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RULES OF THE CONVENTION.

RULE 1. The President shall take the chair at the time to which the Convention stands adjourned, and the Conven'ion shall then be called to order and the roll of the members called.

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RULE 2. Upon the appearance of a quorum, the journai of the preceding day shall be corrected, and when de. manded by a majority, shall be read by the Secretary. RULE 3. The President shall preserve order and decorum, and shall decide questions of order, subject to an appeal to the Convention.

RULE 4. The President shall vote on all questions taken by yeas and nays, (except on appeals from his own decisions.)

RULE 5. When the Convention adjourns, the members shall keep their seats until the President announces the adjournment.

RULE 6. Every member, previous to his speaking, shall rise from his seat and address himself to the President. RULE 7. When two or more members rise at once, the President shall designate the member who is first to speak.

RULE 8. No member shall speak more than twice on the same question, nor more than one hour at any one time without leave of the Convention, nor more than once until every member who chooses to speak shall have spoken.

RULE 9. Every motion shall be reduced to writing, if required by the President or any member, and shall be stated by the President before debate.

RULE 10. After a motion shall be stated by the President, it shall be deemed to be in possession of the Convention; but may be withdrawn at any time before decision or amendment; but another member may renew the

same.

RULE 11. When a question is under debate, no motion shall be received but to adjourn, for the previous question, to lay on the table, to postpone indefinitely, to postpone to a day certain, to commit or to amend; which several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they stand arranged.

RULE 12. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order; that and the motion to lay on the table shall be decided

without debate.

RULE 13. The previous question shall be in this form: "Shall the main question be now put?" And if demanded by a majority of the members present, its effect shall be to put an end to all debate, and bring the Convention to a direct vote upon amendments, if any are pending, and then upon the main question.

RULE 14. All incidental questions of order, arising after a motion is made for the previous question, during the pendancy of such motion, or after the Convention shall have determined that the main question shall now be put, shall be decided, whether on appeal or otherwise, without debate.

RULE 15. Petitions, memorials and other papers addressed to the Convention, shall be presented by the President, or a member in his place.

peal, no member shall speak more than once, without leave of the Convention; and when a member is called to order for offensive language, there shall be no debate.

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RULE 16. Every member who shall be present when a question is last stated from the Chair, and no other, shall vote for or against the same, unless the Convention shall excuse him, in which case he shall not vote.

RULE 20. In forming a committee of the whole, the President shall appoint a chairman to preside.

RULE 21. Propositions committed to a committee of the whole, shall first be read through by the Secretary, and then read and debated by clauses. All amendments shall be entered on a separate piece of paper, and so reported to the Convention by the chairman, standing in his place.

RULE 17. When the President is putting the question, no member shall walk out or across the house; nor when a member is speaking shall any person entertain any private discourse, or pass between him and the Chair.

RULE 22. All questions, whether in committee or in the Convention, shall be put in the order they were moved, except in the case of privileged questions; and in filling up blanks, the largest sum and the longest time shall be first put.

RULE 18. If the question in debate contains several points, any member may have the same divided.

RULE 23. No motion for reconsideration shall be in order, unless within three days after the decision proposed to be reconsidered took place. A motion for reconsideration being put and lost, (except in case of privileged mo tions,) shall not be renewed on the same day.

RULE 24. Any member having voted with the majority, may be at liberty to move for a reconsideration; and a mo. tion for reconsideration shall be decided by a majority of

votes.

RULE 25. The rules of the Convention shall be observed in committee of the whole, so far as they may be applicable, except that the yeas and nays shall not be called, the previous question enforced, nor the time of speaking limited.

RULE 19 A member called to order shall immediately set down, unless permitted to explain; and the Convention, if appealed to, shall decide the case; if there be no appeal the decision of the Chair shall be submitted to. On an ap

RULE 26 A motion that the committee rise shall always be in order, and shall be decided without debate.

RULE 27. In all cases where an order, resolution or mo. tion shall be entered on the journals of the Convention, the name of the member moving the same shall be entered on the journals.

RULE 28. On the meeting of the Convention, after cor recting the journal of the preceding day, the order of bu siness shall be as follows: 1st, presentation of petitions; 2d, reports of standing committees reports of select comcommittees-reports mittees; 3d, motions, resolations and notices; 4th, reading resolutions; 5th, unfinished business of the preceding day; 6th, special orders of the day; 7th, general orders of the

day.

RULE 29. When the Convention have arrived at the general orders of the day, they shall go into committee of the whole upon such orders, or a particular order designated by a vote of the Convention; and no other business shall be in order until the whole are considered or passed, or the committee rise; and unless a particular subject is ordered up, the committee of the whole shall consider, act upon, or pass the general orders, according to the order of

their relerence.

RULE 30. No rule of the Convention shall be suspended, altered or amended, without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members present.

RULE 31. Upon the call of the Convention, the names of the members shall be called by the Secretary, and the absentees noted; but no excuse shall be made until the Convention shall be fully called over; then the absentees shall be called over the second time, and if still absent, excuses are to be heard; and if no excuse, or insufficient excuse be made, the absentees may, by order of those presen, if there are fiften members present, be taken into custody, wherever to be found, by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

RULE 32. The President may leave the chair and appoint a member to preside, but net for a longer time than one day, except by leave of the Convention.

