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Seat of government.

Division of

Menominie river; thence down the centre of the main channel of the same to the centre of the most usual ship channel of the Green Bay of Lake Michigan; thence through the centre of the most usual ship channel of the said bay to the middle of Lake Michigan; thence through the middle of Lake Michigan to the northern boundary of the State of Indiana, as that line was established by the act of Congress of the nineteenth of April, eighteen hundred and sixteen; thence due east with the northern boundary line of the said State of Indiana to the north-east corner thereof; and thence south with the eastern boundary line of Indiana to the place of beginning.

ARTICLE II.

SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

1. The Seat of Government shall be at Lansing, where it is now established.

ARTICLE III. ·

DIVISION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT.

§ 1. The powers of government are divided into three departments: powers of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial.

governm nt.

No person belonging to

§2. No person belonging to one department shall exercise the

one depart-powers properly belonging to another, except in the cases expressly cise powers provided in this constitution.

m't to exer-,

of another.

ARTICLE IV.

LEGISLATIVE DE ARTMENT.

Legislative § 1. The legislative power is vested in a Senate and House of

department.

Representatives.

Senate. § 2. The Senate shall consist of thirty-two members. Senators shall be elected for two years, and by single districts. Such districts shall be numbered from one to thirty-two inclusive; each of which shall choose one Senator. No county shall be divided in the formation of Senate districts, except such county shall be equitably entitled to two or more Senators.

House of Representatives.

§ 3. The House of Representatives shall consist of not less than sixty-four, nor more than one hundred members. Representatives shall be chosen for two years, and by single districts. Each Representative district shall contain, as nearly as may be, an equal number of white inhabitants, and civilized persons of Indian descent, not

tive dist's.

members of any tribe, and shall consist of convenient and contigu- Representa ous territory. But no township or city shall be divided in the formation of a Representative district. When any township or city shall contain a population which entitles it to more than one Representative, then such township or city shall elect by general ticket the number of Representatives to which it is entitled. Each county hereafter organized, with such territory as may be attached thereto, shall be entitled to a separate Representative when it has attained a population equal to a moiety of the ratio of representation. In every county entitled to more than one Representative, the board of supervisors shall assemble at such time and place as the Legislature shall prescribe, and divide the same into Representative districts, equal to the number of Representatives to which such county is entitled by law, and shall cause to be filed in the offices of the Secretary of State and clerk of such county a description of such Representative districts, specifying the number of each district, and the population thereof, according to the last preceding enumeration.

§ 4. The Legislature shall provide by law for an enumeration of Enumera

habitants.

the inhabitants in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-four, and tion of inevery ten years thereafter, and at the first session after each enumeration so made, and also at the first session after each enumeration by the authority of the United States, the Legislature shall re-arrange the Senate districts and apportion anew the Representatives among the counties and districts, according to the number of white Apportioninhabitants and civilized persons of Indian descent, not members of tives. any tribe. Each apportionment and the division into Representative districts, by any board of supervisors, shall remain unaltered until the return of another enumeration.

ment of

Representa

Senators &

§ 5. Senators and Representatives shall be citizens of the United States, and qualified electors in the respective counties and dis- Representatricts which they represent. A removal from their respective counties or districts shall be deemed a vacation of their office.

§ No person holding any office under the United States [or this State,] or any county office, except notaries public, officers of the

militia and officers elected by townships, shall be eligible to or have

a

seat in either house of the Legislature; and all votes given for any shall be void.

such person

tives to be citizens.

Certain offible to a seat

cets inelligi

in the legis lature.

Senators &

lives.

Privilege of 7. Senators and Representatives shall, in all cases, except treaRepresenta son, felony or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest. They shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the Legislature, or for fifteen days next before the commencement and after the termination of each session. They shall not be questioned in any other place for any speech in either house.

Majority of each house

§ 8. A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do to constitute business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and

a quorum.

Powers of

compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as each house may prescribe.

§ 9. Each house shall ehoose its own officers, determine the rules of its proceedings, and judge of the qualifications, elections and each house. returns of its members; and may, with the concurrence of twothirds of all the members elected, expel a member. No member Rules-ex- shall be expelled a second time for the same cause, nor for any cause known to his constituents antecedent to his election. The reason for such expulsion shall be entered upon the journal, with the names of the members voting on the question.

pulsion of members.

§ 10. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and pubEach house lish the same, except such parts as may require secrecy. The yeas

to keep jour. nal.

