI.

Municipal Corporations and Officers.

Section 1. The several counties of the Territory of Montana, as they shall exist at the time of the admission of the State into the Union are hereby declared to be the counties of the State until otherwise established or changed by law.

Sec. 2. The Legislative Assembly shall have no power to remove the county seat of any county, but the same shall be provided for by general law; and no county seat shall be removed unless a majority of the qualified electors of the county, at a general election on a proposition to remove the county seat, shall vote therefor; but no such proposition shall be submitted oftener than once in four years.

Sec. 3. In all cases of the establishment of a new county it shall be held to pay its ratable proportion of all then existing liabilities of the county or counties from which it is formed, less the ratable proportion of the value of the county buildings and property of the county or counties from which it is formed: Provided, That nothing in this section shall prevent the re-adjustment of county lines between existing counties.

Sec. 4. In each county there shall be elected three county commissioners, whose term of office shall be four years: Provided, That the term of office of those elected to succeed those elected October 1, 1889, shall expire on the first Monday of January, 1895; and: Provided further, that at the general election to be held in November, 1894, one commissioner shall be elected for a term of two years, and two commissioners for a term of four years. A

vacancy in the board of county commissioners shall be filled by appointment by the district judge of the district in which the vacancy occurs.

Sec. 5. There shall be elected in each county the following officers: One county clerk, who shall be clerk of the board of county commissioners and ex-officio recorder; one sheriff; one treasurer, who shall be collector of taxes: Provided, That no person shall hold the office of county treasurer for more than two consecutive terms; one county superintendent of schools; one county surveyor; one assessor; one coroner; one public adminis trator. Persons elected to the different offices named in this section shall hold their respective offices for the term of two years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. Vacancies in all county, township and precinct offices, except that of county commissioners, shall be filled by appointment by the board of county commissioners, and the appointee shall hold his office until the next general election.

Sec. 6. The Legislative Assembly may provide for the election or appointment of such other county, township, precinct and municipal officers as public convenience may require and their terms of office shall be as prescribed by law, not in any case to exceed two years, except as in this Constitution otherwise provided.

ARTICLE XVII.

Public Lands.

Section 1. All lands of the State that have been, or that may hereafter be granted to the State by Congress, and all lands acquired by gift or grant or devise, from any person or corporation, shall be public lands of the State, and shall be held in trust for the people, to be disposed of as hereafter provided, for the respective purposes for which they have been or may be granted, donated or devised; and none of such land, nor any estate or interest therein, shall ever be disposed of except in pursuance of general laws providing for such disposition, nor unless the full market value of the estate or interest disposed of, to be ascertained in such manner as may be provided by law, be paid or safely secured to the State; nor shall any lands which the State holds by grant from the United States (in any case in which the manner of disposal and minimum price are so prescribed) be disposed of, except in the manner and for at least the price prescribed in the grant thereof, without the consent

of the United States. Said lands shall be classified by the board of land commissioners, as follows: First, lands which are valuable only for grazing purposes. Second, those which are principally valuable for the timber that is on them. Third, agricultural lands. Fourth, lands within the limits of any town or city or within three miles of such limits: Provided, That any of said lands may be re-classified whenever, by reason of increased facilities for irrigation or otherwise, they shall be subject to different classification.

Sec. 2. The lands of the first of said classes may be sold or leased, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law. The lands of the second class may be sold, or the timber thereon may be sold, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law. The agricultural lands may be either sold or leased, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law. The lands of the fourth class shall be sold in alternate lots of not more than five acres each, and not more than one-half of any one tract of such lands shall be sold prior to the year one thousand nine hundred and ten (1910).

Sec. 3. All other public lands may be disposed of in such manner as may be provided by law.

ARTICLE XVIII.

Labor.

Section 1. The Legislative Assembly may provide for a bureau of agriculture, labor and industry, to be located at the capital and be under the control of a commissioner appointed by the Governor subject to the confirmation of the Senate. The commissioner shall hold his office for four years, and until his successor is appointed and qualified. His compensation shall be as provided by law.

Sec. 2. It shall be unlawful for the warden or other officer of any State penitentiary or reformatory institution in the State of Montana, or for any State officer to let by contract to any person or persons or corporation the labor of any convict confined within said institutions.

ARTICLE XIX.

Miscellaneous Subjects and Future Amendments.

Section 1. Members of the Legislative Assembly and all officers, executive, ministerial or judicial, shall before they enter

upon the duties of their respective offices, take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation, to wit: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Montana, and that I will discharge the duties of my office with fidelity; and that I have not paid or contributed, or promised to pay or contribute, either directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing to procure my nomination or election (or appointment) except for necessary and proper expenses expressly authorized by law; that I have not knowingly violated any election law of this State, or, procured it to be done by others in my behalf; that I will not knowingly receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office other than the compensation allowed by law. So help me God." And no other oath, declaration or test shall be required as a qualification for any office or trust.

Sec. 2. The Legislative Assembly shall have no power to authorize lotteries, or gift enterprises for any purpose, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale of lottery or gift enterprise tickets in this State.

Sec. 3. The Legislative Assembly shall enact suitable laws to prevent the destruction by fire from any cause of the grasses and forests upon the lands of the State or upon lands of the public domain the control of which may be conferred by Congress upon this State, and to otherwise protect the same.

Sec. 4. The Legislative Assembly shall enact liberal homestead and exemption laws.

Sec. 5. No perpetuities shall be allowed, except for charitable purposes.

Sec. 6. All county officers shall keep their offices at the county seats of their respective counties.

Sec. 7. In the disposition of the public lands granted by the United States to this State, preference shall always be given to actual settlers thereon, and the Legislative Assembly shall provide by law for carrying this section into effect.

Sec. S. The Legislative Assembly may at any time, by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, submit to the electors of the State the question whether there shall be a convention to revise, alter or amend this Constitution; and if a majority of those voting on the question shall declare in favor