Texas Almanac, 1943-1944 Page: 291
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ADVERTISEMENTS 291
by administrative agencies. Such details as
salaries and tax rates were fixed in the Con-
stitution, and in several instances numerous
efforts over a period of fifty years have been
necessary to bring about a slight change.
Most significant of all is the fact that when it
has been possible to make minor changes,
additional restrictions have been written into
the Constitution. Consequently, in coping
with political, economic and social problems,
the government of Texas will continue to be
handicapped by constitutional restrictions un-
til a new Constitution is adopted which deals
only with fundamental principles.
STATE CONSTITUTIONS OF TEXAS.
The present Constitution of the State of
Texas was written by convention which con-
vened at Austin Sept. 6, 1875, and adjourned
Nov. 4, 1875. It was ratified by the people
Feb. 15, 1876.
First constitutional government in Texas
was under the Mexican Constitution of 1824.
Later, on March 11, 1827, a State Constitution
was put in effect for the State of Coahula-
Texas. While these two Constitutions guaran-
teed many liberties guaranteed under the
Constitution of the United States they were
never entirely acceptable to the American
colonists of Texas.
The first Constitution actually written by
representatives of Texas was that drawn up
and adopted by the convention of colonists at
San Felipe de Austin, April 1-13, 1833. This
Constitution was drawn in hopes that the
appeal to the Mexican Federal Government
for separate statehood, from Coahuila, would
meet with favor. The petition was denied
and the Constitution was not recognized.
Independence of Mexico was declared March
2, 1836, and a Texas National Constitution
was adopted in convention March 17. It was
ratified by the people Sept 5, 1836.
The first State Constitution was written in
convention, July 4 to Aug. 7, 1845, ratified by
the people on Oct. 10, 1845. and approved by
the Congress of the United States and Presi-
dent Polk Dec. 29, 1845. This date has been
declared by the Supreme Court of the United
States as the actual date of annexation
When Texas seceded, the Constitution of
1845 was subjected to general amendment by
a con ention which convened at Austin March
2 and adjourned March 25, 1861 This Con-
stitution of 1861 served Texas while it was a
member of the Confederacy. After the sur-
render of the Confederate armies, a conven-
tion met in Austin Feb. 7, 1866, and remained
in session during March and part of April,
producing a new State Constitution, which
was to some extent another revision of the
Constitution of 1845. It was ratified by the
people the following June, but did not be-
come operative because the state was placed
by the Federal Government under military
law.
Two years later a military-dominated con-
stitutional convention was convened in Austin,
June 1. 1868, and after remaining in session
until Feb. 6, 1869, adjourned without complet-
ing its task. This convention was composed
of the "radical" element and carpetbag fac-
tion. The task of completing the draft of this
Constitution was assigned to the Secretary of
State, and the new document was ratified by
the people (those who were permitted the
franchise) Nov. 30, 1869. It was under this
Constitution that Gov. E. J. Davis served his
four-year term, which terminated in the near-
warfare in Austin when Richard Coke was
elected in 1873. With the return of the old
electorate of Southern sympathizers to politi-
cal control with the election of Coke, agita-
tion was begun for replacement of the "radi-
cal" Constitution of 1869, resulting in the
adoption of the present Constitution of Texas
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Texas Almanac, 1943-1944, book, 1943; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117165/m1/293/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.