Lawmaking and taxing powers of the general court

And further, full power and authority are hereby given and granted to the said general court, from time to time, to make, ordain, and establish, all manner of wholesome and reasonable orders, laws, statutes, and ordinances, directions and instructions, either with penalties or without; so as the same be not repugnant or contrary to this constitution, as they shall judge to be for the good and welfare of this commonwealth, and for the government and ordering thereof, and of the subjects of the same, and for the necessary support and defence of the government thereof; and to name and settle annually, or provide by fixed laws, for the naming and settling all civil officers within the said commonwealth; the election and constitution of whom are not hereafter in this form of government otherwise provided for; and to set forth the several duties, powers, and limits, of the several civil and military officers of this commonwealth, and the forms of such oaths or affirmations as shall be respectively administered unto them for the execution of their several offices and places, so as the same be not repugnant or contrary to this constitution; and to impose and levy proportional and reasonable assessments, rates, and taxes, upon all the inhabitants of, and persons resident, and estates lying, within the said commonwealth; and also to impose and levy, reasonable duties and excises, upon any produce, goods, wares, merchandise, and commodities, whatsoever, brought into, produced, manufactured, or being within the same; to be issued and disposed of by warrant, under the hand of the governor of this commonwealth for the time being, with the advice and consent of the council, for the public service, in the necessary defence and support of the government of the said commonwealth, and the protection and preservation of the subjects thereof, according to such acts as are or shall be in force within the same.

And while the public charges of government, or any part thereof, shall be assessed on polls and estates, in the manner that has hitherto been practiced, in order that such assessments may be made with equality, there shall be a valuation of estates within the commonwealth taken anew once in every ten years at least, and as much oftener as the general court shall order.

For power of the general court to establish voting precincts in towns, see Amendments. Art. XXIX.

For additional taxing power given to the general court, see Amendments, Arts. XLI and XLIV.

For the authority of the general court to take land, etc., for relieving congestion of population and providing homes for citizens, see Amendments, Art. XLIII.

For the power given the general court to provide by law for absentee and compulsory voting, see Amendments, Art. XLV, Amendments, Art. LXI and Amendments, Art. LXXVI.

For the power of the general court to determine the manner of providing and distributing the necessaries of life, etc., during time of war, public distress, etc., by the Commonwealth and the cities and towns, therein, see Amendments, Art. LXVII.

For provisions relative to taking the vote on emergency measures, see Amendments, Arts. XLVIII, The Referendum, II, and LXVII.

For new provisions authorizing the general court to provide for the taking of lands for certain public uses, see Amendments, Art. XLIX.

For provisions authorizing the general court to take a recess or recesses amounting to not more than thirty days, see Amendments, Art. LII.

For new provision authorizing the governor to return a bill with a recommendation of amendment, see Amendments, Art. LVI.

For the power of the general court to limit the use of construction of buildings, see Amendments, Art. LX.

For new provisions relative to the biennial election of senators and representatives and their terms of office, see Amendments, Art. LXIV.

For new provisions that no person elected to the general court shall be appointed to any office which was created or the emoluments of which were increased during the term for which he was elected, nor received additional salary or compensation for service upon recess committees or commissions, see Amendments, Art. LXV.

For the power of the general court to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which a pardon may be granted in the case of a felony, see Amendments, Art. LXXIII.]