Constitution of the Crowned Republic of Highton (1951)

Preamble

Conscious of their responsibility before God and man, the Hightonian people, in the exercise of their
constituent power, have adopted this constitution. Hightonians in Aleman, Cocoland, Hightonia,
North Highton, Pobfénix, Reyterra, and Talanskland have achieved the unity and freedom of Highton
in free self-determination. This Constitution thus applies to the entire Hightonian people.

Section 1- The Principality

Article 1.1- The Crown

1. The Prince shall be the symbol of the State and of the unity of the People, deriving his
position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power.
2. The Crown shall be passed dynastically in accordance with laws already set in place.
3. The Prince shall have no powers related to lawmaking without the consent of the other three
branches of the government.
4. When, in accordance with the Royal House Law, a Regency is established, the Regent shall
perform his acts in matters of state in the Prince’s name.
5. The Prince shall have the right to convocate the Legislature.
6. The Prince shall have the right to award medals and other honors.
7. The Prince shall perform ceremonial functions.
8. The Prince shall have any other powers delegated to the Crown by the other three branches of
the government.

Section 2- The Republic

Article 2.1- The Executive

1. The President shall be the executive power of the Republic and shall serve terms of 4 years.
2. The President may serve a maximum of two terms.
3. The President shall select a Vice President upon election.
4. The President shall be elected as follows:
- Each state shall be designated a weight based on population. The total state votes
combined shall be set at 1000.
- Each state must distribute their state votes proportionally according to votes in that
state. The candidate with the most state votes wins the election.
- If the margin of victory with regards to state votes is less than 50, the results shall be
determined by a national runoff.
5. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the Crowned Republic, at the time of
the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any
 Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have been twelve Years a Resident within the
Crowned Republic.
6. In Case of the Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the Office, the Same shall
devolve on the Vice President.
7. The salary of the President and Vice President shall be determined by the Senate on the 4th of
January every year.
8. Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath:— “I swear
that I will dedicate my efforts to the well-being of the Hightonian people, promote their
welfare, protect them from harm, uphold and defend the Basic Law and the laws of the
Crowned Republic, perform my duties conscientiously, and do justice to all. So help me
God.”
9. The President may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the
executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices,
and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the Crowned
Republic, except in Cases of Impeachment.
10. He shall have Power, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Legislature present concur.
11. He shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Court, and
all other Officers of the Crowned Republic.
12. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the Crowned Republic, shall be
removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high
Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article 2.2- The Legislature

1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Legislature of the Crowned
Republic, which shall consist of a Senate and Representative Legislature.
2. The Representative Legislature shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by
the People of the several States.
3. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have been four Years a Citizen of the
Crowned Republic, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he
shall be chosen.
4. Representatives shall be apportioned among states by population.
5. When vacancies happen a special election shall be held.
6. The Representative Legislature shall choose their Speaker and other Officers.
7. The Senate shall be composed of Members chosen in a variety of ways:
- One half shall be split equally among the States. The people of each State shall
choose their own Senators. These Senators shall serve for terms of 4 years.
- One quarter shall be selected by the sitting President. If a vacancy occurs, the
President may nominate a replacement who shall be confirmed by the people of the
Crowned Republic. These Senators shall serve for life or retirement.
- One quarter shall be selected directly by the people of the Crowned Republic every
eight years.
8. The Senate shall choose their President and other Officers.
9. The Senate has the sole power to impeach the President, Vice President, or any other
Executive official. When the President of the Crowned Republic is tried, the Chief Justice
 shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the
Members present.
10. The Legislature may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.
11. The Legislature shall assemble at least once in every Month, and such Meeting shall be on the
first Monday of the Month, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day or the date is
within three days of a national holiday. In this case, the Legislature must by Law appoint a
different day via a simple majority.
12. Each Body may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly
Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of five sixths, expel a Member.
13. Each Body shall keep a Report of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same,
excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the
Members of either Body on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be
entered on the Report.
14. Neither Body, during the Session of the Legislature, shall, without the Consent of the other,
adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Bodies
shall be sitting.
15. All Legislators shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and
paid out of the Treasury of the Crowned Republic. They shall in all Cases, except Treason,
Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the
Session of their respective Bodies, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any
Speech or Debate in either Bodies, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
16. No Legislator shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil
Office under the Authority of the Crowned Republic, which shall have been created, or the
Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any
Office under the Crowned Republic, shall be a Member of either Body during his
Continuance in Office.
17. Every Bill which shall have passed the Representative Legislature and the Senate, shall,
before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the Crowned Republic; If he approve
he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that Body in which it shall
have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Report, and proceed to
reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that Body shall agree to pass the Bill,
it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other Body, by which it shall likewise be
reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that Body, it shall become a Law. But in all
such Cases the Votes of both Bodies shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of
the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Report of each Body
respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays
excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner
as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which
Case it shall not be a Law.
18. Powers of the Legislature shall be as follows
- lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for
the common Defence and general Welfare of the Crowned Republic;
- to borrow money to the credit of the Crowned Republic;
- to regulate commerce with foreign nations;
- to establish laws on naturalization;
- to coin money;
 - to establish post offices or designate that duty to another party;
- to establish motorways or designate that duty to another party;
- to define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on seas, and Offences against
the Law of Nations;
- to declare War;
- to raise armies;
- to maintain a navy;
- to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the
foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government
of the Crowned Republic, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
19. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of
Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
20. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
21. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid.
22. No State within the Crowned Republic shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation;
grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but
gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto
Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts.

