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ARTICLE FOURTH.
OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
Sec. 1. The supreme executive power of the state shall be vested in a Governour, who shall be chosen by the electors of the state, and shall hold his office for one year from the first Wednesday of May next succeeding his election, and until his successor be duly qualified. No person, who is not an elector of this state, and who has not arrived at the age of thirty years, shall be eligible.
Sec. 2. At the meetings of the electors in the respective towns in the month of April in each year, immediately after the election of senators, the presiding officers shall call upon the electors to bring in their ballots for him whom they would elect to be governour, with his name fairly written. When such ballots shall have been received and counted in the presence of the electors, duplicate lists of the persons voted for, and of the number of votes given for each, shall be made and certified by the presiding officer, one of which lists shall be deposited in the office of the town clerk within three days, and the other, within ten days after said election, shall be transmitted to the Secretary, or to the sheriff of the county, in which such election shall have been held. The sheriff receiving said votes shall deliver, or cause them to be deilvered to the Secretary, within fifteen days next after said election. The votes so returned shall be counted by the Treasurer, Secretary and Controller, within the month of April. A fair list of the persons and number of votes given for each, together with the returns of the presiding officers, shall be, by the Treasurer, Secretary and Controller, made and laid before the General Assembly, then next to be holden, on the first day of the session thereof; and said Assembly shall, after examination of the same, declare the person whom they shall find to be legally chosen, and give him notice accordingly. If no person shall have a majority of the whole number of said votes, or if two or more shall have an equal and the greatest number of said votes, then said Assembly, on the second day of their session, by joint ballot of both houses, shall proceed, without debate, to choose a Governour from a list of names of the two persons having the greatest number of votes, or of the names of the persons having an equal and highest number of votes so returned as aforesaid. The General Assembly shall by law prescribe the manner in which all questions concerning the election of a Governour, or Lieutenant Governour, shall be determined.
Sec. 3. At the annual meetings of the electors, immediately after the election of Governour, there shall also be chosen in the same manner as is herein before provided for the election of Governour, a Lieutenant Governour, who shall continue in office for the same time, and possess the same qualifications.
Sec. 4. The compensations of the Governour, Lieutenant Governour, Senators and Representatives, shall be established by law, and shall not be varied so as to take effect until after an election, which shall next succeed the passage of the law establishing said compensations.
Sec. 5. The Governour shall be Captain General of the militia of the state, except when called into the service of the United States.
Sec. 6. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department, on any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices.
Sec. 7. The Governour, in case of a disagreement between the two houses of the General Assembly, respecting the time of adjournment, may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper, not beyond the day of the next stated session.
Sec. 8. He shall, from time to time, give to the General Assembly, information of the state of the government, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall deem expedient.
Sec. 9. He shall take care that the law be faithfully executed.
Sec. 10. The Governour shall have power to grant reprieves after conviction, in all cases except those of impeachment, until the end of the next session of the General Assembly, and no longer.
Sec. 11. All commissions shall be in the name and by authority of the state of Connecticut; shall be sealed with the state seal, signed by the Governour, and attested by the Secretary.
Sec. 12. Every bill which shall have passed both [houses] of the General Assembly, shall be presented to the Governour. If he approves, he shall sign and transmit it to the Secretary, but if not, he shall return it to the house in which it originated, with his objections, which shall be entered on the journals of the house; who shall proceed to reconsider the bill. If after such reconsideration, that house shall again pass it, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other house, which shall also reconsider it. If approved, it shall become 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 entered on the journals of each house respectively. If the bill shall not be returned by the Governour within three days, Sundays excepted, after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it; unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevents its return, in which case it shall not be a law.
Sec. 13. The Lieutenant Governor shall, by virtue of his office, be President of the Senate, and have, when in committee of the whole, a right to debate, and when the Senate is equally divided, to give the casting vote.
Sec. 14. In case of the death, resignation, refusal to serve, or removal from office of the Governour, or of his impeachment, or absence from the state, the Lieutenant Governour shall exercise the powers and authority appertaining to the office of Governour, until another be chosen at the next periodical election for Governour, and be duly qualified; or until the Governour, impeached or absent, shall be acquitted or return.
Sec. 15. When the government shall be administered by the Lieutenant Governor, or he shall be unable to attend as President of the Senate, the Senate shall elect one of their members, as President pro tempore. And if during the vacancy of the office of Governour, the Lieutenant Governour shall die, resign, refuse to serve, or be removed from office, or if he shall be impeached, or absent from the State, the President of the Senate pro tempore, shall, in like manner, administer the government until he be superseded by a Governour or Lieutenant Governour.
Sec. 16. If the Lieutenant Governour shall be required to administer the government, and shall, while in such administration, die or resign during the recess of the General Assembly, it shall be the duty of the Secretary, for the time being, to convene the Senate for the purpose of choosing a President pro tempore.
