Source: https://constitution.com/texas-constitution-1827/
Timestamp: 2018-07-18 12:51:31
Document Index: 206552793

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART. 7', 'ART. 16', 'ART. 53', 'ART. 59', 'ART. 203', 'ART. 204', 'ART. 205', 'ART. 206', 'ART. 207', 'Art. 208', 'Art. 209', 'ART. 210', 'ART. 211', 'ART. 212', 'ART. 213', 'ART. 214', 'ART. 223']

Texas Constitution, 1827
ART. 7. For the better administration thereof, the territory of the state shall for the present be divided into three departments as follows, –viz:
Bexar,–Embracing all the territory corresponding to what was called province of Texas, which shall form one sole district.
Monclova,–Consisting of the district of the same name, and that of Rio Grande.
Saltillo,–Comprehending the district of the same name, and that of Parras.
ART. 16. The state shall be composed solely of two classes of persons,–viz. Coahuiltexanos, and citizens of Coahuila and Texas.
First,–All men born and domiciled in the territory of the state, and the children of the same.
Second,–All those born in any other part of the territory of the republic, who shall fix their residence in the state.
Third,–Foreigners, of whatever nation, now legally established in the state.
Fourth,–Foreigners, who obtain from congress letters of citizenship, or become domiciliated in the state according to the law that shall be enacted as soon as the general congress issues the general Nuturalization Law, which, agreeably to the 27th prerogative conferred by the constitution of the republic, ought to be established.
First,–All men born in the state and domiciliated in any part of the territory thereof.
Second,–All citizens of the other states and territory of the republic, as soon as they are domiciliated in the state.
Third,–All sons of Mexican citizens, born without the territory of the republic, who establish their domicil in the state.
Fourth,–Foreigners, from whatever country, now legally domiciliated in the state.
Fifth,–Foreigners, now enjoying the rights of Coahuiltexanos, who shall obtain special certificates of citizenship from congress. The laws shall prescribe the qualifications and conditions for granting them the same.
First,–By becoming naturalized in a foreign country.
Second,–By admitting office, pension, or title from a foreign government without permission from congress.
Third,–By receiving executory sentence, wherein corporal or disgraceful punishment is imposed.
Fourth,–By a person selling his vote, or buying that of another for himself, or a third person, whether in popular assemblies or in any other; and by violation of public trust in the said assemblies, whether by presidents, secretaries, tellers, or those discharging any other public function.
Fifth,–By having resided five years in succession without the territory of the republic, without a commission from the general government of that of the state, or without license from the latter.
First,–For moral or physical disability, after judicial investigation.
Second,–For not having attained the age of twenty one years, except married persons, who shall enjoy the said rights from the time they marry, whatever be their age.
Third,–For being debtor to the public funds, the time of payment having expired, and payment having been demanded.
Fourth,–For being under criminal prosecution, until acquitted or sentenced to a punishment not corporal or disgraceful.
Fifth,–For having no employment, trade, or know way of support.
Sixth,–For not being able to read and write, but this provision shall not take effect until after the year 1850, and with respect to those who shall enter on the exercise of the rights of citizens after that time.
First,–To be a citizen in the enjoyment of his rights.
Second,–To have attained the age of Twenty-five years.
Third,–To be domiciliated in the state, and to have resided therein the last two years immediately preceding the election.
First,–The governor and vice governor of the state, and members of the executive council.
Second,–Officers of the republic.
Third,–Civil officers appointed by the executive of the state.
Fourth,–Ecclesiastics, exercising any jurisdiction or authority in the district where the election is holden.
Fifth,–Foreigners in time of war between their own country and this republic.
ART. 53. To be eligible as district elector it shall be required to be a citizen in the exercise of his rights, to have attained the age of twenty-five years–to be able to read and write, and to be domiciliated and resident in the same district one year, immediately preceding the election.
ART. 59. The election on both days having terminated, the president, secretary and tellers of each assembly shall proceed to count and cast up the number of votes received by the several candidates in the register, and sign the same, which having been done the assembly shall be dissolved, and any other act in which they interfere shall not only be null, but shall be considered an offence against the public safety.–Said register shall be delivered enclosed to the secretary of the respective Ayuntamiento.
First,–To enact, interpret, amend or repeal the laws relative to the administration and internal government of the state in all its branches.
Second,–Regulate the votes received by citizens at the electoral district assemblies for governor, vice governor and councillors, and make choice of the same, as the case may be.
Third,–To decide by ballot the ties that occur between two or more persons in elections to said trust.
Fourth,–Resolve upon doubts that arise upon said elections, and upon the qualifications of the persons elected.
Fifth,–Examine the reasons offered by those elected for not accepting said offices, and resolve thereon as it shall think proper.
