SEC. 9. The assent of two-thirds of the members elected to each branch of the Legislature, shall be requisite to every bill appropriating the public moneys or property for local or private purposes. Two-third bills. SEC. 10. No law shall be passed abridging the right of the Right of petition. people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government, or any department thereof, nor shall any divorce be granted, otherwise than by due judicial proceedings; nor shall any lottery hereafter be authorized or any sale of lottery tickets allowed Lotteries prowithin this State. Divorces. hibited. in lands. SEC. 11. The people of this State, in their right of sovereignty, Right of property are deemed to possess the original and ultimate property in and to all lands within the jurisdiction of the State: and all lands the title to which shall fail, from a defect of heirs, shall revert, or escheat to the people. Escheats. abolished. SEC. 12. All feudal tenures of every description, with all their Fendal tenures incidents, are declared to be abolished, saving however all rents and services certain which at any time heretofore have been law fully created or reserved. SEC. 13. All lands within this State are declared to be allodial, Allodial tenure. so that, subject only to the liability to escheat, the entire and absolute property is vested in the owners, according to the nature of their respective estates. invalid. SEC. 14. No lease or grant of agricultural land, for a longer Certain leases period than twelve years, hereafter made, in which shall be re served any rent or service of any kind, shall be valid. sales abolished. SEC. 15. All fines, quarter sales, or other like restraints upon Fines & quarter alienation reserved in any grant of land, hereafter to be made, shall be void. SEC. 17. Such parts of the common law, and of the acts of the Legislature of the Colony of New York, as together did form the law of the said colony on the nineteenth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, and the resolutions of the Congress of the said colony, and of the Convention of the State of New York in force on the twentieth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven, which have not since expired, or been repealed or altered; and such acts of the Legislature of this State as are now in force, shall be and continue old colony laws the Legislature and acts of Common law. to repeal or to such alterations as the Legislature shall make. But all such parts of the common law, and of such of the said acts or parts thereof as are repugnant to this Constitution, are hereby abrogated. Grants of land since 1775. Grants prior to 1775. Sale of Indian lands since 1775. Right to fish. Divorces. SEC. 17. Grants of land within the State, made by the King of Great Britain, or persons acting under his authority, after the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, shall be void; but nothing in this Constitution shall affect any grants of land made by the authority of the said king or his predecessors, or shall annul any charters to bodies politic or corporate by him or them made before that day, or shall affect any such grants or charters since made by the State, or by persons acting under its authority, or shall impair the obligation of any debts contracted by the State or individuals, or bodies corporate, or any other rights of property, or any suits, actions, rights of action, or other proceedings in courts of justice. SEC. 18. No purchase of lands, or contract for the sale thereof, made since the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, or which may hereafter be made, of or with the Indians, shall be valid, unless made under the authority and with the consent of the Legislature. SEC. 19. The right to take fish, in any of the international waters bordering on this State, shall not be denied or restrained. SEC. 20. No divorce shall be granted in this State, except by the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. 1 the law of this State, subject to such alterations as the Legislature shall make concerning the same. But all such parts of the common law, and such of the said acts, or parts thereof, as are repugnant to this Constitution, are hereby abrogated; and the Legislature, at its first session after the adoption of this Constitution, shall appoint three commissioners whose duty it shall be to reduce into a written and systematic code the whole body of the law of this State, or so much and such parts thereof as to the said commissioners shall seem practicable and expedient. And the said commissioners shall specify such alterations and amendments therein as they shall deem proper, and they shall at all times make reports of their proceedings to the Legislature, when called upon to do so; and the Legislature shall pass laws regulating the tenure of office, the filling of vacancies therein, and the compensation of the said commissioners, and shall also provide for the publication of the said code, prior to its being presented to the Legislature for adoption Commissioners of Code to be appointed. Their duties. since 1775. 