for the said office, and having served
for three years, such person shall be in-
eligible for the four years next succeed-
ing, bond with security to be taken every
year as usual, and no sheriff shall be
qualified to act before the same is given.
In case of death, refusal, resignation,
disqualification, or removal out of the
county, before the expiration of the
three years, the other person chosen as
aforesaid, shall be commissioned by the
governor to execute the said office for
the residue of the said three years, the
said person giving bond with security
as aforesaid, and in case of his death,
refusal, resignation, disqualification, or
removal out of the county, before the
expiration of the said three years, the
governor, with the advice of the coun-
cil, may nominate and commission a fit
and proper person to execute the said
office for the residue of the said three
years, the said person giving bond and
security as aforesaid; the election shall
be held _ at the same time and place
appointed for the election of delegates,
and the justices there summoned to at-
tend for the preservation of the peace
shall be judges thereof, and of the quali-
fication of candidates, who shall appoint
a clerk to take the ballots; all freemen
above the age of twenty-one years, hav-
ing a freehold of fifty acres of land in
the county in which they offer to ballot,
and residing therein, and all freemen
above the age of twenty-one years, and
having property in the state above the
value of thirty pounds current money,
and having resided in the county in
which they offer to ballot one whole year
next preceding the election, shall have a
right of suffrage; no person to be eligible
to the office of sheriff for a county but
an inhabitant of the said county, above
the age of twenty-one years, and having
real and personal property in the State
above the value of one thousand pounds
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current money; the justices aforesaid
shall examine the ballots, and the two
candidates properly qualified, having in
each county the majority of legal ballots,
shall be declared duly elected for the
office of sheriff for such county, and
returned to the governor and council,
with a certificate of the number of ballots
for each of them.
43. That every person who shall offer
to vote for delegates, or for the electors
of the senate, or for the sheriff, shall (if
required by any three persons qualified
to vote) before he be admitted to poll,
take such oath or affirmation of support
and fidelity to this State as this Conven-
tion or the legislature shall direct.
44. That a justice of the peace may
be eligible as a senator, delegate, or
member of the council, and may continue
to act as a justice of the peace.
45. That no field officer of the militia
shall be eligible as a senator, delegate,
or member of the council.
46. That all civil officers hereafter to
be appointed for the several counties
of this State shall have been residents
of the county respectively for which they
shall be appointed, six months next
before their appointment, and shall con-
tinue residents of their county respec-
tively during their continuance in office.
47. That the judges of the general
court and justices of the county courts
may appoint the clerks of their respective
courts, and in case of refusal, death,
resignation, disqualification, or removal
out of the State, or from their respective
shores, of the clerk of the general court,
or either of them, in the vacation of
the said court; and in case of the refusal,
death, resignation, disqualification, or
removal out of the county of any of the
said county clerks in the vacation of the
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