The Tennessee state constitution

216 Pages·2011·1.007 MB·English

by  Lewis L. Laska

■ The Tennessee State Constitution
Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers
University, serves as General Editor for this important new series which in its entirety will cover
each of the 50 states. Each volume of Th e Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of
the United States contains a historical overview of the state’s constitutional development, plus a
section-by-section analysis of the state’s current constitution. Other features included in the
volumes are the text of the state’s constitution, a bibliographic essay, table of cases, and index.
Th is series provides essential reference tools for those investigating state constitutional
development and constitutional law.
The Tennessee

State Constitution

Lewis L. Laska

the oxford commentaries on the state
constitutions of the united states
G. Alan Tarr, Series Editor
1
1
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Copyright © 2011 by Lewis L. Laska
Previously published in 1990 by Greenwood Press
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.
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______________________________________________
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Laska, Lewis L.
Th e Tennessee State Constitution / Lewis L. Laska.
p. cm. —(Th e Oxford commentaries on the state constitutions of the United States)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-19-977907-9 ((hardback) : alk. paper)
1. Constitutions—Tennessee. 2. Constitutional law—Tennessee.
3. Constitutional history—Tennessee. I. Tennessee. Constitution (1870) II. Title.
KFT4011870.A6 L367 2011
342.76802—dc22 2011002600
______________________________________________
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
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■ C O N T E N T S
Series Foreword by G. Alan Tarr xi
Preface xiii
P ART ONE ■ The History of the Tennessee Constitution
Introduction 3
Th e Rise to Statehood 3
Th e Constitution of 1796 4
Th e Constitution of 1835 10
Th e Constitution of 1870 18
Conclusion 32
PART TWO ■ The Tennessee Constitution and Commentary
Preamble 35
Article I: Declaration of Rights 37
Section 1. All Power Inherent in the People—Government
Under Th eir Control 37
Section 2. Doctrine of Nonresistance Condemned 37
Section 3. Freedom of Worship 38
Section 4. No Religious or Political Test 39
Section 5. Elections to be Free and Equal—Right of Suff rage 40
Section 6. Trial by Jury—Qualifi cations of Jurors 41
Section 7. Unreasonable Searches and Seizures—General Warrants 43
Section 8. No Man to be Disturbed but by Law 44
Section 9. Right of the Accused in Criminal Prosecutions 46
Section 10. Double Jeopardy Prohibited 50
Section 11. No Ex Post Facto Laws 51
Section 12. No Corruption of Blood or Forfeiture of Estates 52
Section 13. Treatment Aft er Arrest 53
Section 14. Prerequisites to Criminal Charge 53
Section 15. Bailable Off enses—Habeas Corpus 54
Section 16. Restrictions on Bail, Fines and Punishment 55
Section 17. Open Courts—Redress of Injuries—Suits Against the State 55
Section 18. No Imprisonment for Debt 58
Section 19. Freedom of Speech and Press 58
v
vi ■ contents
Section 20. No Retrospective Laws 59
Section 21. No Man’s Services or Property Taken without
Consent or Compensation 59
Section 22. No Perpetuities or Monopolies 60
Section 23. Right of Assembly 61
Section 24. Militia—Civil Authority 62
Section 25. Martial Law—Punishment 62
Section 26. Right to Bear Arms—Regulations 63
Section 27. Quartering Soldiers 64
Section 28. No One Compelled to Bear Arms 64
Section 29. Navigation of the Mississippi 64
Section 30. No Hereditary Honors 64
Section 31. Boundaries of the State 65
Section 32. Prisons and Prisoners 66
Section 33. Slavery Prohibited 67
Section 34. Right of Property in Man 67
Article II: Distribution of Powers 69
Section 1. Division of Powers 69
S ection 2. Limitation of Powers 6 9
S ection 3. Legislative Authority—Term of Offi ce 70
Section 4. Apportionment of Senators and Representatives 71
Section 5. Number of Representatives—Apportionment 72
Section 6. Number of Senators—Apportionment 72
Section 7. Time of Elections 74
Section 8. Legislative Sessions—Governor’s Inauguration 74
Section 9. Qualifi cations of Representatives 75
Section 10. Senators—Qualifi cations 75
Section 11. Elections of Offi cers—Quorum—Adjournments 77
Section 12. Each House to Make Its Own Rules 78
Section 13. Privilege of Members 78
Section 14. Power to Punish Other Th an Members 79
Section 15. Vacancies 79
Section 16. Limitation Upon Power of Adjournment 80
Section 17. Origin and Frame of Bills 80
Section 18. Passage of Bills 81
Section 19. Rejection of Bills 83
Section 20. Style of Laws—Eff ective Date 83
Section 21. Journal of Proceedings 84
Section 22. Open Sessions and Meetings—Exception 84