1775. SEC. 18. All grants of land within this State, made by the Grants of land King of Great Britain, or persons acting under his authority, after the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, shall be null and void; but nothing contained in this Constitution shall affect any grants of land within this State, made by the authority of the said king or his predecessors, Grants prior to or shall annul any charters to bodies politic and corporate, by him or them made, before that day; or shall affect any such grants or charters, since made by this State, or by persons acting under its authority; or shall impair the obligation of any debts contracted by this State, or individuals, or bodies corporate, or any other rights of property, or any suits, actions, rights of action, or other proceedings in courts of justice. lands since 1775. SEC. 16. No purchase or contract for the sale of lands in this Sale of Indian State, made since the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five; or which may hereafter be made, of, or with the Indians, shall be valid, unless made under the authority and with the consent of the Legislature. (See Art. I., Sec. 10, Present Constitution.) Qualification of voters. Inhabitant of State one year. Resident in county four months. ARTICLE II. SECTION 1. Every male inhabitant, of the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a citizen for ten days, and a resident Citizen ten days. of the State for one year next preceding an election, and for the last four months a resident of the county where he may offer his vote, shall be entitled to vote at such election, in the election district of which he shall be at the time a resident, and not elsewhere, for all officers that now are, or hereafter may be elective by the people, and upon all questions which may be submitted to the vote of the people of the State; provided that such citizen Resident of town shall have been for thirty days next preceding the election a Resident of elec- resident of the town or ward, and for ten days of the election tion district ten district in which he offers his vote. or ward thirty days. days. No person contributing money or valuable thing for a vote shall vote. oath. SEC. 2. No person who shall receive, expect or offer to receive, or pay, offer or promise to pay, contribute, offer or promise to contribute to another, to be paid or used, any money or other valuable thing, or who shall make any promise to influence, or as a compensation or reward for the giving or withholding a vote at an election, shall vote at such election; and upon challenge for Challenge and such cause, the person so challenged, before the inspectors or other officers authorized for that purpose, receive his vote, shall swear or affirm before such inspectors or other officers, that he has not received nor offered, does not expect to receive, has not paid, offered or promised to pay, contributed, offered or promised to contribute to another to be paid or used, any money or other valuable thing, nor made any promise to influence, or as a compensation or reward for the giving or withholding a vote at such election. The Legislature, at the session thereof next after the adoption of this Constitution, shall, and from time to time thereLaws to be passed after may, enact laws excluding from the right of suffrage all excluding certain persons from right of suffrage. persons convicted of bribery or of any infamous crime, and for depriving every person who shall make, or become directly or inindirectly interested in, any bet or wager depending upon the result of any election, of the right to vote at such election. ARTICLE II. voters. Citizen ten days. Inhabitant of SECTION 1. Every male citizen of the age of twenty-one years Qualification of who shall have been a citizen for ten days, and an inhabitant of this State one year next preceding an election, and for the last four months a resident of the county where he may offer his vote, shall be entitled to vote at such election, in the election district, of which he shall at the time be a resident, and not elsewhere, for all officers that now are or hereafter may be elective by the Resident in county four months. trict thirty days. Freehold re quired for man of color. people; but such citizen shall have been for thirty days next pre- Resident of disceding the election, a resident of the district from which the officer is to be chosen for whom he offers his vote. But no man of color, unless he shall have been for three years a citizen of this State, and for one year next preceding any election, shall have been seized and possessed of a freehold estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars over and above all debts and incumbrances charged thereon, and shall have been actually rated and paid a tax thereon, shall be entitled to vote at such election. And Taxation of man no person of color shall be subject to direct taxation unless he shall be seized and possessed of such real estate as aforesaid. of color. SEC. 2. Laws may be passed excluding from the right of suffrage all persons who have been or may be convicted of bribery, larceny, or of any infamous crime; and for depriving every person who shall make or become directly or indirectly interested in any bet or wager, depending upon the result of any election, from the right to vote at such election. |