Page:Revised Statutes of the State of North Carolina - Volume 1.djvu/43

Rh of all the qualified voters of the State, the following amendments in the constitution thereof, that is to say:

1. The senate of this State shall consist of fifty representatives, biennially chosen by ballot, and to be elected by districts; which districts shall be laid off by the General Assembly, at its first session after the year one thousand eight hundred and fortyone; and afterwards, at its first session after the year one thousand eight hundred and fiftyone; and then every twenty years thereafter, in proportion to the public taxes paid into the treasury of the State by the citizens thereof; and the average of the public taxes paid by each county into the treasury of the State, for the five years preceding the laying off of the districts, shall be considered as its proportion of the public taxes, and constitute the basis of apportionment: Provided, That no county shall be divided in the formation of a senatorial district. And when there are one or more counties, having an excess of taxation above the ratio to form a senatorial district, adjoining a county or counties deficient in such ratio, the excess or excesses aforesaid shall be added to the taxation of the county or counties deficient; and if, with such addition, the county or counties receiving it shall have the requisite ratio, such county and counties each shall constitute a senatorial district.

2. The house of commons shall be composed of one hundred and twenty representatives, biennially chosen by ballot, to be elected by counties according to their federal population, that is, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, threefifths of all other persons; and each county shall have at least one member in the house of commons, although it may not contain the requisite ratio of population.

3. This apportionment shall be made by the General Assembly, at the respective times and periods when the districts for the senate are herein before directed to be laid off; and the said apportionment shall be made according to an enumeration to be ordered by the General Assembly, or according to the census which may be taken by order of congress, next preceding the period of making such apportionment.