New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-08-12
CONSTITUTION
OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
adopted in Contention July 81, 1852.
PREAMBLE.
We, the people of the State of Louisiana do or
dain and establish this Constitution
PREAMBLE,

daln ana establish this ConStltutloH'
TITLE I.
DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS.
ART l. The powers OF the government of the Stat
Of Louisiana shall be divided into three distinct de
partments, and each Of them be con6ded to separ
ate body Of magistracy, to-wit: those which ar
Legislative to one, those which Executive to an
other, and those which are Judicial to another.
ART. q No one oil these Departments, nor an
person holding office in one OF them, shall exerciS
power properly belonging to either Of the Others ex
cept in the instances hereinafter expressly drece
or permitted.
TITLE II.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT..
ART. 3. The Legislative power of the State shall
be vested in two distinct branches, the one to b
styled the blouse of Representatives, the othe
the Senate, and both the General Assembly Of tn
State Of Louisiana.
ARIA. The members of the House Of Represen
tatives shall continue in service for the term Q
two years from the day of the closing of the genera
Arr. s. Representatives shall be chosen on tn,
first Monday in November every two years; and tn,
election shall be completed in one day. The Gene
raj Assembly shall meet annually, on the thire
Monday in January, unless different day be ap
pointed by law, and their sessions shall be held al
the seat Of government.
ART. 6. Every duly qualified elector, under this
Constitution, shall be eligible to seat in the Gen.
eral Assembly, provided that person shall be a
Representative or Senator unless he be, at the time
sentative or Senatorial district from which he is elect
ed.
ART. Z. Elections for members Of the General As.
sembly shall be held at the several election pre-
cincts established by law; The Legislature may
delegate the power of establishing election precincts
to the paroohial municipal authorities.
ART 8. Representation in the House OF Repre-
sentstives shall be equal and uniform and shall be
regulated and ascertained by the toal population OF
each Of the several parishes Of the State Each par
hall hay AZ cas- NJ,
parish shall be created with territory less than six
hundred and twenty-five square miles, nor with a
population essthan the full number emitting it to
Representative, nor when the creation Of such
new parish would leave any other parish without the
said extent of territory and amount of population
The first enumeration by the State authorities un
der this Constitution shall be made in the wear 1888
the second in the year 1885, the third in the year
1865; after which time the General Assembly shall
direct in what manner the census shall be taken so
that it be made at least once in every period of ten
years, for the purpose of ascertainng the total popu-
lation in each parish and election district
At the first regular session of the Legislature, after
the making of each enumeration, the Legislature shall
Apporton the representation among theseveral par.
ishes and election districts the basis of the total
population, aforesaid. A representative number
shall be fixed, and each parish and election district
shall have as many, Representatives as its aggre-
gate population snail entle it to, and additional
Representative for any fraction exceeding one-half
the Representative number. The number of Re-
personalities shall not be more than one hundred.
nor Hess than seventy. Until an apportionment
shall be made, and elections held under the same,
in accordance with the first enumeration to he made
as directed in this article, the Representation in
the Senate and House of Representatives shall be
and remain as at present established by law.
The limits of the parish of Orleans are hereby ex-
Tended, so as to embrace the whole of the present
city o. New Orleans, including that part of the pa
IRISH OF Jefferson, formerly known as the CITY of La
fayette.
All that part Of the parish of Orleans which is sit
uated on the left bank Of the Mississippi river shall
be divided by the Legislature into not more than
ten Representative districts, and until new amor
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 for Senators from the parish of Orleans
shall elect two out Of the three Representatives
now apporioned by law to the parish OF Jefferson
the other Representative Districts shall remain as
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
resident OF the State twelve months next preceding
the election, and the last six months thereof in lie
Parish in which he offers to vote and who shall be
citizen OF the United States shall have the right of
voting, but no voter on removing from one Parish
o another within the State, shall lose the right of
'oting in the former until he shall have acquired il in
ne latter Electors shall in all cases. except treason
ebony, or breach Of the peace, be privileged from
rrest, during their attendance at going to- or return.
ne from elections.
ART. II. The Legislature shall provide bv law
nat the names and residence Of all qualified electors
the city Of New Orleans, shall be registered in Or
er to entle them to vote but the registry shall be
roe Of cost to the elector.
ART l2. No soldier, seaman or marine in the army
navy OF the United States no pauper, no person |
nder introduction, nor under conviction of any crime
unstable with hard labor, shall be entitled to vote
any election in this State.
ART. 10. Noperson shall be entitled to vote n. anv
lection held in this State except in the Parish of hs
'sldence, and in cities and towns divided into eec
on precincts, in the election precinct III which he
ssides. NO
ART. IA. The members of the Senate shall be
aosen Tor the term Of four years. The Senate when
'sembed shall have the power to choose its officers
ART. 10. The Legislature, in every year in which
iey snail apPortion representation in the House of
representatives. shall divide the State into Senate
al districts. No Parish shall be divided in the
rmation OF Senatorial District-the Parish of Or
ans excepted. And whenever new Parish shall
created it shall be attached to the Senatorial Dis
ict from Which most gifts territory was taken or 10
aotaef contiguous District, at the discretion Of the
eg,sature, but shall not be attached to more than s
ne Dis9ict. The number of Senators shall be thirty-
vo and they shall be apportioned among the Senate.
a Distiicts according to the total population con.
Ined in the several Districts-Proyided that no .
as'sh snail be entitled 10 more than five Senators y
at 10. In all apportonments of the Senate the :
equation OF the city of New Orleans shall be deduc.
. rom the population Of the whole State, and the
msinder OF the population divided by the number .
ven!y t27) and the result produced by this
VISION We. shall be the Senatorial ratio emitting Sena
nai District to Senator. Single or contiguous =
arshes shall be formed into Districts, HAVING =
.puiauon The nearest possible to the number en- :
s.nk district to Senator and it. in the amor
ohhent to be made, Parish or District fall shntt Of
Exceed the ratio one-ffth then District NAV he
inea having not more than two Senators. hui no, "
f., e' NO new apportonment shall have the
nect o. abridgng the term of service of apv Sana.
'r already elected at the time of making the anrnr
onment: After an enumeration has been VIZ w.
..ecteo IN me eighth Article, the Legislature shall
W pass any law until an opportionment of Rene
3 made. s"e'ai Assembly c
eft ~. AT me hrst session of the General AS
'moy attef THIS Constitution takes effect The Soma,
RS shall be equally divided BY lot into t,yo oI,.ana
he seats of the Senators of The first class shamh
'cated at the expiration of the second year Of The
cond class, at the expiration of the fourth wear so
al one-half shall be chosen every two years and
tation thereby kept up perpetually. In case anv
istrlcf shall have elected two or more Senator'S
ID Senators shall vacate their seats respectively at
. end Of two and four years, and lots shall be drawn
tween them. W."
ART; ls The first election for Senators shall be
'hefal throughout the State, and at the same tim,
a. the general election for Representatives is held
"a thereafter there shall be biennial election, to lI
ipred. " S'- WIG may nave
ART. 10. Not less than majority of the members
eaoh mouse Of the General Assembly shall form
:.. 70 10 business, but smaller number NAV u