Massachusetts Constitution of 1780
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and that he should maintain the dignity of the Commonwealth in the
character of its chief magistrate—it is necessary that he should have an
honorable stated salary, of a fixed and permanent value, amply sufficient
for those purposes, and established by standing laws: And it shall be
among the first acts of the General Court, after the Commencement of
this Constitution, to establish such salary by law accordingly.
Permanent and honorable salaries shall also be established by law for
the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court.
And if it shall be found, that any of the salaries aforesaid, so established, are insufficient, they shall, from time to time, be enlarged, as the
General Court shall judge proper.
chapter ii
section ii
Lieutenant-Governor
Art. i.—there shall be annually elected a Lieutenant-Governor of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, whose title shall be his honor—and
who shall be qualified, in point of religion, property, and residence in the
Commonwealth, in the same manner with the Governor: And the day
and manner of his election, and the qualifications of the electors, shall be
the same as are required in the election of a Governor. The return of the
votes for this officer, and the declaration of his election, shall be in the
same manner: And if no one person shall be found to have a majority of
all the votes returned, the vacancy shall be filled by the Senate and House
of Representatives, in the same manner as the Governor is to be elected,
in case no one person shall have a majority of the votes of the people to
be Governor.
ii.—the Governor, and in his absence the Lieutenant-Governor, shall
be President of the Council, but shall have no vote in the Council: And
the Lieutenant-Governor shall always be a member of the Council, except when the chair of the Governor shall be vacant.
iii.—whenever the chair of the Governor shall be vacant, by reason
of his death, or absence from the Commonwealth, or otherwise, the