New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-10-08
CONSTITUTION
OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
adopted in Generation July 81, 1852.
PREAMBLE. ~
We, the people of the STATE Of Louisiana, do or
dain and establish this Constitution:
PREAMBLE.


= 4
DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS.
X Ar i The mowers of he government Of the State
Of Louisiana shall be divided into three distinct de-
paytmeats. and each Of them be eonhded to separ-
ate body Of nagistracy, to-wit those which are
Leyslatipe 10 one, those which are Executive TO an
othsr NM those which are Judicial to another.
Apro NJ one d these Departments, nor any
r.r,,n bolsjiup office in o. them, shalt exercise
no,ver properly belonging either Of the others,
cept il che Instances hereinafter expressly directed
s's a,s' 80 TITLE II.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT..
Arts. The Legislative power Of the State shall
b vested in two distinct branches the one to be
styled the House oil Representatives. the other
the Senate and both the General Assembly" of the
State oil Louisiana.
. ART. a The members of the House Of Represen-
tatives shall contnce in service for the term of
years from the day Of the closing of the general
y elections.
IS ART. S. Representatives shall be chosen on the
ffst Monday in November every two years; and the
election shall be completed in one day. The Gene
raj Assembly shall meet annually, on the third
& Monday in January. unless different day be ap-
pointed BY law, and their sessions shall be held at
the seat Of government.
Aar 8 Every duly qualified elector, under this
Constitution. shall be eligible to seat in the Gen-
erat Assembly, provided that no person shall be a
Representative or Senator sness he be, at the time
Of his election, duly qualified voter Of the Repre-
sentative Senatorial District from which he is elect
ed
ART. T. Elections for members Of the General AS
setnbiy shall be held 1T the several election pre-
cinets established by law. The Legislature may
delegate the power Of establishing election precincts
to the pasochial ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Arr s. Representation in the House OF Repre-
sentatiyes shall he equal and uniform, and shall he
regulated and ascerianed by The total population Of
each Of the several parishes of the State Each par
ish shall have at least one Representative No new
parish shall be created with territory less than six
hundred and twenty five square miles, with
population lessthan the full number emitting il
Represensen,a,ive nor when the creation of such
new parish would leave any other parish without the
said extent 81 territory and amount of popu alton.
The first snumeraion by the State authorities
der this Constitution shall he .sue in the year 1853,
the second in the scar 1855, The third in the year
1865: after which tima The General Assembly shall
direct in wha. manner ,he shall be taken, SO
that it be made at least in every period Of ten
years, for the purpose oascer tanning the total popu
lation in each pasish and election district.
At the first regular session of the Legislature, after
the making Of each nneraon the Legislature shall
apporton the representation amoug the several par
ishes ana election districts the basis of the total
population. aforesaid representative number
shall be liked and each parish and election district
shall have mtny Representatives as its aggre-
gate population shall entle it to. and additional
Representative fof any fraction exceeding one-halt
the Representative number. The number Of Re-
nor less than seventy. Until apportoninent
shall be made, and elections held under the same,
in actordance with the first enumeration to be made
as directed in this article, the Representation in
the Senate and House Of Representatives shall be
and remain as al present established by law.
: The limits Of tie Parish OF Orleans are hereby ex-
tended, 80 to embrace the whole Of the present
city oil New Orleans, including that part of the Pa
IRISH Of Jefferson, formerly known us the city Of La
fayette
~ &c. -.
uated on the left bank Of the Mississippi river shall
be divided by the Legislature into not more than
ten Representative Districts, and until appor
tionment shall be made according to the first CEN
sus TO be taken under this Constitution, that part
Of the city Of New Orleans which was comprised
within the former limits Of the city Of Lafayette,
shall vote tor Senators from the Parish Of Orleans
and form the Tenth Representative District, and
shal elect two out OF the three Representatives
now apporoned by law to the Parish OF Jefferson
they are now established.
ART.9. The House Of Representatives shall choose
its Speaker and other officers
ART. 10. Every free white male who has attained
the age Of twenty-one years, and who has been a
resident OF the Stale twelve months next preceding
the election, and the last six months thereof in the
Parishin which he offers to vote and who shall be "a
citizen Of the United States, shall have the right OF
voting; but no voter on removing from Parish
to another within The State, shall lose the right oil
voting in the former until he shall have acquired it in
the latter. Electors shall in all cases. except treason
felony, breach Of the peace, be privileged from
arrest during their attendance at going TO- or return
ing from elections.
ART II The Legislature shall provide by law,
that the names and residence of all qualified electors
Of the city Of New Orleans shall be registered IN or
der 10 enlitle them vote but the registry shall be
free Of cost to the elector.
ART. L. No soldier seaman or marine in the army
or navy Of the Uniied States, no pauper, person
under introduction, under conviction of any crime
punishable with hard labor shall be entitled to vote
at any election in this State
ART 10 Mcpherson shall be entitled to vote at any
election held in this State, except IN the Parish of his
residence, and in cities and towns divided into elec-
ton precincts, in the election precinct in which he
resides.
ART ID The members of the Senate shall be
chosen for the term of ionr years. The Senate when
assembled, shall have the power choose its officers
ART. 10. The Legislature, in cry year in which |
they shall apportion representation in the House oil
Representatives, shall divide the State into Senate,
rial Districts. No Parish shall be divided in the |
formation OF Senatorial D,str,ct--the Parish OF Or
leans excepted. And whenever uew Parish shall
be created il shall BIZ attached to the Senatorial DIS.
trcttro which most Gifts territory taken, or TO
another contiguous District, the discretion Of the
Legislature, but shall not be attached tn more than
one District The number Of Senators shall be nif,y
two and they shalt be apporoner among the Senator
rial Districts according To the total population con
tanned in the several Districts-Prpvided that no
Parish shall be entitled to more than five Senators
ART, 16. In all apportiouments of the Senate the
population oi the ety of New Orleans shall be euc-
ted from the population OF the Whole State and the
remainder Of the population divided by the number
twenty-s-ven, t27) md lhe result produced by this
division shall be the Senatorial ratio entilling Ser.
toral Distric, to IA Senator. Single or contiguous
Parishes shall be formed into Districts having
population the nearest possible the number IN.
titng District to Santot, aud il, in the appor.
tion,Gent to be- made Parish District fall short Of
or exceed The ratio ons-itth, then Dtsric may be
formed having moi more Than Senator'S but not
otherwise No superintendent shah have the
effect of abridgna the term Of service Of any Sena-
tor already elected the time Of making the appor-
tionment. After an enumeration has beeu made as
directed in the eighth Article, the Legislature shall
not pass any law until opportionmrnt OF Repre-
sentation IN both Houses Of the General Assembly
be made.
ART. IL. At the first session of the General AS
sembly after this Constitution takes effect the Sena
tors shall be equally divided by LOT into classes
The vi the Senators OF the first class shall be
vacated the expiration Of the second year OF the
second class, the expiration OF the fourth year so
that halt shalt BE- chosen every two years and
rotation thereby Kept up perpetually. In any
District shall have elected two Senators,
said Senators shall their respectively
the end oil two and four years, and lots shall be drawn
between them
ART. Is The frs, election for Senators shall be
general throughout the State, and the same time