Section 23. Compensation of Members of General Assembly 84
Section 24. Appropriation of Public Moneys 86
Section 25. Defaulters Ineligible 88
contents ■ vii
Section 26. Ineligibility—Lucrative Offi ces 89
Section 27. Right of Protest 90
Section 28. Taxable Property—Valuation—Rates 90
Section 29. Counties and Towns—Power to Tax—Credit 95
Section 30. Articles Not Taxable—Inspection Fees 97
Section 31. Acts Forbidden the State 98
Section 32. Amendments to Constitution of United States 99
Section 33. No State Bonds to Defaulting Railroads 100
Article III: Executive Department 1 01
Section 1. Governor’s Executive Power 101
Section 2. Election of Governor 101
Section 3. Governor’s Qualifi cations 102
Section 4. Governor’s Term of Offi ce 102
Section 5. Governor as Commander-in-Chief—Calling Out Militia 103
Section 6. Pardons and Reprieves 103
Section 7. Governor’s Compensation 104
Section 8. Governor May Require Information 105
Section 9. Governor May Convene the Legislature 105
Section 10. Governor to Execute Laws 105
Section 11. Governor to Give Information to the Legislature 106
Section 12. Vacancy in Offi ce of Governor 106
Section 13. Ineligibility for Governorship 106
Section 14. Governor to Make Temporary Appointments 106
Section 15. Seal of State 107
Section 16. Grants and Commissions to be Sealed and
Signed by the Governor 107
Section 17. Secretary of State 107
Section 18. Bills to be Approved by the Governor—Governor’s
Veto—Bills Passed over Governor’s Veto 108
A rticle IV: Elections 1 11
Section 1. Right to Vote—Election Precincts—Military Duty 111
Section 2. Right of Suff rage May be Excluded for Crime 113
Section 3. Privileges of Voters 113
Section 4. Mode of Voting 113
Article V: Impeachments 115
Section 1. Impeachment 115
S ection 2. Trial of Impeachments 1 15
Section 3. How Prosecuted 115
Section 4. Who May Be Impeached 116
Section 5. Offi cers Liable to Indictment and Removal from Offi ce 116
viii ■ contents
Article VI: Judicial Department 1 19
Section 1. Judicial Power 119
Section 2. Supreme Court 120
Section 3. Supreme Court Judges 122
Section 4. Judges of Inferior Courts 122
Section 5. Att orney General and Reporter 123
Section 6. Removal of Judges and Att orneys 124
Section 7. Compensation of Judges 125
Section 8. Jurisdiction of Inferior Courts 126
Section 9. Judge’s Charge 127
Section 10. Certiorari 128
Section 11. Incompetency of Judges—Special Judges 129
Section 12. Requisites of Writs and Process 131
Section 13. Clerks of Courts 131
Section 14. Fines Exceeding Fift y Dollars to be Assessed by Jury 132
Section 15. (Repealed) 133
Article VII: State and County Offi cers 135
Section 1. County Government—Elected Offi cers—Legislative
Body—Alternate Forms of Government 135
Section 2. Vacancies 137
Section 3. Treasurer and Comptroller 137
S ection 4. Other Elections and Vacancies 1 38
Section 5. Civil Offi cers—Election—Vacancies 138
Article VIII: Militia 141
Section 1. Militia Offi cers to be Elected 141
Section 2. Staff Offi cers to be Appointed 141
Section 3. Exemptions from Att ending Musters 141
Article IX: Disqualifi cations 1 43
Section 1. Ineligibility of Ministers and Priests to
Seats in Legislature 143
Section 2. No Atheist Shall Hold a Civil Offi ce 144
Section 3. Duelists Shall Hold No Offi ce 144
Article X: Oaths, Bribery of Electors, New Counties 147
Section 1. Oath of Offi ce 147
Section 2. Oath of Members of the General Assembly 147
Section 3. Punishment of Electors and Candidates for Bribery 148
contents ■ ix
Section 4. New Counties—Approach of County Lines to
Courthouse—Limit to Reduction of Counties—
Exceptions—Vote Necessary to Detach Fractions for
Formation of New Counties or to Remove a County
Seat—Liability for Existing Debt 148
Section 5. To Vote with Old County 151
Article XI: Miscellaneous Provisions 153
Section 1. Existing Laws Not Aff ected by this Constitution 153
Section 2. No Impairment of Rights 154
Section 3. Amendments to Constitution 155
Section 4. Power to Grant Divorces 157
Section 5. Lott eries 158
Section 6. Changing Names—Adoption—Legitimation 159
Section 7. Interest 159
Section 8. General Laws Only to be Passed 160
Section 9. Power Over Local Aff airs—Home Rule for Cities
and Counties—Consolidation of Functions 162
Section 10. Internal Improvements to be Encouraged 165
Section 11. Homestead and Personal Property Exemptions 166
S ection 12. Education’s Inherent Value—Public Schools—
Support of Higher Education 166
Section 13. Game and Fish 167
Section 14. (Repealed) 168
Section 15. Religious Holidays 168
Section 16. Bill of Rights to Remain Inviolate 168
Section 17. County Offi ces 169
Schedule 171
Section 1. Terms of Public Offi cers—Appointments—Exceptions 171
Section 2. Supreme Court Judges—Vacancies—Att orney
General and Reporter 171
Section 3. Oath of Offi ce Mandatory 172
Section 4. Statute of Limitations 172
Annotated Bibliography 175
Table of Cases 1 81
Index 195
About the Author 2 01