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true faith and allegiance to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will support the constitution thereof. So help me God."

"I, A. B., do solemnly swear and affirm, that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me as [here insert the office] according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably to the rules and regulations of the constitution, and the laws of the Commonwealth. So help me God."

Provided always, that when any person, chosen or appointed as aforesaid, shall be of the denomination of the people called Quakers, and shall decline taking the said oaths, he shall make his affirmation in the foregoing form, and subscribe the same, omitting the word "swear," and inserting the word "affirm," instead thereof, in the first oath; and, in the second oath, the words "swear and ;" and in each of them the words, "So help me GOD;" subjoining instead thereof," This I do under the pains and penalties of perjury."

And the said oaths or affirmations shall be taken and subscribed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and counsellors, before the president of the senate, in the presence of the two houses of assembly; by the senators and representatives before the governor and council for the time being; and by the residue of the officers aforesaid, before such persons, and in such manner, as from time to time shall be prescribed by the legislature.

No oath, declaration or subscription, excepting the oaths above prescribed, shall be required of the governor, licutenant governor, counsellors, senators, or representatives, to qualify them to perform the duties of their respective offices.

II. No governor, lieutenant governor, or judge

of the supreme judicial court, shall hold any other office or place, under the authority of this Commonwealth, except such as by this constitution they are admitted to hold, saving that the judges of the said court may hold the offices of justices of the peace through the state; nor shall they hold any other place or office, or receive any pension or sala.. ry from any other state, or government, or power whatever.

No person shall be capable of holding or exercising, at the same time, within this state, more than one of the following offices, viz.: judge of probate, sheriff, register of probate, or register of deeds; and never more than any two offices, which are to be held by appointment of the gov ernor, or the governor and council, or the senate, or the house of representatives, or by the election of the people of the state at large, or of the people of any county, military offices, and the offices of justices of the peace excepted, shall be held by one person.

No person holding the office of judge of the supreme judicial court, secretary, attorney general, solicitor general, treasurer or receiver general, judge of probate, commissary general, president, professor or instructor of Harvard College, sheriff, clerk of the house of representatives, register of probate, register of deeds, clerk of the supreme judicial court, clerk of the inferior court of common pleas, or officer of the customs, including, in this description, naval officers, shall at the same time have a scat in the senate or house of representatives; but their being chosen or appointed to, and accepting the same, shall operate as a resignation of their seat in the senate or house of representatives; and the place so vacated shall be filled up.

And the same rule shall take place in case any

judge of the said supreme judicial court, or judge of probate, shall accept a seat in council; or any counsellor shall accept of either of those offices or places.

No judge of any court of this Commonwealth, (except the court of sessions,) and no person holding any office under the authority of the United States, (postmasters excepted,) shall, at the same time, hold the office of governor, lieutenant governor, or counsellor, or have a seat in the senate, or house of representatives of this Commonwealth; and no judge of any court in this Commonwealth, (except the court of sessions,) nor the attorney general, solicitor general, county attorney, clerk of any court, sheriff, treasurer and receiver general, register of probate nor register of deeds, shall continue to hold his said office after being elected a member of the congress of the United States, and accepting that trust; but the acceptance of such trust, by any of the officers aforesaid, shall be deemed and taken to be a resignation of his said office; and judges of the courts of common pleas shall hold, no other office under the government of this Commonwealth, the office of justice of the peace and militia offices excepted.

And no person shall ever be admitted to hold a seat in the legislature, or any office of trust or importance under the government of this Commonwealth, who shall, in the due course of law, have been convicted of bribery or corruption, in obtaining an election or appointment.

III. In all cases, where sums of money are mentioned in this constitution, the value thereof shall be computed in silver, at six shillings and eight pence per ounce; and it shall be in the power of the legislature, from time to time, to increase

such qualifications, as to property, of the persons to be elected to offices, as the circumstances of the Commonwealth shall require.

IV. All commissions shall be in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, signed by the governor, and attested by the secretary or his deputy, and have the great seal of the Commonwealth affixed thereto..

V. All writs, issuing out of the clerk's office in any of the courts of law, shall be in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; they shall be under the seal of the court from whence they issue; they shall bear test of the first justice of the court to which they shall be returnable, who is not a party, and be signed by the clerk of such court.

VI. All the laws, which have heretofore been adopted, used, and approved in the province, colony or state of Massachusetts Bay, and usually practised on in the courts of law, shall still remain and be in full force until altered or repealed by the legislature; such parts only excepted as are repugnant to the rights and liberties contained in this constitution.

VII. The privilege and benefit of the writ of habeas corpus shall be enjoyed in this Commonwealth in the most free, easy, cheap, expeditious and ample manner; and shall not be suspended by the legislature, except upon the most urgent and pressing occasions, and for a limited time, not exceeding twelve months.

VIII. The enacting style, in making and passing all acts, statutes and laws, shall be "Be it

enacted by the senate and house of representatives, in general court assembled, and by the authority of the same."

IX. Every male citizen, of twenty-one years of age and upwards, (excepting paupers and persons under guardianship,) who shall have resided within the Commonwealth one year, and within the town or district, in which he may claim a right to vote, six calendar months next preceding any election of governor, lieutenant governor, or senators or representatives, and who shall have paid, by himself or his parent, master or guardian, any state or county tax, which shall, within two years next preceding such election, have been assessed upon him, in any town or district of this Commonwealth; and also every citizen who shall be by law exempted from taxation, and who shall be in all other respects qualified as above mentioned, shall have a right to vote in such election of governor, lieutenant governor, senators and representatives; and no other person shall be entitled to vote in such elections.

X. If, at any time hereafter, any specific and particular amendinent or amendments to the constitution be proposed in the general court, and agreed to by a majority of the senators and two thirds of the members of the house of representatives present and voting thereon, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be entered on the journals of the two houses, with the yeas and nays taken thereon, and referred to the general court then next to be chosen, and shall be published; and if, in the general court next chosen, as aforesaid, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be agreed to by a majority of the senators and two thirds of the members of the house of representa

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