ARTICLE XXIII. Biennial Elections and Biennial Sessions. The Governor, Senators and Representatives in the Legislature shall be elected biennially, and hold office two years from the first Wednesday in January next succeeding their election; and the Legislature, at the first session next after the adoption of this article, shall make all needful provisions by law concerning the tenure of office of all county officers, and concerning the annual or biennial reports of the State Treasurer and other State officers and institutions; and shall make all such provisions by law as may be required in consequence of the change from annual to biennial elections, and from annual to biennial sessions of the Legislature. The first election under this article shall be in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty; and the first meeting of the Legislature under this article shall be on the first Wednesday of January, eighteen hundred and eighty-one. Section four, article two; section five, part one, article four; section four, part two, article four; section one, part three, article four; section thirteen, part one, article five; section two, part two, article five; section one, part three, article five; section one, part four, article five; section four, part four, article five; section three, article seven; section four, article nine, and section eleven, article nine, are amended, by substituting the word "biennial " for the word "annual" wherever it occurs. Section two, part one, article five, is amended, by striking out all after the word "office" and substituting therefor the following words: "For two years from the first Wednesday of January next following the election." Section seven, article six, and section two, article ten, are hereby amended by striking out the word "annual" and inserting in place thereof the word "biennial." ARTICLE XXIV. Election of Governor by Plurality Vote. The Constitution of this State shall be amended, in the third section of the first part of article five, by striking out the word " majority," wherever it occurs therein, and inserting in place thereof the word "plurality." ARTICLE XXV. Biennial Legislative Terms. Section two, article four, part first, of the Constitution of this State, as amended under the "resolution concerning an amendment of the Constitution of Maine," approved the fourth day of March, in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, shall be further amended by striking out the words "first Wednesday in January next succeeding their election," and inserting in place thereof the words "day next preceding the biennial meeting of the Legislature, and the amendment herein proposed, if adopted, shall determine the term of office of Senators and Representatives to be elected at the annual meeting in September, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty, as well as the term of Senators and Representatives thereafter to be elected," so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows: Sec. 2. The House of Representatives shall consist of one hundred and fifty-one members, to be elected by the qualified electors, and hold their office two years from the day next preceding the biennial meeting of the Legislature, and the amendment herein proposed, if adopted, shall determine the term of office of Senators and Representatives to be elected at the annual meeting in September, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty, as well as the term of Senators and Representatives thereafter to be elected. The Legislature, which shall first be convened under this Constitution, shall on or before the fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and the Legislature, within every subsequent period of at most ten years, and at least five, cause the number of the inhabitants of the State to be ascertained, exclusive of foreigners not naturalized and Indians not taxed. The number of Representatives shall, at the several periods of making such enumeration, be fixed and apportioned among the several counties, as near as may be, according to the number of inhabitants, having regard to the relative increase of population. The number of Representatives shall, on said first apportionment, be not less than one hundred and not more than one hundred and fifty." ARTICLE XXVI. Prohibition of the Manufacture and Sale of Intoxicating Liquors. The manufacture of intoxicating liquors, not including cider, and the sale and keeping for sale of intoxicating liquors, are and shall be forever prohibited. Except, however, that the sale and keeping for sale of such liquors for medicinal and mechanical purposes and the arts, and the sale and keeping for sale of cider, may be permitted under such regulations as the Legislature may provide. The Legislature shall enact laws with suitable penalties for the suppression of the manufacture, sale and keeping for sale of intoxicating liquors, with the exceptions herein specified. AMENDMENT Xxvii. Eligibility of the Treasurer of the State. The Treasurer shall be chosen biennially, at the first session of the Legislature, by joint ballot of the Senators and Representa tives in convention, but shall not be eligible more than six years successively. AMENDMENT XXVIII. Appointment of Adjutant-General. The major-generals shall be elected by the Senate and House of Representatives, each having a negative on the other. The adjutant-general and quartermaster-general shall be appointed by the Governor. But the adjutant-general shall perform the duties of quartermaster-general until otherwise directed by law. The major-generals and brigadier-generals and the commanding officers of regiments and battalions, shall appoint their respec tive staff officers; and all military officers shall be commissioned by the Governor. AMENDMENT XXIX. Educational Qualifications of Voters. No person shall have the right to vote or be eligible to office under the Constitution of this State, who shall not be able to read the Constitution in the English language and write his name: Provided, however, That the provisions of this amendment shall not apply to any person prevented by a physical disability from complying with its requisitions, nor to any person who now has the right to vote, nor to any person who shall be sixty years of age or upwards at the time this amendment shall take effect. |