tions 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 conviction for offences committed prior or subsequent to the adoption of this constitution, and to commute capital punishment; but he shall communicate to the general assembly, at each session, particulars of every case of fine or penalty remitted, of reprieve or pardon granted, and of punishment commuted, with his reasons for remitting, granting, or commuting the same.

SEC. 6. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and may also require the opinion, in writing, of the attorney-general upon any question of law connected with his official duties.

SEC. 7. Commissions and grants shall run in the name of the commonwealth of Virginia, and be attested by the governor, with the seal of the commonwealth annexed.

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 becomes a law, be presented to the governor; if he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such consideration, two-thirds of the members present shall agree to pass the bill or joint resolution, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the members present, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the objections of the governor. But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by ayes and noes,

and the names of the members voting for and against the bill or joint resolution shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill or resolution shall not be returned by the governor within five days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the legislature shall, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

Lieutenant-Governor.

SEC. 9. A lieutenant-governor shall be elected at the same time and for the same term as the governor, and his qualification and the manner of his election, in all respects, shall be the same.

SEC. 10. In case of the removal of the governor from office, or of his death, failure to qualify, resignation, removal from the state, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the said office, with its compensation, shall devolve upon the lieutenant-governor; and the general assembly shall provide by law for the discharge of the executive functions in other necessary cases.

SEC. 11. The lieutenant-governor shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote except in case of an equal division; and while acting as such, shall receive a compensation equal to that allowed to the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer and Auditor.

SEC. 12. A secretary of the commonwealth, treasurer, and auditor of public accounts, shall be elected by the joint vote of the two houses of the general assembly, and continue in office for the term of two years, unless sooner relieved. The salary of each shall be determined by law.

SEC. 13. The secretary shall keep a record of the official acts of the governor, which shall be signed by the governor and attested by the secretary; and when required, he shall lay the same, and any papers, minutes and vouchers pertaining to his office, before either house of the general assembly; and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law. All fees received by the secretary shall be paid into the treasury.

SEC. 14. The powers and duties of the treasurer and auditor shall be such as now are or may hereafter be prescribed by law.

SEC. 15. There may be established in the office of the secretary of state, a bureau of statistics and a bureau of agricultural chemistry and geology, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 16. The general assembly shall have power to establish a bureau of agriculture and immigration, under such regulations as may be prescribed.

Board of Public Works.

SEC. 17. There shall be a board of public works, to consist of the governor, auditor, and treasurer of the commonwealth, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.

ARTICLE V.

Legislative Department.

SEC. 1. The legislative power of this commonwealth shall be vested in a general assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Delegates.

SEC. 2. The House of Delegates shall be elected biennially by the voters of the several cities and counties, on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, and shall, from and after the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, eighteen

hundred and seventy-nine, consist of not more than one hundred and not less than ninety members.

SEC. 3. From and after the same date, the Senate shall consist of not less than thirty-three nor more than forty members. They shall be elected for the term of four years-for the election of whom the counties, cities, and towns shall be divided into districts. Each county, city, and town of the respective districts shall, at the time of the first election of its delegate or delegates under this amendment, vote for one or more senators. The senators first elected under this amendment, in districts bearing odd numbers, shall vacate their offices at the end of two years; and those elected in districts bearing even numbers, at the end of four years; and vacancies occurring by expiration of term shall be filled by the election of senators for the full term.

SEC. 4. An apportionment of senators and members of the House of Delegates shall be made at the regular session of the general assembly next preceding the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, or sooner. reapportionment shall be made in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and every tenth year thereafter.

Qualifications of senators and delegates.

A

SEC. 5. Any person may be elected senator who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the district, and qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution; and any person may be elected a member of the House of Delegates who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the county, city, town, or election district, qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution. But no person holding a salaried office under the state government shall be capable of being elected a member

of either house of the general assembly. The removal of any person elected to either branch of the general assembly, from the city, county, town, or district for which he was elected, shall vacate his office.

Powers and duties of the general assembly.

SEC. 6. The general assembly shall meet once in two years, and not oftener, unless convened by the governor in the manner prescribed in this constitution. No session of the general assembly, after the first under this amendment, shall continue longer than ninety days, without the concurrence of threefifths of the members elected to each house; in which case the session may be extended for a further period, not exceeding thirty days. Neither house during the session of the general assembly shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. A majority of the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalty as each house may prescribe.

SEC. 7. The House of Delegates shall choose its own Speaker, and in the absence of the lieutenantgovernor, or when he shall exercise the office of governor, the Senate shall choose, from their own body, a president pro tempore; and each house shall appoint its own officers, settle its own rules of proceeding, and direct writs of election for supplying intermediate vacancies; but if vacancies shall occur during the recess of the general assembly, such writs may be issued by the governor, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. Each house shall judge of the election, qualification and returns of its members; may punish them for disorderly be