this State, viz., death, imprisonment with or without hard labor, fines,
removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office
of honor, trust or profit under this State. The foregoing provision for
imprisonment with hard labor shall be construed to authorize the
employment of such convict labor on public works or highways, or other
labor for public benefit, and the farming out thereof, where and in such
manner as may be provided by law; but no convict shall be farmed out who
has been sentenced on a charge of murder, manslaughter, rape, attempt to
commit rape or arson: _Provided_, that no convict whose labor may be
farmed out shall be punished for any failure of duty as a laborer except
by a responsible officer of the State; but the convicts so farmed out
shall be at all times under the supervision and control, as to their
government and discipline, of the penitentiary board or some officer of
the State.
[Sidenote: Death punishment.]
SEC. 2. The object of punishment being not only to satisfy justice, but
also to reform the offender, and thus prevent crime, murder, arson,
burglary and rape, and these only, may be punishable with death, if the
General Assembly shall so enact.
[Sidenote: Penitentiary.]
SEC. 3. The General Assembly shall, at its first meeting, make provision
for the erection and conduct of a State's Prison or penitentiary at
some central and accessible point within the State.
[Sidenote: House of correction.]
SEC. 4. The General Assembly may provide for the erection of a house of
correction, where vagrants and persons guilty of misdemeanors shall be
restrained and usefully employed.
[Sidenote: Houses of refuge.]
SEC. 5. A house or houses of refuge may be established whenever the
public interests may require it, for the correction and instruction of
other classes of offenders.
[Sidenote: The sexes to be separated.]
SEC. 6. It shall be required by competent legislation that the structure
and superintendence of penal institutions of the State, the county jails
and city police prisons secure the health and comfort of the prisoners,
and that male and female prisoners be never confined in the same room or
cell.
[Sidenote: Provision for the poor and orphans.]
SEC. 7. Beneficent provisions for the poor, the unfortunate and orphan
being one of the first duties of a civilized and Christian State, the
General Assembly shall, at its first session, appoint and define the
duties of a Board of Public Charities, to whom shall be entrusted the
supervision of all charitable and penal State institutions, and who
shall annually report to the Governor upon their condition, with
suggestions for their improvement.
[Sidenote: Orphan houses.]
SEC. 8. There shall also, as soon as practicable, be measures devised by
the State for the establishment of one or more orphan houses, where
destitute orphans may be cared for, educated and taught some business or
trade.
[Sidenote: Inebriates and idiots.]
SEC. 9. It shall be the duty of the Legislature, as soon as practicable,
to devise means for the education of idiots and inebriates.
[Sidenote: Deaf-mutes, blind and insane.]
SEC. 10. The General Assembly may provide that the indigent, deaf-mute,
blind and insane of the State shall be cared for at the charge of the
State.
[Sidenote: Self-supporting.]
SEC. 11. It shall be steadily kept in view by the Legislature and the
Board of Public Charities, that all penal and charitable institutions
should be made as nearly self-supporting as is consistent with the
purposes of their creation.
ARTICLE XII.
MILITIA.
[Sidenote: Who are liable to militia duty.]