annulled. (This article was superseded by amendments, Art. XIII, which was also superseded by amendments, Art. XXI.)

Art. XIII. (A census of the inhabitants of each city and town, on the first day of May, shall be taken, and returned into the Secretary's office, on or before the last day of June, of the year one thousand eight hundred and forty, and of every tenth year thereafter; which census shall determine the apportionment of Senators and Representatives for the term of ten years. (Superseded by amendments, Arts. XXI, XXII.)

The several senatorial districts now existing shall be perma nent. The Senate shall consist of forty members; and in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty, and every tenth year thereafter, the Governor and Council shall assign the number of Senators to be chosen in each district, according to the number of inhabitants in the same. But, in all cases, at least one Senator shall be assigned to each district.

The members of the House of Representatives shall be apportioned in the following manner: Every town or city containing twelve hundred inhabitants may elect one Representative; and two thousand four hundred inhabitants shall be the mean increasing number, which shall entitle it to an additional Representative.

Every town containing less than twelve hundred inhabitants shall be entitled to elect a Representative as many times within ten years as the number one hundred and sixty is contained in the number of the inhabitants of said town. Such towns may also elect one Representative for the year in which the valuation of estates within the Commonwealth shall be settled.

Any two or more of the several towns may, by consent of a majority of the legal voters present at a legal meeting, in each of said towns, respectively, called for that purpose, and held before the first day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty, and every tenth year thereafter, form themselves into a representative district, to continue for the term of ten years; and such district shall have all the rights in regard to representation, which would belong to a town containing the same number of inhabitants.

The number of inhabitants which shall entitle a town to elect one representative, and the mean increasing number which shall entitle a town or city to elect more than one, and also the

number by which the population of towns not entitled to a representative every year is to be divided, shall be increased, re spectively, by one-tenth of the numbers above mentioned, whenever the population of the commonwealth shall have increased to seven hundred and seventy thousand, and for every additional increase of seventy thousand inhabitants, the same addition of one-tenth shall be made, respectively, to the said numbers above mentioned.

In the year of each decennial census, the Governor and council shall, before the first day of September, apportion the number of representatives which each city, town, and representative district is entitled to elect, and ascertain how many years, within ten years, any town may elect a representative, which is not entitled to elect one every year; and the Governor shall cause the same to be published forthwith.

Nine Councillors shall be annually chosen from among the people at large, on the first Wednesday of January, or as soon thereafter as may be, by the joint ballot of the Senators and Representatives, assembled in one room, who shall, as soon as may be, in like manner, fill up any vacancies that may happen in the council, by death, resignation, or otherwise. No person shall be elected a Councillor, who has not been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth for the term of five years immediately preceding his election; and not more than one Councillor shall be chosen from any one Senatorial district in the Commonwealth. (Superseded by amendments, Art. XVI.)

No possession of a freehold, or of any other estate, shall be required as a qualification for holding a seat in either branch of the General Court, or in the executive council.

Art. XIV. In all elections of civil officers by the people of this Commonwealth, whose election is provided for by the Constitution, the person having the highest number of votes shall be deemed and declared to be elected.

Art. XV. The meeting for the choice of Governor, LieutnantGovernor, Senators, and Representatives, shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, annually; but in case of a failure to elect Representatives on that day, a second meeting shall be holden, for that purpose, on the fourth Monday of the same month of November.

Art. XVI. Eight Councillors shall be annually chosen by the inhabitants of this Commonwealth, qualified to vote for Gover

nor. The election of Councillors shall be determined by the same rule that is required in the election of Governor. The Legislature, at its first session after this amendment shall have been adopted, and at its first session after the next State census shall have been taken, and at its first session after each decennial State census thereafterwards, shall divide the Commonwealth into eight districts of contiguous territories, each containing a number of inhabitants as nearly equal as practicable, without dividing any town or ward of a city, and each entitled to elect one Councillor: Provided, however, that, if, at any time, the Constitution shall provide for the division of the Commonwealth into forty senatorial districts, then the Legislature shall so arrange the Councillor districts, that each district shall consist of five contiguous senatorial districts, as they shall be, from time to time, established by the Legislature. No person shall be eligible to the office of Councillor who has not been an inhabitant of the Commonwealth for the term of five years immediately preceding his election. The day and manner of the election, the return of the votes, and the declaration of the said election 3, shall be the same as are required in the election of Governor. (Whenever there shall be a failure to elect the full number of Councillors, the vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as is required by filling vacancies in the Senate; and vacancies occasioned by death, removal from the State, or otherwise, shall be tilled in like manner, as soon as may be, after such vacancies shall have happened.) And that there may be no delay in the organization of the government on the first Wednesday of January, the Governor, with at least five Councillors for the time being, shall, as soon as may be, examine the returned copies of the records for the election of Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and Councillors; and ten days before the said first Wednesday in January he shall issue his summons to such persons as appear to be chosen, to attend on that day to be qualified accordingly; and the Secretary shall lay the returns before the Senate and House of Representatives on the said first Wednesday in January, to be by them examined; and in case of the election of either of said officers, the choice shall be by them declared and published; but in case there shall be no election of either of said officers, the Legislature shall proceed to fill such vacancies in the manner provided in the Constitution for the choice of such offi