Sixth,–Form itself into a grand jury for declaring whether there be a just ground of action, both for critics of office, and for crimes in general, committed against the deputies of congress, the governor, vice governor, members of the council, secretary of state, and members of the supreme tribunal of justice of the state.
Seventh,–Render the responsibility of the said public functionaries effectual, and provide that it be exacted of the other officers as the case may be.
Eighth,–Determine every year the state expenditures in view of the pre estimates to be presented by the executive.
Ninth,–Establish or confirm the imposts, or contributions necessary for covering said expense in accordance with this constitution, and that of the republic. Regulate their collection, determine their application, and approve their distribution.
Tenth,–Examine and approve the accounts of the disposition of all the funds of the state.
Eleventh,–Contract debts in case of need, on the credit of the state, and designate guaranties for covering the same.
Twelfth,–Enact what is proper for the administration, preservation, and alienation of the property of the state.
Thirteenth,–Create, suspend or abolish public office of the state; assign, diminish or augment them their salaries, recesses, or labours.
Fourteenth,–Grant rewards or recompenses to corporations or persons who may have rendered signal services to the state, and decree public honors to perpetuate the memory of great men.
Fifteenth,–Regulate the method of recruiting the men required for the service or replacement of the companies of the standing garrison militia, of cavalry, or of active militia, belonging to the same auxiliary arm of defence as the former, which are destined to the defence of the state by their institution, and approve of the allotments made among the towns of the state, of the portions that respectively belong to them for fulfilling that object.
Sixteenth,–Enact what is proper for the enrollment and instruction of the civic militia of the state, and appointment of its officers agreeably to the discipline that is now, or shall be hereafter prescribed by general law.
Seventeenth,–Promote and encourage public knowledge and education by laws and the progress of the sciences, arts, and useful establishments, removing the obstacles that retard such commendable objects.
Eighteenth,–Protect the political liberty of the press.
Nineteenth,–Intervene, and give or withhold its consent in all those acts and cases wherein it is provided in this constitution.
First,–To watch over the observance of the constitutive act, constitution and general laws of union, and the private laws of the state in order to give notice to congress of the violations it may have noticed.
Second,–Convoke congress to extra session as the case may be and in the manner prescribed by this constitution.
Third,–Discharge the functions assigned it in articles 79 and 80.
Fourth,–Notify substitute deputies in order that they may join congress in their turn in lieu of the deputies proper, and in case of default or absolute impossibility of both, communicate the corresponding orders to their respective district, that it may proceed to a new election.
Fifth,–Receive the certified copies of the acts of election of the electoral district assemblies for governor, vice governor, and members of the executive council, and deliver them to congress as soon as it is installed.
First,–He shall be a citizen in the exercise of his rights.
Second,–Born in the territory of the republic.
Third,–Have attained the age of thirty years.
Fourth,–An inhabitant of this state, having resided five years therein, two of which immediately preceding the election.
First,–The governor may make observations upon the laws and decrees of congress in the manner and form prescribed by article 102, suspending their publication until said congress resolves thereon, unless in cases excepted by this constitution.
Second,–He may propose to congress such laws or amendments as he thinks conducive to the general good of the state.
Third,–He may pardon delinquents conformably to law.
Fourth,–The governor cannot be accused for any crime whatever committed during his term of office, and one year after, reckoned from the date whereon he ceased in his functions, except before congress, and after the expiration of that term, not even before congress.
First,–To take care that the internal order and tranquillity of the state be preserved, and of its safety without–for both objects disposing of the militia of said state, of which he shall be commander in chief throughout its territory.
Second,–See that the constitutive act, the federal and state constitutions, the laws decrees and orders of the general government, and of the congress of said state be fulfilled, issuing the proper orders and decrees for their execution.
Third,–Form, with the advice of the council, such instructions and regulations as he deems necessary for the better government of the departments of the public administration of the state, which he shall transmit to congress for approval.
Fourth,–Appoint agreeably to the constitution and laws, all the officers of state not chosen by the people, or as otherwise provided by law.
Fifth,–Freely appoint and remove the secretary of state.
Sixth,–See that justice be promptly and fully administered by the tribunals and courts of justice of the state, and that their decisions are executed.
Seventh,–Take care of the administration and collection of all the state rents, and decree their disposition according to law.
Eighth,–Suspend from office, as long as three months, and deprive of even one-half their salary for the same length of time, after hearing the advice of the council, all officers of the executive department, and of his appointment or approval on violating his orders of decrees, transmitting the data on the subject to the respective tribunal, should he think there is a proper ground of action.
Ninth,–Propose to the standing deputation, whenever he thinks proper after hearing the advice of the council, the convocation of congress to extra session.
