SEC. 16. Each house of the General Assembly may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish a member for disorderly behavior, and with the concurrence of two-thirds expel a member, but not a second time for the same offensc.

SEC. 17. Each house of the General Assembly shall keep and publish weekly, a journal of its proceedings, and the yeas and nays of the members on any question shall, at the desire of any two of them, be entered on their journal.

SEC. 18. Neither house, during the session of the General Assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which they may be sitting.

SEC. 19. The members of the General Assembly shall, severally, receive from the public treasury a compensation for their services, which shall be four dollars per day, during their attendance on, going to and returning from the session of their respective houses: Provided, That the same may be increased or diminished by law; but no alteration shall take effect during the period of service of the members of the House of Representatives, by whom such alteration shall have been made.

SEC. 20. The members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest, during their attendance at the sessions of their respective houses, and in going to or returning from the same, and for any speech or debate in either house they shall not be questioned in any other place.

SEC. 21. No Senator or Representative shall, during the term for which he was elected, nor for one year thereafter, be appointed or elected to any civil office of profit under this State, which shall have been created, or the emoluments of which shall have been increased during the time such Senator or Representative was in office, except to such offices or appointments as may be filled by the elections of the people.

SEC. 22. No person, while he continues to exercise the functions of a clergyman, priest or teacher of any religious persuasion, society or sect, shall be eligible to the General Assembly, or to any office of profit or trust under this State.

SEC. 23. No person who, at any time, may have been a collector of taxes for the State, or the assistant or deputy of such collector, shall be eligible to the General Assembly, until he shall have obtained a quietus for the amount of such collection, and for all public moneys for which he may be responsible.

SEC. 24. No bill shall have the force of a law until, on three several days, it be read over in each house of the General Assembly, and free discussion allowed thereon; unless, in case of urgency, four-fifths of the house where the bill shall be depending may deem it expedient to dispense with this rule.

SEC. 25. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives but the Senate may propose amendments, as in other bills: Provided,

That they shall not introduce any new matter, under the color of an amendment, which does not relate to raising a revenue.

SEC. 26. The General Assembly shall regulate, by law, by whom and in what manner writs of election shall be issued to fill the vacancies which may happen in either branch thereof.

ARTICLE III.

CONCERNING THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.

SECTION 1. The supreme executive power of the State shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled the Governor of the State of Louisiana.

SEC. 2. The Governor shall be elected for the term of four years, in the following manner: The citizens entitled to vote for Representatives shall vote for a Governor at the time and place of voting for Representatives and Senators. Their votes shall be returned by the persons presiding over the elections to the seat of Government, addressed to the President of the Senate; and on the second day of the General Assembly, the members of the two houses shall meet in the House of Representatives, and immediately after, the two candidates who shall have obtained the greatest number of votes shall be balloted for, and the one having a majority of votes shall be Governor; Provided, however, That if more than two candidates have obtained the highest number of votes, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to ballot for them in the manner above prescribed, and in case several candidates should obtain an equal number of votes, next to the candidate who has obtained the highest number, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to select in the same manner, the candidate who is to be balloted for with him who has obtained the highest number of votes.

SEC. 3. The Governor shall be ineligible for the succeeding four years after the expiration of the time for which he shall have been elected.

SEC. 4. He shall be at least thirty-five years of age, and a citizen of the United States, and have been an inhabitant of this State at least six years preceding his election, and shall hold in his own right a landed estate of five thousand dollars value, agreeably to the tax list.

SEC. 5. He shall commence the execution of his office on the fourth Monday succeeding the day of his election, and shall continue in the execution thereof, until the end of four weeks next succeeding the election of his successor, and until his successor shall have taken the oaths of affirmations prescribed by this Constitution.

SEC. 6. No member of Congress, or person holding any office under the United States, or minister of any religious society, shall be eligible to the office of Governor.

SEC. 7. The Governor shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the term for which he shall have been elected.

SEC. 8. He shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of this State, and of the militia thereof, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States, but he shall not command personally in the field, unless he shall be advised so to do by a resolution of the General Assembly.

SEC. 9. He shall nominate and appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, judges, sheriffs, and all other officers whose offices are established by this Constitution, and whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for; Provided, however, That the Legislature shall have a right to prescribe the mode of appointment of all other offices to be established by law.

SEC. 10. The Governor shall have power to fill up vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Legislature, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of the next session.

SEC. 11. He shall have power to remit fines and forfeitures, and, except in cases of impeachment, to grant reprieves and pardons, with the approbation of the Senate. In cases of treason he shall have power to grant reprieves until the end of the next session of the General Assembly in which the power of pardoning shall be vested.