Sec. 17. A Treasurer shall annually be chosen by the electors at their meeting in April, and the votes shall be returned, counted, canvassed, and declared, in the same manner as it provided for the election of Governour and Lieutenant Governour; but the votes for Treasurer shall be canvassed by the Secretary and Controller only. He shall receive all monies belonging to the state, and disburse the same only as he may be directed by law. He shall pay no warrant, or order for the disbursement of public money, until the same has been registered in the office of the Controller.
Sec. 18. A Secretary shall be chosen next after the Treasurer, and in the same manner, and the votes for Secretary shall be returned to, and counted, canvassed, and declared by the Treasurer and Controller. He shall have the safe keeping and custody of the public records and documents, and particularly of the acts, resolutions, and orders of the General Assembly, and record the same; and perform all such duties as shall be prescribed by law. He shall be the keeper of the seal of the state, which shall not be altered.
Sec. 19. A Controller of the public accounts shall be annually appointed by the General Assembly. He shall adjust and settle all public accounts and demands, except grants and orders of the General Assembly. He shall prescribe the mode of keeping and rendering all public accounts. He shall, ex officio, be one of the auditors of the accounts of the Treasurer. The General Assembly may assign to him other duties in relation to his office, and to that of the Treasurer, and shall prescribe the manner in which his duties shall be performed.
Sec. 20. A sheriff shall be appointed in each county by the General Assembly, who shall hold his office for three years, removable by said Assembly, and shall become bound with sufficient sureties, to the Treasurer of the State, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law: In case the sheriff of any county shall die or resign, the Governour may fill the vacancy occasioned thereby, until the same shall be filled by the General Assembly.
Sec. 21. A statement of all receipts, payments, funds, and debts of the state, shall be published, from time to time, in such manner and at such periods, as shall be prescribed by law.
ARTICLE FIFTH.
OF THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.
Sec. 1. The judicial power of the state shall be vested in a Supreme Court of Errors, a Superior Court, and such inferiour courts as the General Assembly shall, from time to time, ordain and establish: the powers and jurisdiction of which courts shall be defined by law.
Sec. 2. There shall be appointed in each county, a sufficient number of justices of the peace, with such jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases, as the General Assembly may prescribe.
Sec. 3. The judges of the Supreme Court of Errors, of the superiour and inferiour courts, and all justices of the peace, shall be appointed by the General Assembly, in such manner as shall by law be prescribed. The judges of the Supreme Court, and of the Superior Court, shall hold their offices during good behaviour; but may be removed by impeachment; and the Governour shall also remove them on the address of two thirds of the members of each house of the General Assembly: All other judges and justices of the peace shall be appointed annually. No judge or justice of the peace shall be capable of holding his office, after he shall arrive at the age of seventy years.
ARTICLE SIXTH.
OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS.
Sec. 1. All persons who have been, or shall hereafter, previous to the ratification of this Constitution, be admitted freeman, according to the existing laws of this State, shall be electors.
Sec. 2. Every white male citizen of the United States, who shall have gained a settlement in this state, attained the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the town in which he may offer himself to be admitted to the privilege of an elector, at least six months preceding, and have a freehold estate of the yearly value of seven dollars in this state; or having been enrolled in the militia, shall have performed military duty therein for the term of one year next preceding the time he shall offer himself for admission, or being liable thereto, shall have been, by authority of law, excused therefrom; or shall have paid a state tax within the year next preceding the time he shall present himself for such admission; and shall sustain a good moral character; shall, on his taking such oath as may be prescribed by law, be an elector.
Sec. 3. The privileges of an elector shall be forfeited by a conviction of bribery, forgery, perjury, duelling, fraudulent bankruptcy, theft, or other offence for which an infamous punishment is inflicted.
Sec. 4. Every elector shall be eligible to any office in this state, except in cases provided for in this constitution.
Sec. 5. The selectmen and town clerk of the several towns, shall decide on the qualifications of electors, at such times, and in such manner as may be prescribed by law.
Sec. 6. Laws shall be made to support the privilege of free sufferage, prescribing the manner of regulating and conducting meetings of the electors, and prohibiting, under adequate penalties, all undue influence therein, from power, bribery, tumult, and other improper conduct.
Sec. 7. In all elections of officers of the state, or members of the General Assembly, the votes of the electors shall be by ballot.
Sec. 8. At all elections of officers of the state, or members of the General Assembly, the electors shall be privileged from arrest, during their attendance upon, and going to, and returning from the same, on any civil process.
Sec. 9. The meetings of the electors for the election of the several state officers, by law, annually to be elected, and members of the General Assembly of this state, shall be holden on the first Monday of April each year.
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