cers. (For new provisions as to vacancies, see amendments, Art. XXV.)

Art. XVII. The Secretary, Treasurer, and Receiver-General, Auditor, and Attorney-General, shall be chosen annually, on the day in November prescribed for the choice of Governor; and each person then chosen as such, duly qualified in other respects, shall hold his office for the term of one year from the third Wednesday in January next thereafter, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead. The qualification of the voters, the manner of the election, the return of the votes, and the declaration of the election shall be such as are required in the election of Governor. In case of a failure to elect either of said officers on the day in November aforesaid, or in case of the decease, in the meantime, of the person elected as such, such officer shall be chosen on or before the third Wednesday in January next thereafter, from the two persons who had the highest number of votes for said offices on the day of November aforesaid, by joint ballot of the Senators and Representatives, in one room; and in case the office of Secretary, or Treasurer and Received-General, or Auditor, or Attorney-General, shall become vacant, from any cause, during an annual or special session of the General Court, such vacancy shall in like manner be filled by choice from the people at large; but if such vacancy shall occur at any other time, it shall be supplied by the Governor, by appointment, with the advice and consent of the Council. The person so chosen or appointed, duly qualified in other respects, shall hold his office until his successor is chosen and duly qualified in his stead. In case any person chosen or appointed to either of the offices aforesaid, shall neglect, for the space of ten days after he could otherwise enter upon his duties, to qualify himself in all respects to enter upon the discharge of such duties, the office to which he has been elected or appointed shall be deemed vacant. No person shall be eligible to either of said offices unless he shall have been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth five years next preceding his election or appointment. Art. XVIII. All moneys raised by taxation in the towns and cities for the support of public schools, and all moneys which may be appropriated by the State for the support of common schools, shall be applied to, and expended in, no other schools than those which are conducted according to law, under the order and superintendence of the authorities of the town or city

in which the money is expended; and such moneys shall never be appropriated to any religious sect for the maintenance, exclusively, of its own school.

Art. XIX. The Legislature shall prescribe, by general law, for the election of sheriffs, registers of probate, commissioners of insolvency, and clerks of the courts, by the people of the sev eral counties, and that district-attorneys shall be chosen by the people of the several districts, for such term of office as the Legislature shall prescribe.

Art. XX. No person shall have the right to vote, or be eligible to office under the Constitution of this Commonwealth, who shall not be able to read the Constitution in the English language, and write his name: Provided, however, that the provisions of this amendment shall ont apply to any person prevented by a physical disability from complying with its requisitions, nor to any person who now has the right to vote, nor to any person who shall be sixty years of age or upwards at the time this amendment shall take effect.

Art. XXI A census of the legal voters of each city and town, on the first day of May, shall be taken and returned into the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, on or before the last day of June, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven; and a census of the inhabitants of each city and town, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, and of every tenth year thereafter. In the census aforesaid, a special enumeration shall be made of the legal voters; and in each city, said enumeration shall specify the number of such legal voters aforesaid, residing in each ward of such city. The enumeration aforesaid shall determine the apportionment of Representatives for the periods between the taking of the census.

The House of Representatives shall consist of two hundred and forty members, which shall be apportioned by the Legisla ture, at its first session after the return of each enumeration as aforesaid, to the several counties of the Commonwealth, equally, as nearly as may be, according to their relative numbers of legal voters, as ascertained by the next preceding special enumeration; and the town of Cohasset, in the County of Norfolk, shall, for this purpose, as well as in the formation of districts, as hereinafter provided, be considered a part of the County of Plymouth, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, to certify, as soon as may be after it is determined by