Contact the NJ State Archives
Mailing Address:
NJ State Archives
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307

Office Address:
225 West State Street - 2nd Floor
Trenton, NJ

Contact Information

Email: Feedback@sos.nj.gov

17th Amendment

Text of 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Assembly Joint Resolution, No. 5

State of New Jersey

 
Joint Resolution ratifying the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, in relation to the election of United States Senators by the people of the several States.
WHEREAS, At the second session of the sixty-second Congress it was resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two thirds of each house concurring therein), that in lieu of the first paragraph of section three of article one of the Constitution of the United States, and in lieu of so much of paragraph two of the same section as relates to the filling of vacancies, the following be proposed as an amendment to the Constitution, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the States:
“The senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for election of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.
“Whenever vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies; provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the execu- [pg. 1]

tive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
“This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the constitution.” Therefore,
RESOLVED (if the Senate concur), That the Legislature of the State of New Jersey does hereby ratify the above recited proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
And be it further resolved (if the Senate concur), That the Governor be requested to transmit a copy of these resolutions and preamble to the Secretary of State of the United States of America.
Approved
March 18 1913
James F. Fielder, President of the Senate, Acting Governor   [pg. 2]
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY No. ___
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY,
2/13 1913
This bill having been three times read in the House of Assembly,
RESOLVED, That the same do pass.
By order of the House of Assembly.
Leon R. Taylor, Speaker of the House of Assembly  
SENATE,
March 17 1913
This bill having been three times read and compared in the Senate,
RESOLVED, That the same do pass.
By order of the Senate.
James A.C. Johnson, President of the Senate   [pg. 3]

[Click image to enlarge -
Images 1-3]