Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-05-05

OAA IN Il
: and that will support and defend the same
the best of my ability"
Sec. 5. No voter, during the time of holdir
any election at which he is entitled to vot
shall be compelled to perform military servic
2 except in time of war or public danger; to wor
upon public roads or to attend any court !;
j, suitor, juror, or witness; and no voter shall t
subject to arrest under any civil process, durin
returning from them.
OATH OF OFFICE
Sec. G. All persons, before entering upon tn
discharge of any function as officers of thi
State, must take and subscribe the followin
oath or affirmation:
Il, -, do solemnly swear Tor affirm
that [ will support and maintain the Constitu
tion and laws of the United States, and tn
constitution and laws of the State of Virginia
that L recognize and accept the civil and politi
cal equality of all men before the laws; ant
that | will faithfully perform the duty of -
to the best of my ability. So help me God"
Sec. l. In addition to the foregoing oath o
Office, the governor, lieutenant governor mem
bers OF the general assembly, secretary of state
auditor OF public accounts, state treasurer, at
torney general, all persons elected to any con
vention to frame constitution for this State
or to change, alter, or amend or revise thi:
constitution in any manner, and mayor anC
council of any city or town, shall, before they
enter on the duties of their respective Offices
take and subscribe the following oath or afir
nation: Provided, The disabilities therein
contained may be Individually removed by q
three ffths vote of the General Assembly:
Il, do solemnly swear Tor af6rm) that have
never voluntarily borne arms against the Uni
| ted States since | have been citizen thereof
that have voluntarily given no aid, counte.
nance, counsel or encouragement to persons en-
gagged in armed hostility thereto; that have
never sought nor accepted, nor attempted to
exercise the functions of any office whatever
under any authority or pretended authority in
hostility to the United States that have not
yielded voluntary support to any pretended
government, authority, power, or constitution
within the United States hostile or inimical
thereto. And do further swear Tor afirm)
that to the best of my knowledge and ability,
| will support and defend the Constitution Of
the United States against all enemies, foreign
and DOMESTIC that ! Will bear true faith and
allegiance to the same; that | take this obi
CATION freely, without any mental reservation
or purpose Of evasion, and that will we'll and
faithfully discharge the duties Of the Office on
which ! am about to enter So help me God. -
The above oath shall also be taken by all city
and county officers before entering upon their
duties, and by all other State officers not in
cluded in the above provision.
ARTICLE ".
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
THE aoyERsog.
.Seetisn /. and II. are verbatim copies from
Article Y. of the Constitution of 1880 all
Sec. 3. No person, except eitigen Of the
United States, shall be eligible to the office of
Governor; and if such persons be of foreign
birth, he must have been citizen Of the Uni
ted States for ten years next preceding his
election nor shall any person be eligible to
that office unless he shall have attained the age
of thirty years, and have been resident of this
State tor three years nexst preceding bis cleo
ton.
[section ". is &. verbatim copy from Ar
ticle Y of the Constitution of lS50-5I. The
changes in section Y, as follows, arc note
worthy
Sec. S. He shall take care that, the laws be
faithfully executed; communicate to the Gen
eral Assembly at every session the condition of
the Commonwealth ; recommend to their con-
sideration such measures as he may deem ex-
pedient, and convene the General Assembly,
on apEiiaation Of two thirds Of theHmembers Of
both Houses thereof, or when, in his opinion,
the interests Of the Commonwealth may re-
quire, it. He shall be eomnllaslldet-in- chief Of
the land and naval forces Of the State; have
power to eMbody the militia to repel invasion,
suppress Insurreotlon, and enforce the execu-
tion of the laws; conduct, either in person or
in such other manner as shall be prescribed by
law, all intercourse with other and foreign
States and during the recess Of the General
Assembly fill protempore all vaoanqies ip those
offices for which toe Constitution and laws
make n3 provision; but his appointments to
such vacancies shaI! be by commissions to cx-
pire at tho end of thirty days after the com.
mencement of the next session of the General
Assembly. He shall have power to remj. Gnes
and penalties in such cassa and under such
rules and regulations as may be prescribed by
law; and, except when the prosecution has
been carried on by the House OF Delegates, to
grant reprieves and pardons after conviction !;
to remove political disabilities consequent upon
Qonvietion for offences committed prior or sub
sequent to the adoption OF this constitution,
and to commute capital punishment; but he
shall communicate to the General Assembly,
at each session, the particulars of every case of
fine or penalty RENTED, or reprieve Or pardon
granted, and of punishment commuted, with
his reasons for remitting granting, or comnlu-
ting the same.
Sections " and VII, are verbatim copies
from Article Y. of the Constitution of 185O-5l
| The following is added !:
Sec 8. Every bill WHICH shall have passed
the Senate and House Of Delegates and every
resolution requiring the assent Of both branches
| of the General Assembly, shall. before it be-
comes law, be presented to the Governor; if
he approve, he shall sign it, but if not, he
shall return it, with his objections, to that
House in which it shall have originated, who
shall enter the objection at large on their jour-
nal, and proceed to reconsider it. IF, after
such reconsideration, two thirds of the mem
bers present shall agree to pass the bill joint
resolution, it shall be sent, together with the
objections, to the other House, by which il
shall likewise be relopsidered, and if approved
by two-thirds Of all the members, present il
shall become law, notwithstanding the oh,
jec5ions of the Governor But in all such cases
the votes OF both Houses shall be determined
by eyes and noes, and the names of the mem
bers voting for and against the bill or joint res
olution shall be entered on the journal Of eacl
House respectively. If any bill or resolution
shall not be returned by the Governor within
five days Sundays exceptcd,) after it shall
have been presented to him, the same shall b.
law in like manner as if he had signed it, un
less the Legislature shall, by their adjourn
ment, prevent its return, in which case it shal
not be law.
ARTICLE V.
THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.
Sec. l. The Legislative power of this Com