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quired by him, true and exact plans of fuch forts, and of the land and sea, or habour or harbours adjacent.

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And the faid boards, and all public officers, shall communicate to the Governor, as foon as may be after receiving the fame, all letters, difpatches, and intelligence of a public nature, which shall be directed to them respectively.

XIII. As the public good requires that

the Governor should not be under the undue influence of any of the Members of the General Court, by a dependence on them for his fupport-that he should in all cafes act with freedom for the benefit of the public-that he should not have his attention neceffarily diverted from that object to his private concerns and that he should maintain the dignity of the Commonwealth in the character of its chief magiftrate-it is neceffary that he should have an honourable stated falary, of a fixed and permanent value, amply fufficient for thofe purposes, and established by ftanding laws and it shall be among the first acts of the General Court, after the commencement of this Conftitution, to establish fuch falary by law acordingly.

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Permanent

Permanent and honourable falaries fhall alfo be established by law for the Juftices of the Supreme Judicial Court.

And if it shall be found that any of the falaries aforefaid, so established, are infufficient, they shall from time to time be enlarged as the General Court fhall judge proper.

§. 2.

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.

I. THERE fhall be annually elected a Lieutenant-Governor of the Commonwealth of Maffachufett's, whofe title fhall be, HIS HONOUR; and who fhall be qualified, in point of religion, property, and refidence in the Commonwealth, in the fame manner with the Governor and the day and manner of his election, and the qualifications of the electors, shall be the fame as are required in the election of a Governor. The return of the votes for this officer, and the declaration of his election, fhall be in the fame manner and if no one person shall be found to have a majority of all the votes returned, the vacancy fhall be filled by the Senate and House of Representatives, in the fame manner as the Governor is to be

elected,

elected, in cafe no one perfon fhall have a majority of the votes of the people to be Go

vernor,

II. The Governor, and in his abfence the Lieutenant-Governor, fhall be President of the Council, but fhall have no vote in Council: and the Lieutenant-Governor shall always be a member of the Council, except when the chair of the Governor fhall be vacant.

III. Whenever the chair of the Governor shall be vacant, by reason of his death, or abfence from the Commonwealth, or otherwise, the Lieutenant-Governor for the time being fhall, during fuch vacancy, perform all the duties incumbent upon the Governor, and shall have and exercife all the powers and authorities which by this Conftitution the Governor is vested with, when perfonally prefent.

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AND THE MANNER OF SETTLING ELECTIONS BY THE LEGISLATURE.

I. THERE fhall be a Council for advi

fing the Governor in the executive

part of go

vernment, to confift of nine perfons befides the

Lieute

Lieutenant-Governor, whom the Governor for the time being shall have full power and authority, from time to time, at his discretion, to affemble and call together. And the Governor, with the faid Councillors, or five of them at least, shall and may, from time to time, hold and keep a Council, for the ordering and directing the affairs of the Commonwealth, according to the laws of the land.

II. Nine Councillors fhall be annually chofen from among the perfons returned for Councillors and Senators, on the last Wednesday in May, by the joint ballot of the Senators and Reprefentatives affembled in one room and in cafe there fhall not be found, upon the first choice, the whole number of nine perfons who will accept a feat in the Council, the deficiency fhall be made up by the electors aforefaid from among the people at large; and the number of Senators left fhall conftitute the Senate for the year. The feats of the perfons thus elected from the Senate, and accepting the trust, shall be vacated in the Senate.

III. The Councillors, in the civil arrangements of the Commonwealth, fhall have rank next after the Lieutenant-Governor.

IV. Not

IV. Not more than two Councillors fhall be chofen out of any one diftrict of this Commonwealth!

V. The refolutions and advice of the Countil fhall be recorded in a register, and figned by the members prefent; and this record may be called for at any time by either Houfe of the legislature; and any Member of the Council may infert his opinion contrary to the refolution of the majority.

VI. Whenever the office of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor fhall be vacant, by reafon of death, abfence, or otherwife, then the Council, or the major part of them, fhall dur

ing fuch vacancy have full power and authority to do, and execute, all and every fuch acts, matters and things, as the Governor or the Lieutenant-Governor might or could, by virtue of this Constitution, do or execute, if they or either of them were perfonally present.

VII. And whereas the elections appointed to be made by this Conftitution, on the last Wednesday in May annually, by the two Houses of the legislature, may not be compleated on that day, the faid elections may be adjourned from day to day until the fame fhall be compleated.

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