RULE 33. The rules of parliamentary practice comprised in Jefferson's Manual, shall govern the Convention in all eases to, which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the standing rules and orders of this Convention,

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CONSTITUTION OF MICHIGAN, 1835.

In Convention, begun at the city of De-[port, against his will, any place of relitroit, on the second Monday of May, in gious worship, or pay any tithes, taxes, or the year one thousand eight hundred and other rates, for the support of any minister thirty-five: of the gospel or teacher of religion.

We, the people of the Territory of Mi- 5. No money shall be drawn from the chigan, as established by the act of Con-treasury for the benefit of religious sociegress of the eleventh day of January, in ties, or theological or religious seminaries. the year one thousand eight hundred and 6. The civil and religious rights, privilefive, in conformity to the fifth article of the ges, and capacities of no individual shall ordinance providing for the government of be diminished or enlarged on account of the territory of the United States north his opinions or belief concerning matters west of the river Ohio, believing that the of religion.

time has arrived when our present political 7. Every person may freely speak, write. condition ought to cease, and the right of and publish his sentiments on all subjects, self-government be asserted; and availing being responsible for the abuse of that ourselves of that provision of the aforesaid right; and no law shall be passed to reordinance of the Congress of the United strain or abridge the liberty of speech or States, of the thirteenth day of July, one of the press. In all prosecutions or indictthousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, ments for libels, the truth may be given in and the acts of Congress passed in accord- evidence to the jury; and if it shall appear ance therewith, which entitle us to admis-to the jury that the matter charged as lision into the Union, upon a condition which bellous is true, and was published with has been fulfilled, do, by our delegates in good motives and for justifiable ends, the Convention assembled, mutually agree to party shall be acquitted; and the jury form ourselves into a free and independent shall have the right to determine the law State, by the style and title of "The State and the fact. of Michigan," and do ordain and establish the following constitution for the govern-sessions of every individual shall be se8. The person, houses, papers and posment of the same:

ARTICLE I.

cure from unreasonable searches and seizures; and no warrant to search any place,,

1. All political power is inherent in the or to seize any person or things, shall issue people. without describing them, nor without probable cause, supported by cath or affirmation.

2. Government is instituted for the protection, security, and benefit of the people; and they have the right at all times to alter or reform the same, and to abolish one form of government and establish another, whenever the public good requires it.

3. No man or set of men are entitled to exclusive or separate privileges.

4. Every person has a right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of his own conscience; and no person can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or sup

9. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.

10. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the vicinage; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; to have the assistance of counsel for his defence; and in all civil cases, in which

personal liberty may be involved, the trial by jury shall not be refused.

who

ARTICLE II.

ELECTORS.

11. No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offence, unless on the presentment or indictment of a grand jury, izen above the age of twenty-one years, 1. In all elections, every white male citexcept in cases of impeachment, or in cases cognizable by justices of the peace, or next preceding any election, shall be enhaving resided in the State six months arising in the army or militia when in ac-titled to vote at such election; and every tual service in time of war or public danwhite male inhabitant of the age aforesaid, ger. 12. No person, for the same offence, time of the signing of this constitution, may be a resident of this State at the shall be twice put in jeopardy of punish-shall have the right of voting as aforesaid; ment. All persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offences, when the proof is evident or the presumption great; and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when, in case of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.

13. Every person has a right to bear arms for the defence of himself and the State.

14. The military shall, in all cases and at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power.

15. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner prescribed by law.

16. Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war against it, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two

witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

17. No bill of attainder, ex-post-facio law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, shall be passed.

18. Excessive bail shall not be required; excessive fines shall not be imposed; and cruel and unjust punishment shall not be

inflicted.

entitled to vote except in the district, counbut no such citizen or inhabitant shall be ty or township in which he shall actually

reside at the time of such election.

2. All votes shall be given by ballot, except for such township officers as may, by law, be directed to be otherwise cho

sen.

3. Electors shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at elections, and in going to and returning from the same.

litia duty on the days of election, except in 4. No elector shall be obliged to do mitime of war or public danger.

5. No person shall be deemed to have lost his residence in this State, by reason of his absence on business of the United

States or of this State.

6. No soldier, seaman or marine, in the army or navy of the United States, shall be deemed a resident of this State, in consequence of being stationed in any militay or naval place within the same.

ARTICLE III.

DIVISION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT.

1. The powers of the government shall be divided into three distinct departments: the legislative, the executive and the judicial; and one department shall never exer19. The property of no person shall be cise the powers of another, except in such taken for public use, without just compen-cases as are expressly provided for in this

sation therefor.

20. The people shall have the right freely to assemble together, to consult for the common good, to instruct their Representatives, and to petition the Legislature for redress of grievances.

21. All acts of the Legislature, contrary to this or any other article of this constitution, shall be void.

constitution.

ARTICLE IV.

LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.

1. The legislative power shall be vested in a Senate and House of Representatives. 2. The number of the members of the House of Representatives shall never be less than forty-eight, nor more than one

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