VERMONT.

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

A Declaration of Rights of the Inhabitants of the State of Vermont.

CHAP. I.--ART, I.

HAT all men are born equally free and indepen

Tdent, all 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 fafety: 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 fhe 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 propery 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 own confcience, nor can any man be justly ⚫deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on

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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 exercise of religious worship. Nevertheless, every fect or denomination of Chriftians ought to obferve the Sabbath or Lord's day, and keep up fome fort of religious worship, which to them fhall feem moit agreeable to the revealed will of God.

ARTICLE IV.

Every perfon within this State ought to find a certain remedy, by having recourfe to the laws, for all inju ries or wrongs, which he may receive in his perfon, property or character: he ought to obtain right and juftice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it; completely and without any denial; promptly and without delay, conformably 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 lame. 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 trustees 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 particujar emolument or advantage of any fingle man, family, or fet of men, who are a part only of that community; and that the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or alter goverment, in fuch manner as fhall be, by that community, judged molt conducive to the public weal.

ARTICLE VIII.

That all elections ought to be free and without corruption, and that all freemen, having a fufficient, evi

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dent, 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 justly taken from him, or applied to public ufes, without his own confent, or that of the reprefentative body of freemen; nor can any man who is confcientiously fcru pulous of bearing arms, be juftly compelled thereto, if he will pay fuch equivalent; nor are the people bound by any law but fuch as they have in like manner affented to, for their common good: and previous to any law being made to raise a tax, the purpofe 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 offences, a perfon hath a, right to be heard by himself and his counfel; to demand the cause and nature of his accufation; to be confront• ed 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 himself; nor can any perfon be jaftly 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 houses, papers, and poffeffions, free from fearch or feizure; and therefore warrants, without oath or affirmation first made, affording fufficient foundation for them, and whereby any officer or meffenger may be commanded or required to search fufpected places, or to feize any perfon or perfons, his, her, or their property, not particularly defcribed, are contrary to that right, and ought not to be granted,

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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 publifhing 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, fpeech, and debate, in the Legislature, is fo effential to the rights of the people, that it cannot be the foundation of any accufation or profecution, 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 bythe Legislature, or by authority derived from it, to be exercised in fuch particular cafes, as this Conftitution, or the Legislature fhall provide for.

ARTICLE XVI.

That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themfelves and the State-and as standing 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.

ARTICLE XVIII.

That frequent recurrence to fundamental principles, and firm adherence to juftice, moderation, temperance, induftry, and frugality, are abfolutely neceffary to preferve the bleffings of Liberty, and keep Government free; the people ought therefore, to pay particular attention to these points, in the choice of officers and reprefentatives, and have a right in a legal way, to exact

a due and conftant regard to them, from their legiflators and magistrates, in making and executing fuch laws as are neceffary for the good government of the State.

ARTICLE XIX.

That all people have a natural and inherent right to emigrate from one State to another that will receive

them.

ARTICLE XX.

That the people have a right to affemble together to confult for their common good-to inftruct their reprefentatives and apply to the Legislature for redrels of grievances, by addrefs, petition, or remonftrance.

ARTICLE XXI.

That no perfon fhall be liable to be tranfported out of this State for trial for any offence committed within the fame.

CHAP. II.

PLAN OR FRAME OF GOVERNMENT.

SECTION 1. THE Commonwealth, or ftate of Ver mont, fhall be governed hereafter, by a Governor, (or Lieutenant-Governor) Council, and an Affembly of the Reprefentatives of the Freemen of the fame, in manner and form following:

SECT, 2. The fupreme legiflative power fhall be vested in a Houle of Reprefentatives of the freemen of the Commonwealth, or State of Verinont,

SECT. 3. The fupreme executive power shall be vested in a Governor, or, in his abfence, a Lieut.Governor and Council.

SECT. 4, Courts of Juftice fhall be maintained in every county in this State, and alfo in new counties, when formed; which Courts fhall be open for the trial of all caufes proper for their cognizance; and juftice fhall be therein impartially adminiftered, without corruption, or unneceflary delay. The Judges of the Supreme Court fhall be Jufhces of Peace throughout the State; and the feveral Judges of the County Courts, in their respective counties, by virtue of their office, except in the trial of fuch caufes as may be appealed to the County Court.

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