Elections

Viva voce.

and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall be entered on the journal at the request of one-fifth of the members elected. Any member of either house may dissent from and protest against any act, proceeding or resolution which he may deem injurious to any person or the public, and have the reason of his dissent entered on the journal.

§ 11. In all elections by either house or in joint convention the votes shall be given viva voce. All votes on nominations to the Senate Yeas & nays shall be taken by yeas and nays, and published with the journal of its proceedings.

Doors to be

§ 12. The doors of each house shall be open, unless the public open-ad- welfare require secrecy. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than where the Legislature may then be in session.

journment.

Bills

13. Bills may originate in either house of the Legislature. § 14. Every bill and concurrent resolution, except of adjournment, passed by the Legislature, shall be presented to the Gover

solutions to

to governor.

nor before it becomes a law. If he approve, he shall sign it; but if Bills and renot, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it be presented originated, which shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and reconsider it. On such reconsideration, if two-thirds of the members elected agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which it shall be reconsidered. If approved by two-thirds of the members elected to that house, it shall become a law. In such case the vote of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays; and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journals of each house respectively. If any bill be not returned by the Governor within ten days, Sundays excepted, after it has been presented to him, the same shall become a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature, by their adjournment, prevent its return; in which case it shall not become a law. The Governor may approve, sign and file in the office of the Secretary of State, within five days after the adjournment of the Legislature, any act passed during the last five days of the session; and the same shall become a law.

tion of mem

§ 15. The compensation of the members of the Legislature shall compensabe three dollars a day for actual attendance and when absent on ac- bers. count of sickness, for the first sixty days of the session of the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, and for the first forty days of every subsequent session, and nothing thereafter. When convened in extra session their compensation shall be three dollars a day for the first twenty days, and nothing thereafter; and they shall le- Mileage. gislate on no other subjects than those expressly stated in the Governor's proclamation, or submitted to them by special message. They shall be entitled to ten cents and no more for every mile actually traveled, going to and returning from the place of meeting, on the Stationery. usually traveled route; and for stationery and newspapers not exceeding five dollars for each member during any session. Each member shall be entitled to one copy of the laws, journals and documents of the Legislature of which he was a member; but shall not receive, at the expense of the State, books, newspapers, or other perquisites of office, not expressly authorized by this constitution.

§ 16. The Legislature may provide by law for the payment of

Compensation of Pres.

ate & Spea

postage on all mailable matter received by its members and officers during the sessions of the Legislature, but not on any sent or mailed by them.

compensa

§ 17. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House ident of sen- of Representatives shall be entitled to the same per diem ker of House tion and mileage as members of the Legislature, and no more. § 18. No person elected a member of the Legislature shall receive any civil appointment within this State, or to the Senate of the Unipointment ted States, from the Governor, the Governor and Senate, from the ested in con- Legislature, or any other State authority, during the term for which

No member

to receive civil ap

nor be inter

tract with

the State.

Bills and resolutions to

be read three times.

Ayes and

noes on final passage.

No law to

he is elected. All such appointments and all votes given for any person so elected for any such office or appointment, shall be void. No member of the Legislature shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with the State, or any county thereof, authorized by any law passed during the time for which he is elected, nor for one year thereafter.

19. Every bill and joint resolution shall be read three times in each house, before the final passage thereof. No bill or joint resolution shall become a law without the concurrence of a majority of all the members elected to each house. On the final passage of all bills the vote shall be by yeas and nays, and entered on the journal. § 20. No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be embrace but expressed in its title. No public act shall take effect or be in force until the expiration of ninety days from the end of the session at When acts which the same is passed, unless the Legislature shall otherwise dilect. rect, by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house. Legislature § 21. The Legislature shall not grant nor authorize extra compensation to any public officer, agent or contractor, after the service officers, &c. has been rendered or the contract entered into.

one object.

to take ef

not to grant

extra compensation to

Fuel, statio

§ 22. The Legislature shall provide by law that the furnishing nery, print of fuel and stationery for the use of the State, the printing and bind

ing, &c., to be let by

contract.

ing the laws and journals, all blanks, paper and printing for the executive departments, and all other printing ordered by the Legislature, shall be let by contract to the lowest bidder or bidders, who shall give adequate and satisfactory security for the performance thereof. The Legislature shall prescribe by law the manner in which the State printing shall be executed, and the accounts rendered therefor;

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