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CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTES PREAMBLE The end of the institution, maintenance and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body poli- tic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who com- pose it, with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquil- ity their natural rights, and the blessings of life: And whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness. The Body-Politic is formed by a voluntary association of indi- viduals: It is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each Citizen, and each Citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain Laws for the Common good. It is the duty of the people, therefore, in framing a Constitution of Government, to provide for an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all time, find his security in them. WE, there- fore, the people of Massachusettes, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe, in affording us, in the course of his Providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprize, or entering into an Original, expli- cit, and Solemn Compact with each other; and of forming a New Constitution of Civil Government, for Ourselves and Posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so inter- esting a Design, DO agree upon, ordain and establish, the following DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, AND FRAME OF GOVERNMENT, as the CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTES. PART THE FIRST A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTES. Art. 1. All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reck- oned the right of enjoying and defending their Lives and Liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness. Art. 2. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publickly, and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and preserver of the Universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, Liberty, or Estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner and season most agreeable to the Dictates of his own conscience, or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious Worship. Art. 3. [As the happiness of a people, and the good order and pre- servation of civil government, essentially depend upon pi- ety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a Community, but by the institution of the public Worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality: Therefore, to promote their happi- ness and to secure the good order and preservation of their government, the people of this Commonwealth have a right to invest their Legislature with power to authorize and re- quire, and the Legislature shall, from time to time, author- ize and require, the several Towns, Parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suit- able provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the Public worship of God, and for the support and mainten- ance of public protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made Voluntarily. And the people of this Commonwealth have also a right to, and do, invest their Legislature with au- thority to enjoin upon all the subjects an attendance upon the instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if their be any on whose instruction they can Conscientiously and conveniently attend - Provided not- withstanding, that the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, shall, at all times, have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers, and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance. And all monies, paid by the subject to the sup- port of the public worship, and of the public teachers aforesaid, shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid to- wards the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said monies are raised. And every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good subjects of the Commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law: And no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be estab- lished by law.] NOTE - Art. XI, substituted for this. Sec. 4. The people of this Commonwealth have the sole and exclusive right of governing themselves, as a free, sovereign, and in- dependent State; and do, and forever hereafter shall, exer- cise and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not, or may not hereafter, be by them expressly delegated to the United States of America in Congress assembled. Sec. 5. All power residing originally in the people, and being de- rived from them, the several magistrates and officers of government, vested with authority, whether Legislative, executive, or judicial, are their substitutes and agents, and are at all times accountable to them. Sec. 6. No man, nor Corporation, or association of men, have any other title to obtain advantages, or particular and exclu- sive privileges, distinct from those of the Community, than what arises from the consideration of services rendered to the public; and this title being in nature neither heredit- ary, nor transmissible to children, or descendants, or rela- tions by blood, the idea of a man born a magistrate, law- giver, or judge, is absurd and unnatural. Sec. 7. Government is instituted for the Common good; for the pro- tection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family or Class of men: Therefore the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it. Sec. 8. In order to prevent those, who are vested with authority, from becoming oppressors, the people have a right, at such periods and in such manner as they shall establish by their frame of government, to cause their public officers to re- turn to private life; and to fill up vacant places by cer- tain and regular elections and appointments. Sec. 9. All elections ought to be free; and all the inhabitants of this Commonwealth, having such qualifications as they shall establish by their frame of government, having an equal right to elect officers, and to be elected, for public employments. Sec. 10. Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, Liberty and property, according to standing laws. He is obliged, Consequently, to contribute his share to the expense of this protection; to give his personal service, or an equivalent, when necessary: But no part of the property of any individual, can, with justice, be taken from him, or applied to public uses, with- out his own consent, or that of the representative body of the people. In fine, the people of this Commonwealth are not controllable by any other Laws then those to which their Constitutional Representative body have given their consent. And whenever the public exigencies require, that the proper- ty of any individual should be apportioned to public uses, he shall receive a reasonable compensation therefor. Sec. 11. Every subject of the Commonwealth ought to find a certain remedy, by having recourse to the laws, for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property, or character. He ought to obtain right and justice freely, and without being obliged to purchase it; completely, and without any denial; promptly, and without delay; conformably to the laws. Sec. 12. No subject shall be held to answer for any Crimes or of- fence, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and formally, described to him; or be compelled to accuse, or furnish evidence against himself. And every subject shall have a right to produce all proofs, that may be fav- orable to him; to meet the witnesses against him face to face, and to be fully heard in his defence by himself, or his council, at his election. And no subject shall be ar- rested, imprisoned, despoiled, or deprived of his property, immunities, or privileges, put out of the protection of the law, exiled, or deprived of his life, liberty, or estate, but by the judgement of his peers, or the law of the land. And the Legislature shall not make any law, that shall subject any person to a capital or infamous punishment, excepting for the government of the army and navy, without trial by jury. Sec. 13. In criminal prosecutions, the verification of facts in the vicinity where they happen, is one of the greatest securi- ties of the life, liberty, and property of the citizen. Sec. 14. Every subject has a right to be secure from all unreasonable searches, and seizures, of his person, his houses, his pa- pers, and all his possessions. All warrants, therefore, are contrary to this right, if the cause or foundation of them be not previously supported by oath or affirmation; and if the order in the warrant to a civil Officer, to make search in suspected places, or to arrest one or more suspected per- sons, or to seize their property, be not accompanied with a special designation of the persons or objects of search, arrest, or seizure: and no warrant ought to be issued but in cases, and with the formalities prescribed by the laws. Sec. 15. In all controversies concerning property, and in all suits between two or more persons, except in cases in which it has heretofore been otherwise used and practiced, the parties have a right to a trial by jury; and this method of proce- dure shall be held sacred, unless, in causes arising on the high seas, and such as relate to mariners wages, the Legis- lature shall hereafter find it necessary to alter it. Sec. 16. [The Liberty of the press is essential to the security of freedom in a state: it ought not, therefore, to be re- strained in this Commonwealth.] ADDED - The right of free speech shall not be abridged. Sec. 17. The people have a right to keep and to bear arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the Legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the Civil authority, and be governed by it. Sec. 18. A frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of the Constitution, and a constant adherence to those of piety, justice, moderation, temperance, industry, and frugality, are absolutely necessary to preserve the advantages of liberty, and to maintain a free government. The people ought, consequently, to have a particular attention to all those principles, in the choice of their Officers and Repre- sentatives: and they have a right to require of their law- givers and magistrates, an exact and constant observance of them, in the formation and execution of the laws necessary for the good administration of the Commonwealth. Sec. 19. The people have a right, in an orderly and peaceable manner, to assemble to consult upon the common good: give instruc- tions to their Representatives, and to request of the Leg- islative body, by the way of addresses, petitions, or remon- strances, redress of the wrongs done them, and of the griev- ances they suffer. Sec. 20. The power of suspending laws, or the execution of the laws, ought never to be exercised but by the Legislature, or by authority derived from it, to be exercised in such particu- lar cases only as the Legislature shall expressly provide for. Sec. 21. The freedom of deliberation, speech and debate, in either house of the Legislature, is so essential to the rights of the people, that it cannot be the foundation of any accusa- tion or prosecution, action or complaint, in any other court or place whatsoever. Sec. 22. The Legislature ought frequently to assemble for the redress of grievances, for correcting, strengthening and confirming the laws, and for making new laws, as the common good may require. Sec. 23. No subsidy, charge, tax, impost, or duties, ought to be es- tablished, fixed, laid, or levied, under any pretext whatso- ever, without the consent of the people or their Representa- tives in the Legislature. Sec. 24. Laws made to punish for actions done before the existence of such laws, and which have not been declared crimes by pre- ceding laws, are unjust, oppressive, and inconsistent with the fundamental principles of a free government. Sec. 25. No subject ought, in any case, or in any time, to be de- clared guilty of treason or felony by the Legislature. Sec. 26. No magistrate or court of law, shall demand excessive bail or sureties, impose excessive fines, or inflict cruel or unusual Punishments. Sec. 27. In time of peace, no soldier ought to be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; and in time of war, such quarters ought not to be made but by the civil magis- trate, in a manner ordained by the Legislature. Sec. 28. No person can in any case be subjected to law martial, or to any penalties or pains, by virtue of that law, except those employed in the army or navy, and except the militia in ac- tual service, but by authority of the Legislature. Sec. 29. It is essential to the preservation of the rights of every individual, his life, liberty, property and character, that there be an impartial interpretation of the laws, and admin- istration of justice. It is the right of every citizen to be tried by judges as free, impartial and independent as the lot of humanity will admit. It is, therefore, not only the best policy, but for the security of the rights of the peo- ple, and of every citizen, that the judges of the supreme judicial Court should hold their offices as long as they behave themselves well; and that they should have honorable salaries ascertained and established by standing laws. Sec. 30. In the government of this Commonwealth, the Legislative de- partment shall never exercise the executive and judicial powers, or either of them: The executive shall never exer- cise the Legislative and judicial powers, or either of them: The judicial shall never exercise the Legislative and execu- tive powers, or either of them: to the end it may be a gov- ernment of laws and not of men.