The governor shall not have the power,–
First,–To command the civic militia of the state in person without the express consent of congress or during its recess, the resolution of the permanent deputation. Whenever he commands the said militia on the aforesaid condition, the vice governor shall discharge the duties of governor.
Second,–Interfere in the examination of causes pending, or dispose in any manner of the persons of those accused in criminal cases, during the trial.
Third,–To deprive any one of his liberty or impose punishment upon him, but when the well being and safety of the state require the arrest of any person, he may effect it on condition of putting the persons arrested, within forty-eight hours, at the disposal of a competent tribunal or judge.
Fourth,–Take possession of the property of any private individual or corporation, or disturb him in the possession, use, or benefit thereof, unless it should be necessary for a purpose of manifest public utility in the judgment of the executive council, in which case he may do so with the concurrence of the council, and approval of congress, and during the recess, of the permanent deputation, always indemnifying the party interested agreeably to the opinion of appraisers chosen by the executive and the said party.
Fifth,–Impede or embarrass in any manner, or under any pretence the popular elections determined by this constitution and the laws, or that they have their entire effect.
Sixth,–Leave the capitol to go to any other part of the state for a longer time than one month; should he require a longer time or should he be under the necessity of leaving the state, he shall request licence from congress, and during recess, from the permanent delegation.
“The Governor of the State of Coahuila and Texas, to all the inhabitants thereof: Be it known, that the Congress of said State has decreed as follows:
Wherefore I command it to be printed, published, and duly fulfilled.”
First,–To give the governor a written report in all business wherein the law imposes on the latter the duty of requesting the same, and in other matters wherein the governor himself thinks proper to consult said body.
Second,–Watch over the observance of the constitutive act, federal constitution, and general laws of the union, constitution and private laws of the state, apprizing congress of any violations it may observe.
Third,–Promote establishment of, and give activity to, all the branches of prosperity of the state.
Fourth,–Propose nominations of three for filling those offices, wherein the law exacts this requisite.
Fifth,–Concur with the permanent deputation agreeably to article 80, on the convocation of congress to extra session, and meet with said deputation for the temporary measures that may be necessary in those cases mentioned in article 90.
Sixth,–Explain the accounts of all the public funds, and transmit the same to congress for approval.
First,–to decide the power of inferior judges.
Second,–Determine appeals of nullity, interposed from executing judgements in first, second and third processes.
Third,–Take cognizance in all compulsive appeals interposed from the ecclesiastical tribunals and authorities of the state.
Fourth,–Examine the lists that shall be transmitted to the same monthly, of causes pending in first, second and third processes communicate a copy thereof to the governor, and provide for their publication through the press.
Fifth,–Hear doubts of law that occur to the two first halls, and to the primary tribunals, and communicate them to congress, through the channel of the governor, accompanied by the corresponding report.
ART. 203. The taxes of the individuals composing the state shall form its public revenue.
ART. 204. Said taxes may be direct, general, or municipal, but of whatever kind they are, they shall be proportionate to the expenditures they are to cover, and to the property of the citizens.
ART. 205. Taxes cannot be levied except for paying the portion corresponding to the state of the general disbursements of the republic, and covering the private expense of the state. The taxes for the latter object shall be fixed expressly, on the first term of session, every year, and according to the pre-estimate to be presented by the governor, and approved by congress.
ART. 206. The present taxes shall continue until their repeal be published, and said repeal cannot be decreed except by congress.
ART. 207. There shall be in the capital a general treasury for the receipt, custody and distribution of the whole product of the state rents.
Art. 208. No pay that has not been for covering expense approved by congress, or by special order of the governor shall be alloed the treasurer in account.
Art. 209. The business rooms of the state revenue shall be regulated by particular instructions.
ART. 210. Congress shall choose three individuals every year from within or without its own body, to examine the accounts of the state treasury, and afterwards to present or communicate the same, accompanied by their report to congress for approval. Said approval, or the resolution that should be adopted by congress shall be published and circulated to the Ayuntamientos, in order that they may publish and circulate the same in their districts.
Civic Militia of the State.
ART. 211. Corps of civic militia shall be established in all the towns of the state, and the said corps shall compose the military force of the state.
ART. 212. The formation of said corps, their organization, discipline, and internal government, shall be regulated by congress in conformity to the provision made on the subject by the general laws of the republic.
ART. 213. Congress shall regulate the service of said militia, so that while it is adapted to the purposes of its institution and to the best interests of the state, it may be as little onerous as possible to the citizens.
ART. 214. No Coahuil-Texano can decline lending said service when required by law, and in the manner it provides.
ART. 223. The congress following shall receive the propositions for discussion, or reject them–and if accepted, they shall again be printed, and circulated by the executive to be read in the proximate electoral juntas previous to electing the deputies to congress.
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