GOVERNMENT. The present Constitution was adopted in February, 1870. Proposed amend ments must receive a majority vote of the mem bers elected to each House of two consecutive Legislatures, followed by a majority approval of all the citizens voting for Representatives. The Legislature cannot propose amendments oftener than once in six years. The Legislature can at any time submit to the people the question of a new constitutional convention, a majority of the votes east being decisive. Voters must be States citizens who have resided in the State twelve months, in the county six months, and have paid poll taxes.
There is a maximmn limit of 99 to the number of Representatives and the Senators are limited to one-third the number of Representatives. Both are elected for a term of two years, elections be ing held on the first Tuesday after the first Mon day in November of the even years, and the Leg islature meeting on the first Monday in the fol lowing January. Members receive $4 per day and mileage, but the wage shall not exceed seventy-five days for a regular session, or twenty days for an extra session. Ministers and priests
are ineligible to the Legislature, and atheists and duelists to any civil office.
The executive power is vested in a Governor who is chosen every two years; a Secretary of State, elected by the Legislature for four years; a Treasurer and Comptroller of the Treasury, elected in the same manner for two years; an Attorney-General, appointed by the Supreme Court judges, and who serves six years; and a State Superintendent of Schools, nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, serv ing two years. The Governor can call extra sessions, and has the pardoning and veto power. Ills veto, however, is overridden by a majority vote of the members elected to each I louse. There is a Supreme Court of five judges, elected for eight years. Judges of the circuit, chancery, and other inferior courts are elected by their re spective districts for eight years. Nashville is the capital. The State has 10 Representatives in the Lower Douse of Congress.