The general affembly fliall not have power to infringe this conflitution; to abridge the civil rights of any perfon on account of his religious belief; to reftrain him from profeffing and fupporting that belief, or to compel him to contributions.
other than thofe he Ihall. have perfonaliy ftipulated for the fupport of that or any other; to ordain death for any crime but treafon or murder, or military offences;
to pardon, or give a power of pardoning perfons duly convifted of treafon or felony, but inftead thereof they may fubftitute one or two new trials, and no more; to pafs laws for punifhing adlions done before the exirtence of fuch laws ; to pafs any bill of attainder of treafon or felony; to prefcribe torture in any cafe whatever; nor to per- mit the introduftion of any more flaves to refide in this ftate, or the continuance of flavery beyond the generation which fliail be living on the thirty-firfl: day of Decem- ber, one thoufand eight hundred: all per- fons born after that day being hereby de- clared free.
The general aflembly fhall have power to fever from this ftate all or any parts of its territory weftward of the Ohio, or of the meridian of the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, and to cede to Congrefs one hundred fquare miles of territory in any Other part of this ftate, exempted from the jurifdiftion and goverment of this ftate fo long as Congrefs liiall hold their feflions therein, or in any territory adja- cent thereto, which may be tended to them by any other ftate.
They fliall have power to appoint the fpeakers of their refpedlive houfes, trea- furer, auditors, attorney general, regifter, all general officers of the military, their own clerks and ferjeants, and no other officers, except where, in other parts of this conftitution, fuch appointment is ex- prefsly given them.
The executive powers fliall be exer- cifed by a Governor^ who fliall be chofen by joint ballot of both houfts of afTembly, and when chofen fhall