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Article 4th, Section 11th, and firft line, the following words being interlined, to wit:-" After the first day of

October next."

BRYAN. Jofeph Clay, jun. J. B. Maxwell, Jno. Pray.

BURKE.

Benjamin Davis,
John Morrifon,
John Milton.

BULLOCH.

James Bird,

Andrew E. Wells,
Charles M'Call, jnr.
CAMDEN.
Jas. Seagrove,
Thomas Stafford.
CHATHAM.

Jas. Jackfon,
Jas. Jones,

COLUMBIA.

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Chas. Abercrombee,

Thos. Lamar,

Matt. Rabun.

JEFFERSON. Peter J. Carnes, William Fleming,

R. D. Gray.

JACKSON. George Wilfon,

Geo. Jones.

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James Pittman,

John King,

EFFINGHAM. Jofeph Humpheris.

John London, Thomas Polhill.

ELBERT.

Wm. Barnett,

R. Hunt,

Benj. Mofely.

Atteft,

LIBERTY.

James Cochran,

James Powell,
James Dunwody.
LINCOLN.
Henry Ware,

Gibson Wooldridge,

M'INTOSH. John H. McIntosh, James Gignilliat. MONTGOMERY. Benj. Harrifon, John Watts,

John Jones.

OGLETHORPE.

Jno. Lumpkin,

Thomas Duke,

Burwell Pope.

RICHMOND.

Robert Watkins,
Abraham Jones.
SCRIVEN.

Lewis Lanier,
Jas. H. Rutherford,
James Oliver.
WASHINGTON.
John Watts,
George Franklin.
WARREN.

John Lawfon,
Arthur Fort,
W. Stith, junr.
WILKES.

Matt. Talbot,

Jeffe Mercer,

Ben. Taliaferro.

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VERMONT.

The CONSTITUTION of Vermont, adopted by the Convention, holden at Windfor, July 4th, 1793.

CHAP. I.

A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of

THA

Vermont.

ARTICLE I.

“HAT all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent, and unalienable rights, amongst which are the enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, poffeffing, and protecting property, and purfuing, and obtaining happiness and safety:-therefore, no male perfon, born in this country, or brought from over fea, ought to be holden by law, to ferve any perfon as a fervant, flave, or apprentice, after he arrives to the age of twentyone years, nor female in like manner, after the arrives to the age of eighteen years, unless they are bound by their own confent, after they arrive to fuch age, or bound by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, cofts, or the like,

ARTICLE II.

That private property ought to be fubfervient to public ufes when neceffity requires it, nevertheless, whenever any perfon's property is taken for the use of the public, the owner ought to receive an equivalent in money,

ARTICLE III.

That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own confciences and understandings, as in their opinion fhall be regulated by the word of God: and that no man ought to, or of right can be compelled to attend any religious worship, or erect or fupport any place of worship, or maintain any minifter contrary to the dictates of his confcience, nor can any man be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his religious fentiments, or

peculiar mode of religious worship; and that no authority can, or ought to be vested in, or affumed by, any power whatever, that fhall in any cafe interfere with, or in any manner controul the rights of confcience, in the free exercife of religious worship. Nevertheless, every fect or denomination of Chriftians ought to obferve the fabbath or Lord's day, and keep up fome fort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of God.

ARTICLE IV.

Every perfon within this ftate ought to find a certain remedy, by having recourfe to the laws, for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his perfon, property or character: he ought to obtain right and justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it; completely and without any denial; promptly and without delay; conforinably to the laws.

ARTICLE V.

That the people of this state by their legal reprefentatives, have the fole, inherent, and exclufive right of governing and regulating the internal police of the fame.

ARTICLE VI.

That all power being originally inherent in and confequently derived from the people, therefore all officers of government, whether legislative or executive, are their truftees and fervants, and at all times, in a legal way, accountable to them.

ARTICLE VII.

That government is, or ought to be, inftituted for the common benefit, protection, and fecurity of the people, nation, or community, and not for the particular emolument or advantage of any fingle man, family, or fet of men, who are a part only of that commnnity; and that the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeafible right to reform or alter government, in fuch manner as fhall be, by that community, judged moft conducive to the public weal.

ARTICLE VIII.

'That all elections ought to be free and without corruption, and that all freemen, having a fufficient, evident, common intereft with, and attachment to, the community, have a right to elect officers, and be elected into office, agreeably to the regulations made in this conftitution.

ARTICLE IX.

That every member of fociety hath a right to be protected in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and therefore is bound to contribute his proportion towards the expenfe of that protection, and yield his perfonal fervice, when neceffary, or an equivalent thereto, but no part of any perfon's property can be juftly taken from him, or applied to public ufes, without his own confent, or that of the reprefentative body of the freemen; nor can any man who is confcientiously fcrupulous of bearing arms, be justly compelled thereto, if he will pay fuch equivalent; nor are the people bound by any law but fuch as they have in like manner afsented te, for their common good: and previous to ary law being made to raise a tax, the purpose for which it is to be raised ought to appear evident to the Legislature, to be of more fervice to the community than the money would be if not collected.

ARTICLE X.

That in all profecutions for criminal offences, a perfon hath a right to be heard by himself and his counfel; to demand the caufe and nature of his accufation; to be confronted with the witneffes; to call for evidence in his favour, and a fpeedy public trial by an impartial jury of the country; without the unanimous confent of which jury, he cannot be found guilty; nor can he be compelled to give evidence against himfeif; nor can any perfon be juftly deprived of his liberty except by the laws of the land, or the judgment of his peers.

ARTICLE XI.

That the people have a right to hold themselves, their houfes, papers, and poffeffions, free from fearch or feizure; and therefore warrants, without oath or affirmation firft made,

affording fufficient foundation for them, and whereby any officer or meffenger may be commanded or required to fearch fufpected places, or to feize any perfon or perfons, his, her or their property, not particularly described, are contrary to that right, and ought not to be granted.

ARTICLE XII.

That when any iffue in fact, proper for the cognizance of a jury is joined in a court of law, the parties have a right to trial by jury, which ought to be held facred.

ARTICLE XIII.

That the people have a right to freedom of fpeech, and of writing and publishing their fentiments, concerning the tranfactions of government, and therefore the freedom of the prefs ought not to be restrained.

ARTICLE XIV.

The freedom of deliberation, speech, and debate, in 'the Legislature, is fo effential to the rights of the people, that it cannot be the foundation of any accufation or profecuti action or complaint, in any other court or place whatsoever.

ARTICLE XV.

The power of fufpending laws, or the execution of laws, ought never to be exercifed but by the Legislature, or by authority derived from it, to be exercised in such particular cafes, as this conftitution, or the Legislature shall provide for.

ARTICLE XVI.

That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the state-and as ftanding armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under ftrict fubordination to and governed by the civil power.

ARTICLE XVII.

That no perfon in this state, can in any case be subjected to law martial, or to any penalties or pains by virtue of that law, except thofe employed in the army, and the militia in actual fervice.

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