SEC. 12. He may require information, in writing, from the officers in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.

SEC. 13. He shall, from time to time, give to the General Assembly information respecting the situation of the State, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem expedient.

SEC. 14. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General Assembly at the seat of Government, or at a different place, if that should have become dangerous from an enemy or from contagious disorders; and in case of disagreement between the two houses with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he may think proper, not exceeding four months.

SEC. 15. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

SEC. 16. It shall be his duty to visit the different counties at least once in every two years, to inform himself of the state of the militia and the general condition of the country.

SEC. 17. In case of the impeachment or the Governor, his removal from office, death, refusal to qualify, resignation, or absence from the State, the President of the Senate shall exercise all the power and authority appertaining to the office of Governor, until another be duly qualified, or the Governor absent or impeached shall return or be acquitted.

SEC. 18. The President of the Senate, during the time he administers the Government, shall receive the same compensation which the Governor would have received had he been employed in the duties of his office.

SEC. 19. A Secretary of State shall be appointed and commissioned during that term for which the Governor shall have been elected, if he shall so long behave himself well; he shall keep a fair register, and attest all official acts and proceedings of the Governor, and shall, when required, lay the same and all papers, minutes and vouchers relative thereto, before either house of the General Assembly, and shall perform such other duties as may be enjoined him by law.

SEC. 20. Every bill which shall have passed both houses shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve, he shall sign it; if not, he shall return it, with his objection, to the house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large upon their journal, and proceed to reconsider it; if, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the members elected to that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to that house, it shall be a law; but, in such cases, the votes 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 journal of each house, respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within ten days (Sundays excepted), after it shall have been presented to him, it shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall be a law, unless sent back within three days after their next meeting.

SEC. 21. Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of both houses may be necessary, except on a question of adjournment, shall be presented to the Governor, and before it shall take effect, be approved by him; or, being disapproved, shall be repassed by two-thirds of both. houses.

SEC. 22. The free white men of this State shall be armed and disciplined for its defense; but those who belong to religious societies whose tenets forbid them to carry arms, shall not be compelled so to do, but shall pay an equivalent for personal service.

SEC. 23. The militia of this State shall be organized in such manner as may be hereafter deemed most expedient by the Legislature.

ARTICLE IV.

CONCERNING THE JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT.

SECTION 1. The judiciary power shall be vested in a Supreme Court and inferior courts.

SEC. 2. The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction only, which jurisdiction shall extend to all civil cases when the matter in dispute shall exceed the sum of three hundred dollars.

SEC. 3. The Supreme Court shall consist of no less than three judges, nor more than five, the majority of whom shall form a quorum; each of said judges shall receive a salary of five thousand dollars, annually. The Supreme Court shall hold its sessions at the places hereinafter mentioned; and for that purpose the State is hereby divided into two districts of appellate jurisdiction, in each of which the Supreme Court shall administer justice in the manner hereinafter prescribed. The Eastern District to consist of the counties of Orleans, German Coast, Acadia, Lafourche, Iberville and Pointe Coupée; the Western District to consist of the counties of Attakapas, Opelousas, Rapides, Concordia, Natchitoches and Ouachita. The Supreme Court shall hold its sessions in each year for the Eastern District, in New Orleans, during the months of November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June and July; and for the Western District, at the Opelousas, during the months of August, September and October, for five years: Provided, however, That every five years the Legislature may change the place of holding said court in the Western District. The said court shall appoint its own clerks.

SEC. 4. The Legislature is authorized to establish such inferior courts as may be convenient to the administration of justice.

SEC. 5. The judges, both of the Supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior; but for any reasonable cause which shall not be sufficient ground for impeachment, the Governor shall remove any of them, on the address of three-fourths of each house of the General Assembly: Provided, however, That the cause or causes for which such removal be required, shall be stated at length in the address, and inserted on the journal of each house.

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SEC. 6. The judges, by virtue of their office, shall be conservators of the peace throughout the State; the style of all process shall be "The State of Louisiana." All prosecutions shall be carried on in the name and by the authority of the State of Louisiana, and conclude "against the peace and dignity of the same."

SEC. 7. There shall be an Attorney General for the State, and as many other prosecuting attorneys for the State as may be hereafter found necessary. The said attorneys shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and approbation of the Senate. Their duties shall be determined by law.

SEC. 8. All commissions shall be in the name and by the authority of the State of Louisiana, and sealed with the State seal, and signed by the Governor.

SEC. 9. The State Treasurer, and Printer or Printers of the State shall be appointed annually, by the joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly: