elective ofllce which h is or may be author
ized to All j if tlie vacancy shall happen
during the session of the Senate, the Gov
ernor shall notninate to the ' Senate, before
their final adjournment; a proper person to
fill the vacancy: but in any jauch ,case of
vacancy, in an elective ofllce,, a person shall
be chosen to said office1 at the neit' general
election, nhasB tho vacancy: shall happen
within three cajendarfmontb immediately
preceding such election, in whioh case the
lection for said office shall be held at the
second imcoeeding general ! election. 1 In
acting on executive nominations . the , Sen
ate shall sit, with open, doors, and, in con
firming or rejecting nominations of the
Governor, the Vote shall Tie taken by yeas
and nays, and shall be.: entered on. the
journal.
Seo, 0. : lie shall have power to remit
fines and forfeitures, to grant reprieves,
commutations of sentence and pardons, ex
cept in cases of iinpoachmont ; but no par
don shall bo granted, nor sentence com
muted, except upon the recommendation
iu writing of the Lioutonant Governor,
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Attorney
General and Secretary of Internal Affairs,
or any three of thorn, after full hearing,
upon due public notice and in open session ;
and such recommendation, with reasons
therefor at length, shall be recorded and
filed in the office of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth.
Sec. 10. He may require information
In writing from the officers of the exeoutive
department, upon any subject relating to
the duties of their respective offices.
Sec. 11.' lie shall, from time to time,'
give to The General Assembly information
of the state of the Commonwealth, and re
commend to their consideration . such
measures as he may judge expedient.'
Sec. 12. 1 He may, on extraordinary oc
casions, convene the General Assembly,
and in case of disagreement between the
two Houses, with respect to the time of ad
journment, adjourn them to such a time
as he shall think proper, not exceeding
four months. , He shall have power to con
vene the Senate in extraordinary session by
proclamation, for the transaction of ex
ecutive business. .' , ,
Sec. IS. In case Of death, conviction on
impeachment, failure to . qualify, resigna
tion, or other disability of the Governor,
tho powers, duties and emoluments of. the
oflice, for the remainder of the term, or un
til the disability be removed,, shall devolve
upon the Lieutenant Governor.. .'
Sec. 14. In case of a vacancy in the
oflice of Lieutenant Governor, or when tho
Lieutenant Governor shall be impeached
by the House of Representatives, or shall
be unable to exercise the duties of his of
fice, the powers, duties and emoluments
thereof for the remainder of the term, or
until the disability be romoved. shall de
volve upon the President pro tempore of the
Senate J aud the President pro tempore of
the Senate snail in like manner become
Governor if a vacancy or disability shall
occur iu the office of Governor ; his seat as
Senator shall bocome vacant whenever he
shall bocome Governor, and shall be filled
by electiuu as any other vacancy in the
Senate. '
Sec. 15. Every bill which 'Bhall have
passed both Houses Bhall be presented to
the Governor ; if he approve he shall sign
it, but if lie snail not approve lie snail re
turn it with his objections to the House in
which . it shall have - originated, - which
House shall enter the objections at large
upon their lournal, aud proceed to re-con.
sider it. If, after such consideration, two
thirds of all tho members elected to that
House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall
be sent with the objections to the other
House, by which likewise it shall be re
considered ; and if approved by two-thirds
of all the members elected at 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 en
tered on the journals of each House, re
spectively. If any bill shall not be return.
ed by the Governor'within ten days after
it shall have been presented to him, the
.same shall be a law in like manner as if he
had signed lUunloss the General Assembly,
by thair adjournment, prevent its return,
iu which case it shall be a law, unless he
shall file the samo, with his objections, in
the office of the Secretary or the Common
wealth, and give notice thereof by ' public
proclamation within thirty days after such
adjournment. . , , ,,, ... i, ,
Sec. 18. The Governor ' shall have
power to disapprove of any item or items
of any bill making appropriations of mon
ey, embracing distinct items, and the part
or parts or tlio bill approved shall be the
law, and item or items' of appropriation
-disapproved shall be void, unless ru-ptssed
Recording to the rules and limitations pre
scribed for the passage of other bills over
the executive veto. '
Sec' 17. The Chief Justice of Ihe Su
preme Court shall preside upon the trial of
any contested election of - uovernor or
Lieutenant Governor and decide question
regarding the admissibility of evideuo,aiid
' .shall, upon request of the committee, pro
nounce his opiniou Upon other questions of
law involved in the trial. The Uovernor
and Lieutenant Governor shall exercise the
-duties of their respective ollices until their
successors slm ll be dnly qualified.
Sec. 18. The Secretary of the. Com.
tnonwealth shall keep a record of all otliuial
acts and proceedings of the Governor, and
when required lay the same, with all pa
pers, minutes and vouchers relating there--to,
before cither branch - of the General
Assembly, and perform such othor duties,
as may be enjoiued upon him by law.
Sec. 19. The Socretary of Internal Af
fairs shall exercise all the powers and per
form all the duties of the Surveyor General
ubject to such changes as shall be made
bv law. His department shall embrace
bureau of industrial statistics, and be shall
discharge such duties relating to corpora
tions, to the . charitable institutions,, the
agricultural, manufacturing, mining, mill
eral, timber and other material or business
interests of the State ad may be prescribed
by law. , lie shall annually, and ot such
-other times as may be required ny law,
make report to the General Assembly. '
Sue. 20. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall exercise all the power
and perform ail the duties or the Buperin.
tendentof Common Schools, subject to
such chancres a shall be made by law.
Sec. 2). The term of the Secretary of
Internal Affairs shall be fout years ( of the
Auditor General three years ; and of the
State Treasurer two vears. These officers
shall be chosen by the qualified electors of
the State at general elections. : no person
elected to the office of Auditor General or
State Treasurer shall be capable of holding
the same office for two consecutive terms.
8ttc.ut3. " The present Great Seal 'of
Feansylvanla Shall be the seal of the 8tte.
All, commissions shall, be is he ,.liame end
by authority , of the , Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and bo sealed with' the State
seal and signed by the Governdr.'" "
' 1,111 ll0; ARtlt!LE V;'1 5 "".''ll'!-"-
" v" ' The JUiffci-ary.",(l'i'-' 1
Sbctioh I.' The judicial- power of this
Commonwealth shall be vested in s Su
preme Court, in courts pf Common Pleas,
courts of Oyer and Terminer and General
Jail Delivery, courts Of Quarter Sessions of
the Peace, Orphans' Courts, Magistrates'
Courts, and in suoh other courts as the Gen
eral Assembly may from time to time es
tablish. '
Sec. 3. The Supreme Court shall con
sist of seven judges, who shall be elected
by the qualified electors oi tne state at
large. They shall bold tbolr ollices for the
term of twenty-one years, if thoy so long
behave themselves well, but shall not be
again eligible. . The judge whose commts
mission shall first expire shall bo chief jus
tice, and thereafter each judge whoso com
mission shall Hint expire shall in turn be
Chief justice. ::..' '!('.''
Sec. t). 1 he jurisdiction ot uie supreme
Court shall extend over the State, and the
judges thereof shall, by virtue of their
offices, be justices ot uyer ana Terminer
and General Jail Delivery in ins several
counties ; they shall have original jurisdic
tion in coses of injunction where a corpor
ation is A party defendant, of habeat eorjmt,
of mandamut courts of inferior jurisdic
tion, and of quo warranto as to all officers
of the Commonwealth whose jurisdiction
extends over the State, but shall not exer
cise any other original jurisdiction ; they
shall have appellate jurisdiction by appeal,
certiorari or writ of error in all cases, as is
now or may hereafter be provided by law.
' Sec. 4. Until otherwise directed by law,
the courts of Common Pleas Bhall continue
as at present established; except as heroin
ohauged ; no more than four counties shall,
at any time, be included in one judicial dis
trict organized for said courts.
Sec. 0. W benever a county snail con
tain forty thousand inhabitants it shall
constitute a separate judicial district, aud
shall elect one judge learned in the law ;
and the General Assembly shall provide for
additional judges,' as the busiuoss of the
Baid districts may require. Counties con
taining a population less than sufficient to
constitute separate districts shall be form
ed into convenient single districts, or, if
necessary, may be attached to contiguous
districts as the General Assembly may pro
vide. The office of associate judge, not
learned in the law, is abolished in counties
forming separate districts ; but the several
associate judges in office when this Consti
tution shall be adopted shall serve their un
expired terms.
Sec. G. In the counties of Philadelphia
and Allegheny all tho jurisdiction and
powers now vested in the District courts
and courts of Common Pleas, subject to
such changes as may be made by this Con
stitution or by law, shall be in riuiaueipina
vested in four, and iu Allegheny in two,dis
distinct aud separate courts of equal and
co-ordinate jnrisdiction, composed of three
judges each ; the said courts in Philadel
phia shall be designated respectively as the
court of Common Pleas number one, uum-
numbor two. number three and number
four, and in Allegheny as the court of Com
mon Please number one and number two,
but the number of said courts may be by
law increased, from time to time, and shall
be iu like manner designated by successive
numbers; the number of judges in any of
said courts, or in any county whore the
establishment of an additional court may
be authorized by law, may be increased
from time to time, and whenever such in
crease shall amount in the whole to three,
such threo judges shall compose a distinct
and separate court as aloresaid, which shall
be numbered as aforesaid. In Philadelphia
all suits shall be instituted in the said
courts of Common Pleas without designat
ing the numbor or said court, aud the sev
eral courts shall distribute and apportion
the business among them in such manner
as shall be provided by rules of court, and
each court, to which any suit shall be thus
assignod, shall have exclusive jurisdiction
thereof, suoieet to cuange oi venue, as
shall be provided by law. ' In Allegheny
each court shall have exclusive jurisdiction
of all proceedings nt law and in equity,
commenced therein,, subject to change, of
venue as may be provided by law. ,
dec. 7. i or Philadelphia there shall be
one prothouotary's oflice, and one prothon-
tary for all said courts to. be appointed by
the judges pf said courts, and to hold oflice
lor three years, suuioot to . removal by a
majority of the said judges r the said pro
thonotary shall appoint such assistants as
may be necessary aud authorized by said
courts ; and he and his, assistants shall re
ceive fixed salaries, to be determined by
law and paid by said county ; all fees col
lected iu said office, except suoh as may be
by law due to tho Commonwealth, shall be
paid by the protbonotary into tho county
treasury. Each court shall have its seniu
rate dockets, except the judgment docket
which shall contain the judgments and
lions of all the said courts, as w or may be
directed by law, , .,t , ,., .,,, , , ,
Sec. 8. The said courts in the counties
of Philadelphia aud Allegheny, respective
ly, shall, from time to timo, in turn detail
one or more of their : judge to hold the
court of Oyer and Terminer and the courts
of Quarter Sessions of tho. Peace of said
counties, and iusuch manner as may bo di
rectea by law. ' ,
Sec. 0. Judgos of the courts of Com
mon Pleas learned in the law shall be judges
of the court of Oyer aud Terminer,.. Quart
tar Sessions of the Peace and General Jail
Delivery, and of the Orphans' Court, and
within their respective districts shall be
Justices of the Peace as to criminal mat
ters. , ... . . ...i I.,,: , ,. ,. i . i ,. .
Sec. 10. The judges of the courts of
Common Pleas, within 1 their respective
counties, shall have power to Issue writs of
certiorari to justices of the Peace and other
Inferior courts not of reooid, and cause
their proceeding to be brought before
them, and light aud justice to be done.
Sec.' 11." Except as otherwise provided
in this Constitution, ' Justices of the peace
or alderman shall be elected In the several
wards, districts, borough and township
at the time of the election of constables,
by the qualified electors thereof, in eueu
manner a shall be directed by law, and
shall b commissioned by the Governor tot
a term of fire years. ' No township, ward,
distriot or borough (hair; elect tmlre than
two justices of the peace or aldermen with
out the consent of a majority" of tho qual
ified electors ' Within snoh' township, ward
or borough ; no ipersom bhall be elected: to
nch office : unless he-shajlnhave . resided
within the township, borough, ward or dis
trict for one year next preceding' his elec
tion. In cities. containing over fifty thou
sand inhabitants not more than one alder-'
man shall be elected in paoh,ward or dis
trict.' ' 1 '
Sec' 13. -'la Philadelphia there shall be
established, for each thirty . thousand in-,
habitants, one court, not of record, of po
lice and oivil causes, with jurisdiction not
exceeding one hundred dollars : such courts
shall be held by magistrates whose term of
office shall be five years, and they shall be
elected on general 'ticket by the qualified
voters at large ; and in Uie election of the
said magistrates, no voter shall vote for
more than two-thirds of the number of
persons to be elected when more than one
are to be chosen ; they shall be compensa-,
ted only by fixed salarlos, to b paid by
said county; and shell exercise such juris
diction, civil and criminal, except as liereln
provided, as is now exercised by aldermen,
subject to such ohanges, not involving an
Increase or civil jurisdiction or conferring
political duties, as may be made by law.
In Philadelphia the office' of alderman is
abolished. .
Sec 13. , All fees, fines and penalties in
said courts shall bo paid into tho county
treasury. ' ' ' - "'
Sec. 14. In all cases of summary convic
tion in this Commonwealth, or of judgment
in suit for a penalty before a magistrate, or
court not of Tecord, either party may ap
peal to suon court or record as may be pre
scribed by law, upon allowance ot the ap
pellate court or judge thereof upon cause
shown.
Sec. 15V All Judges required to be learn
ed in the law, except the judges of the Su
preme Court, shall be elected by the quali
fied electors of the respective districts over
which they are to presido, and shall hold
their offices for tho period of ten years, if
they shall so long behave themselves well ;
but lor any reasonable cause, which shall
not be sufficient ground for impeachment,
the Governor may remove any of them on
the address of two-thirds of each House of
the General Assembly.
Sec. 10. Whenever two judges of the
Supreme Court are to be chosen for the
same term of sorvice each voter shall vote
for one only, and when three are to be
chosen he shall vote for no more than two j
candidates highest in vote shall be declared
elected.
See. 17. Should any two or more judgos
of the Supreme Court, or any two or more
judges of the court of Common Pleas for
the same district, bo elected at the same
time, they Bhall, as soon after the election
as convenient, cast lots for priority of com
mission, and certify the result to tho Gov
ernor, who shall issue their commissions in
accordance therewith.
Sec 18. The judges of the Supreme
Court and the judges of the several courts
of Common Pleas, and all other judges re
quired to be learned in the law, shall at
stated times receive for their services an
adequate compensation, which shall be
fixed by law, and paid by the State. They
shall receive no other compensation, fees
or perquisites of office for their services
lroin any source, nor hold any other office
of profit under the United States, this
State or any other State.
Sec. 19. The judges of tho Supremo
Court, during their continuance of office.
shall reside within this Commonwealth ;
and the other judges, during their contin
uance in office, shall reside within the dis
tricts for which they shall be respectively
elected. ' 1 '
Sec 30. The several courts of Common
Ploas, besides the powers herein conferred,
shall . have and exerciso within their re
spective districts, subject to such changes
may be made by law, bucu chancery
powers as are now vested by law in the
several courts of Common Pleas of this
Commonwealth, or as may hereafter be
conferred upon them by law.
Sec, 21. No duties shall be imposed by
Jaw upon the Supreme Court or any of the
judges thereof, except such as are Judicial,
nor shall auy ot the judges tliereot exercise
any power ot appointment except as horein
Erovlded. The court oi jym rnm is nere
y abolished, and no court of original jur
isdiction to be presided over by auy on or
more of the judges of the Supreme Court
shall be established, , , ,..,
Sec 23. In every county wherein the
population shall exceed one hundred and
fifty thousand, the General Assembly shall,
and lu any other county may, establish a
separate Orphans' Court, to consist of one
or more judges who shall be learned in the
law, which court shall exercise all the jur
isdiction and powers now "vested in or
whioh may hereafter ba conferred upon the
Orphans' courts, aud thereupon the juris
diction of the judges of the court of Com
mon Plead within such County, In Orphans'
Court proceedings, shall cease and deter
mine. ' i In any county in which separate
Orphans' Court shall be established, the
register of wills shall be clerk of such court
aud subject to its directions, in an matters
pertaining to his office ; he may appoint as
sistant clerks, but only with the consent
and approval of said court. , All accounts
filed with him as register or as clerk of the
said separate Orphans' Court, shall be
audited by the court without expense to
parties, except where all parties in interest
in a pending proceeding shall nominate an
auditor whom the court may, in us discre
tion, appoint. In every ' county Orphans'
courts shall possess all Uie powers and jur
isdiction or . a registers court, and sepac
rate Registers' courts are hereby abolished.
Hnc. 3D. The style of all ptocess shall bo
"The Commonwealth' of Pennsylvania."
All prosecutions shall be carried on in the
name aud by the authority of the Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, and conclude
"against the peace and dignity of the
anie."' " ' ' "' : ' " ''
Hoc. 84.' In all oases of felonlou homi
cldo, and in , such other criminal cases a
may be provided for by law, the accused
after conviction and sentence, may remove
the Indictment, reooid and all proceeding
to the Supreme Court fur review. .
Sec : 35. Any vacancy happening by
death, resignation or otherwise, , iu any
court of record, shall be filled by . appoint
ment by the uovernor, to ' continue till the
first Monday of January next succeeding
the first gouera election, which shall ocour
three or more mouuis.aner the happening
of uch vacancy. ' ' '
Sea. 30. All law relating to court shall
ti-nl I "' i ltl'1 '-.I'. ' li ls'!,ur . i" I hi J
be general and of uniform operation, and
the organization, jurisdiction and powers of
all court of the same class or grado, so far
as regulated by law,' and ihe force and
eflect of the 'process and Judgment of such
courts shall be uniform f Mid the General
Assembly is hereby prohibited from orea
ting other eourts to exercise the power
Vested by this Constitution in the judge
of the court ' of Common Pleas ' and Or
phans' courts,'. ' l.l l. .nn': .j I 'I :
Seo. 37, The parties, by agreement filed,
may in any civil case dispense with trial
by jury, and submit the decision of such
case to the court having jurisdiction there
of, and such court shall bear ' and deter
mine the same ; and the judgment thereon
shall bo subject to writ of error as in other
eases.
ARTICLE VI.
1 Impeachment and Removal from Office.
i Section 1. The House of Representatives
shall have the sole power of impeachment.
Sec. 3. All impeachments shall be tried
by the Senate ;' when sitting for that pur
pose the Senators shall be upon oath or
affirmation ; no person shall be convicted !
without the concurrence of two-thirds of
tho members present. ,
pec. a. l be Governor and all other civil
officers shall be liable to impeachment for
any misdemeanor in office, but judgment in
such cases shall not extend further than to
removal from office, and disqualification to
hold any office of trustor profit under this
Commonwealth; the person accused,
whether convicted, or acquitted, shall
nevertheless be liable to indictmont, trial, .
udgment aud punishment according to
law. ...
Sec' 4. All officers shall hold their offices
on tho condition that thoy behave them
selves 'well while in office, and shall be re
moved on conviction of misbehavior in
office or of any infamous crime. Appointed
officers, other than judges of the courts of
record and the ouperintent or Public In
sti uctiou, may be removed at the pleasure
of tho power by whioh they shall have been
appointed. All officers elected by the peo
ple, except Governor, Lieutenant, Gover
nor, members of the General Assemhlv.nnd
judgos of the courts of record learned in
the law, shall bo removed by tho Governor
lor reasonable cause, niter due notice and
full hearing, on the address of two-thirds
of the Senate.
ARTICLE VII.
Oath of Office.
Section 1. Senators and Representatives
and all judicial, State and county officers
shall, before entorlng on the duties of their
respective offices, take and subscribe the
following oath of affirmation I " I do sol
emnly swear (or affirm) that I will support.
obey and defend tho Constitution of the
United States, and the Constitution of this
Commonwealth, and that I will discharge
the duties of my office with fidelity ; that I
have not paid or contributed, or promised
to pay or contribute, either directly or in
directly, any money or other valuable
thing, to procure my nomination or elec
tion, (or appointment), except for neces
sary nud proper expenses expressly author
ized by law ; that I have not knowingly
violated any election law of this Common
wealth, or procured it to be done bv others
in my behalf; that I will not knowingly re
ceive, directly or indirectly, any money or
other valuable thing for the performance or
non-performance of any act or duty per
taining to my office, other than the com
pensation allowed by law," .'
1 he toregoing oath shall be administered
by some person authorized to administer
oaths, and in the case of state officers aud
judges of the Supreme Court, shall be filed
in the office ot the Secretary of the Com
monwealth, and in the case of other judi
cial and county officers, in the office of the
piothonotary of the county in which the
same is taken ; any person refusing to take
said oath or affirmation shall forfeit his
office ; aud any person who shall be con
victed of having sworn or affirmed falsely,
or of having violatedjsaid oath or affirma
tion, shall be guiltv of perjury, and be for
ever disqualified from holding any oflice of
trust or profit within this Commonwealth,
The oath to the members of the Senate
and House of Representatives, shall be ad
ministered by one of the judges of the Su-
ireme Court or or a court or Common
'leas learned in th law, iu the hall of the
House to ' which the members shall ba
elected. 1 "
: : ! ARTICLE VI1L 1 "
Suffrage and Election.
Section 1. Every male citizen twenty-one
years oi ago, possessing the following quali
fications, shall bo entitled to : vole at an
elections : ftrllla shall have been a
citizen of the United States at least one
mouth. Second. He shall have resided iu
the State one year, (or if, having previously
been a quauned elector or native born citi
zen of the State, be shall have removed
therefrom and returned, then six months.)
immediately preceding the election. Third.
He shall have resided in the election dis
trict where he shall oiler to vote at loast
two months immediately preceding the
election. Fourth. If twenty-two years of
ago or upwards, he shall have paid within
two years a state or county tax, wincn
shall have been assessed at luast two months
and paid at least one month before the
election.
Seo. 3. The general election shall be hold
annually on the Tuesday next following the
first Monday of .November, but the Uener
al Assembly may by law fix a different day
two-thirds of all thenieiubers of each House
consenting thereto.
eec o. All eleotions lor city, ward, bor
ough and township officers, for regular
terms oi service, shall be held on the tiara
Tuesday of February.
Sec 4. All elections by the citizens shall
bo by ballot. Every ballot voted shall be
numbered in the order in wbiob it shall be
received, and the number recorded by the
election officers on the list or voters, oppo
site the name or the elector who presents
tho ballot. Any elector may write bis
name upon his ticket, or oauss the same to
be written thereon and attested by a citizen
of the district. The election officers shall
be sworn or affirmed not to disclose how
any elector Bhall have voted unless required
to do so as witnesses iu a judicial pro
ceeding."' , ,. ,
, Sec 0. Elector shall in all cases except
treason, felony and breach or surety of the
peace, be privileged from arrest during
their attendance on elections and hi going
to aud returning therefrom. '. i - '
Seo. 0. Whenever any of the qualified
elector of thl Commonwealth shall . be in
actual military service, under a requisition
' from the President of the United State or
id.; .rM-i'r; , ) ; fM:i.. ,n
by the authority of this Commonwealth, .
such elaotors ma . tiarrin - th rlulit r .
suffrage In all elections by tho citizens, un- "
der such regulations as are or shall be pre
scribed by law, as fully as if thoy were
pre sent. at their usual places ofieotlon. .
oe: 7. All laws regulating the holding
of elections by the citizens or for the regis
tration of electors shall be uniform through
out the State, but no elector shall bo de
prived of the orivilcgeof voting bv reason
of his name not being registered.
boo. B. Any perRon who shall give, or
promise or offer to giv, to tin elector, any
money, reward or other valuable consider
ation for his vote at an election, or for
withholding the same, or who shall give or
promiso to give such consideration to nv
other person or - party for such elector's
vote or for the withholding thereof, and
any elector who shall receive or agree to
receive, for himself or for anothor, any
money, reward or other valuable consider
ation for his vote nt an election, or for
withholding the same shall thereby forfeit
the right to vote at such eloction, and any
elector whose right to vote shall be chal
lenged for such cause before the election
officers, shall be required to swear or affirm
that the matter of the challenge is untrue
before his vote shall be received.
i Sec. 0. Any person who shall, while a
candidate for office, he guilty of bribery,
iraud, or willful violation of anv election
law, shall be forever disqualified from hold
ing an office of trust or prolit in this Com
monwealth ; and any person convicted of .
willful violation of the election law shall.
n addition to any penalties provided bv law
be deprived of the right of suffrage abso- '
uieiy lor a term oi tour years. '
Bsc lu. In trials of contested eleotions
and in proceedings for the investigation of
elections, no person shall he permitted to
lthhold his testimony upon the ground
that it may criminate ' himself or subject
him to public infamy ; but such testimony .
snail not atterwards be used against him
in any judicial proceeding except for por-
ury in giving such testimony. 11
Seo. 11. Townships, and wards of cities
or boroughs, shall form or be divided into
election districts of compact and contigu
ous territory, in such manner as the court
of Quarter Sessions of the oity or county
lu which the same are located may direct :
but districts iu cities of over one hundred
thousand inhabitants shall be divided by
courts of Quarter Sessions, having juris
diction therein, whenever at the next pre
ceding election more than two hundred and
fifty votes shall haw been polled therein ; .
and other election districts whenever the
court of tho proper county shall be of opin
ion that the convenience of the electors and
the public iutorests will bo promoted there
by. Sec. 13. All elections by persons in a .
representative capacity shall be viva voce.
Bee 13. For the purpose or voting no
person shall be deemed to have gained a
residenco by teason of his presonco, or lost
it by reason ot bis absence, while employed
iu the service, oitlior civil or military, of
this State or of the Uuitod States, nor
while engaged in the navigation of the
waters of tho State or of the United States,
or on the high seas, nor while a student of
any institution of learning, nor while kept
In any poor house or other asylum at pub
lic expense, nor while confined in publio
prison.
Sec. 14. District election boards shall
consist of a judge and two inspectors, who '
shall be chosen annually by the citizens.
.ach elector shall have the right to voto
for the judge and one inspector, and each
inspector shall appoint oue clerk. The
first election bourii for any new district
shall be selected, and vacancies iu electiou
boards tilled, as shall be provided by law.
Electiou officers shall bo privileged from
arrest upon days of election, and while en
gaged in making up and transmitting re- '
turns, except upon warrant of a court of
record or judge thereof, . for an election1
fraud, for felony, or for wanton breach of
the peace In cities they may ' claim ex
emption from jury duty during their terms
of service.
Sec 15. No person shall be qualified to
serve as an election officer who shall hold,
or within two mouths have hold any office,
appointment or employment in or under .
the government ot the United States or of
tins Btaie, or oi any city, or county, or ot
any municipal board, commission or trust
In flliv fitv B9VA milv inatirfa rf ilia nai. t'e.
J J j
and aldermen, notaries publio and persona
in the militia service of the State ; nor
shall any eloction officer be eligible to any
civil office to be filled, at an election at
which he shall serve, save only to such sub
ordinate municipal or local offices, below the
grade of city or county offices, ns shall be
designated by general law. .
Seo. 16. The courts of Common Pleas
of the several counties of the Common
wealth shall have power, within their re
spective jurisdictions, to appoint overseers
of election to supervise the proceedings of
election officers and to make report to the
court a may be required ; suoh appoint
ments to be made tor any district in a city
or county upon petition of five citizens,
i iii -- f -.... i. ..I ii-.. .i:....J.-. l
laWltll VOLCIB Oi BUCU U1UUWUU lllSlllUb, BUIi-
ting forth that such appointment is a rea
sonable precaution to secure the purity and
fairness of eloction ; overseers shall be
two in number for an election district,
shall bo residents therein, and shall be per
sons qualified to serve . upon election
boards, and iu each case members of difi'er
ent political parties ; whenever the mem
bers of an election ; board shall differ in
opinion the overseers, if they shall be
agreed thereon, Bhall decide . (he question
of difference; in appointing overseers of
election all the law judges of the proper
court, able to act at the time, shall concur
iu tho appointments made, .
Sec 17. The trial and determination of
contested elections of eloctors of President
aud Vice-President, members of the Gen-'
eral Assembly, and of all publio officers,
nili.llian Ulntu lnlllul miminiml 1M lfWIul
shall bo by the courts of law, or by one or
more of the law judges thereof ; the Gen
eral Assembly fhall, by general law, desig
nate the courts and judge Dy : whom the
several classes of election contests shall bo
tried, and regulate the manner of trial and
all matter mcmem tnereto ; Due no sucu
law assigning jurisdiction, or regulating its
examine, shall apply to any contest arising
out of an electiou held before . it ' passage..
. , ARTICLE IX.'.'.' 1 i
, ,,, , Taxation WiH.Mnanei. i , ,.,
. Section. 1... All taxes shall be uniform.
upon the same clas of subjects, within the
territorial limits of the authority levying
fCOilTIMDKD OX SIXTH fAO'd
4V WIS H.IWOiOTHII