SECTION 13. Bills may originate in either house. SECTION 14. Enacting clause of bills. 15. Manner of passing bills. 16. Private and local bills not to embrace more than one subject. 18. Cases in which private and local bills shall not be passed; 19. Private claims not to be audited by legislature. 20. Two-thirds bills. 21. Appropriation bills. 22. Restrictions as to provisions in the appropriation or supply bills. 24. Tax bills to state tax distinctly. 25. When ayes and nays necessary; three-fifths to constitute quorum. 27. Local legislative powers. 28. Extra compensation prohibited. 29. Prison labor; contract system abolished. 1. Executive power. ARTICLE IV. 2. Qualifications of governor and lieutenant-governor. 4. Duties and powers of governor; compensation. 5. Reprieves, commutations and pardons to be granted by governor. 6. When lieutenant-governor to act as governor. 7. Qualifications and duties of lieutenant-governor; succession to 8. Salary of lieutenant-governor. 9. Bills to be presented to governor; approval; passage of bills by SECTION 1. State officers. ARTICLE V. 2. First election of state officers. 3. Superintendent of public works; appointment; powers and duties. 7. State treasurer; suspension by governor. 8. Certain offices abolished. 9. Civil service appointments and promotions. ARTICLE VI. SECTION 1. Supreme court; how constituted; judicial districts. 2. Judicial departments; appellate division, how constituted; gov- 3. Judge or justice not to sit in review; testimony in equity cases. 5. City courts abolished; judges become justices of supreme court; 6. Circuit courts and courts of oyer and terminer abolished. 7. Court of appeals. 8. Vacancy in court of appeals, how filled. 9. Jurisdiction of court of appeals. 10. Judges not to hold any other office. 11. Removal of judges. SECTION 12. Compensation; age restriction; assignment by governor. 13. Trial of impeachments. 14. County courts. 15. Surrogates' courts; surrogates, their powers and jurisdiction; 20. No judicial officer, except justice of the peace, to receive fees; not to act as attorney or counselor. 21. Publication of statutes. 22. Terms of office of present justices of the peace and local judicial officers. 23. Courts of special sessions. ARTICLE VII. SECTION 1. State credit not to be given. 3. State debts to repel invasions. 4. Limitation of legislative power to create debts. 5. Sinking fund, how kept and invested. 6. Claims barred by statute of limitations. 7. Forest preserve. 8. Canals, not to be sold; not applicable to certain canals; dispo sition of funds. 9. No tolls to be imposed; contraets for work and materials; no extra compensation. 10. Canal improvement and cost thereof. 11. Payment of state debts. 12. Debts for improvements of highways. ARTICLE VIII. SECTION 1. Corporations, formation of. 2. Dues of corporations. 3. Corporation, definition of term. 4. Savings bank charters; restrictions upon trustees; special char ters not to be granted. 5. Specie payment. 6. Registry of bills or notes. 7. Liability of stockholders of banks. 8. Billholders of insolvent bank, preferred creditors. 9. Credit or money of the state not to be given. 10. Counties, cities and towns not to give or loan money or credit; limitation of indebtedness. 11. State board of charities; state commission in lunacy; state commission of prisons. 12. Boards appointed by governor. 13. Existing laws to remain in force. 14. Maintenance and support of inmates of charitable institutions. 15. Commissioners continued in office. ARTICLE IX. SECTION 1. Common schools. 2. Regents of the university. 3. Common school, literature and the United States deposit funds. 4. No aid to denominational schools. SECTION ARTICLE X. 1. Sheriffs, clerks of counties, district attorneys and registers; governor may remove. 2. Appointment or election of officers not provided for by this constitution. 3. Duration of term. 4. Time of election. 5. Vacancies in office, how filled. 6. Political year. 7. Removal from office for misconduct, etc. 8. Office deemed vacant. 9. Compensation of officers. ARTICLE XI. SECTION 1. State militia. 2. Enlistment. 3. Organization of militia. 4. Appointment of military officers by the governor. 5. Manner of election of military officers prescribed by the legislature. 6. Commissioned officers, their removal. ARTICLE XII. SECTION 1. Organization of cities and villages. 2. Classification of cities; general and special city laws; special city laws; how passed by legislature and acceptance by cities. 3. Election of city officers, when to be held; extension and abridgment of terms. SECTION 1. Oath of office. ARTICLE XIII. 2. Official bribery and corruption. 3. Offer or promise to bribe. 4. Person bribed or offering a bribe may be a witness. 5. Free passes, franking privileges, etc., not to be received by a public officer; penalty. 6. Removal of district attorney for failure to prosecute; expenses of prosecutions for bribery. ARTICLE XIV. SECTION 1. Amendments to constitution, how proposed, voted upon and ratified. 2. Future constitutional conventions; how called; election of delegates; compensation; quorum; submission of amendments; officers; rules; vacancies; taking effect. 3. Amendments of convention and legislature submitted coincidently. THE CONSTITUTION Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, do establish this Constitution. ARTICLE I. Persons not to be disfranchised. Section 1. No mem ber of this State shall be disfranchised, or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof, unless by the law of the land, or the judgment of his peers. Trial by jury. § 2. The trial by jury in all cases in which it has been heretofore used shall remain inviolate forever; but a jury trial may be waived by the parties in all civil cases in the manner to be prescribed by law. Freedom of worship; religious liberty. § 3. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed in this State to all mankind; and no person shall be rendered incompetent to be a witness on account of his opinions on matters of religious belief; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of this State. Habeas corpus. 4. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require its suspension. Excessive bail and fines. § 5. Excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed, nor shall cruel and unusual punishments be inflicted, nor shall wit.esses be unreasonably detained. Bill of rights. § 6. No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime (except in cases of impeachment, and in cases of militia when in active service, and the land and naval forces in time of war, or which this State may keep with the consent of Congress in time of peace, and in cases of petit larceny, under the regulation of the Legislature), unless on presentment or indictment of a grand jury, and in any trial in any court whatever the party accused shall be allowed to appear and defend in person and with counsel as in civil actions. No person shall be subject to be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense; nor shall he be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation. Compensation for taking private property; private roads; drainage of agricultural lands. § 7. When private property shall be taken for any public use, the compensation to be made therefor, when such compensation is not made by the State, shall be ascertained by a jury, or by not less than three commissioners appointed by a court of record, as shall be prescribed by law. Private roads may be opened in the manner to be prescribed by law; but in every case the necessity of the road and the amount of all damage to be sustained by the opening thereof shall be first determined by a jury of freeholders, and such amount, together with the expenses of the proceeding, shall be paid by the person to be benefited. General laws may be passed permitting the owners or occupants of agricultural lands to construct and maintain for the drainage thereof, necessary drains, ditches and dykes upon the lands of others, under proper restrictions and with just compensation, but no special laws shall be enacted for such purposes. Freedom of speech and press; criminal prosecutions for libel. § 8. Every citizen may freely speak, write and publish his sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right; and no law shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press. In all criminal prosecutions or indictments for libels, the truth may be given in evidence to the jury; and if it shall appear to the jury that the matter charged as libellous is true, and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the party shall be acquitted; and the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the fact. Right to assemble and petition; divorce; lotteries, pool-selling and gambling; laws to prevent. $ 9. No law shall be passed passed abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government, or any department thereof; nor shall any divorce be granted otherwise than by due judicial proceedings; nor shall any lottery or the sale of lottery tickets, pool-selling, book-making, or any other kind of gambling hereafter be authorized or allowed within this state; and the Legislature shall pass appropriate laws to prevent offenses against any of the provisions of this section. |