Article 2.3- The Judiciary

1. The judicial Power of the Crowned Republic, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in
such inferior Courts as the Legislature may from time to time ordain and establish.
2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this
Constitution, the Laws of the Crowned Republic, and Treaties made, or which shall be made,
under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and
Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;—to Controversies to which
the Crowned Republic shall be a Party between Citizens of different States, —between
Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a
State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
3. Treason against the Crowned Republic, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in
adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of
Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in
open Court.
4. The Legislature shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of
Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person
attainted.

Section 3- Natural Rights

1. The Crowned Republic recognizes rights as outlined below:

2. The Legislature shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
3. A warrant is required for any Government official to search or seize any property of a citizen.
 4. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by
an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.
5. The powers not delegated to the Crowned Republic by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to
the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
6. No law varying the compensation for the services of the Legislators shall take effect until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened.
7. The right of citizens of the Crowned Republic, who are 18 years of age or older, having
resided in the Crowned Republic for at least 6 months, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged
by the State.
8. Members of the Government may practice any religion.
9. The Crowned Republic shall not obstruct the right of Citizens to practice any religion.
10. The requirements for citizenship shall be as follows:
- Person must have at least one Parent or Grandparent who was a Hightonian citizen;
- Person must have been born in the Crowned Republic to parent who had resided
within Crowned Republic for at least 12 months; or
- Person must have resided within the Crowned Republic legally for at least 7 years to
be eligible for Naturalization.

Section 4- Miscellaneous Articles

Article 4.1- Amending the Constitution

1. To amend this Constitution, two thirds of the people of the Crowned Republic must approve
of the Amendment via a referendum.
2. In order for a referendum to take place, a simple majority is required in both bodies of the
Legislature.
3. Referendums shall take place on the following 1st of August after both bodies have approved
the Amendment, unless that date falls on a Sunday.
4. If the referendum passes by a two thirds majority, the Amendment will come into action upon
the 5th of September following the referendum.
5. A Constitutional Convention may be held via a Referendum following and two thirds majority
vote in both Bodies of the Legislature.

Article 4.2- National Symbols

1. The National Flag shall be the “National United” Flag, a Royal Blue field with a gold
backwards flambirtion and a large white star in the center.
2. The National Animal shall be the Hightonian Coco Monkey (​Cebus cocos​).
3. The National Bird shall be the Black Eagle (​Hieraaetus spilogaster)​
4. The National Flower shall be Eleanor’s Blue (​Sisyrinchium alemanas)​
5. The National Bear shall be the Rixion Panda (​Ailuropoda rixious)​
6. The National Tree shall be the Oak (​Quercus trojana​)
7. The National Anthem shall be “​Einestadtlied”​ .
8. The National Motto shall be “​Unitas pax Libertas et Securitas”​ .
9. The Head of State shall be the Crowned Prince.
Article 4.3- States and Territories

1. In order for a state to enter into the Crowned Republic it must meet the following
requirements:
- The region must have a Population no less than two hundred thousand,
- The people of the region must support Statehood,
- The region must not have committed any threatening acts against the Crowned
Republic at any point, and
- The majority of the Senate approves the region’s admission.
2. States shall have any power to make laws unless they contradict those of the Federal
Government.
3. Each State must appoint a Governor. The State may select their Governor in any way they see
fit.
4. In the event of a new State entering the Crowned Republic, they will officially become a state
on the following 5th of September. Following the Senate vote but proceeding the 5th, this
region will be classified as an “Incorporated District”.
5. Regions which do not meet the requirements for Statehood but still fall under the Sovereignty
of the Crowned Republic are classified as “Territories”.
6. The Four types of Territories are outlined below in descending order of Self-Autonomy:
- Collectivities: Law of the Crowned Republic does not apply with the exception of this
Constitution or any other bill regarding Collectivities. Collectivities require a simple
majority in the Senate to be classified.
- Special Economic Zones: Law of the Crowned Republic applies with the exception of
laws regarding Trade, Commerce, and Native Ethnic Groups. Special Economic
Zones require a simple majority in the Senate to be classified.
- Autonomous Cities: Autonomous Cities are treated as States in most all but name,
with the exception being that some Laws do not apply in Autonomous Cities.
Autonomous Cities require a five eights majority in the Senate to be classified.
- Incorporated Districts: Incorporated Districts meet all requirements for Statehood but
have not yet been admitted. Incorporated Districts solely follow Law of the Crowned
Republic, including this Constitution.
7. A State or Territory can be reclassified granted that it meets requirements of the classification
ir wishes to be reclassified to.
8. A State or Territory may be leave from the Crowned Republic via a five sixths majority
Referendum in the State or Territory, a five sixths majority vote in both the Representative
Legislature and the Senate, and approval of the Crowned Prince.

Section 5- Ratification

1. The ratification of this Document by Five States shall be sufficient for the Establishment of
this Constitution.
 Amendments to the Constitution

The First Amendment (1953)

Section 3 (Natural Rights)
“​The right of citizens of the Crowned Republic shall not be denied or abridged by the State on account
of sex, race, or religion​.”
This Amendment was added just two years after the Constitution was ratified and was added
for the purpose of confirming that rights were the same for different groups.

The Second Amendment (1959)

Section 3 (Natural Rights)
“The right of citizens of the Crowned Republic, who are ​18 ​16 years of age or older, having resided in
the Crowned Republic for at least 6 months, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the State.”
This Amendment changed the voting age from 18 to 16.

The Third Amendment (1972)

Section 4 (Miscellaneous), Article 4.4 (States and Territories)
“Autonomous Cities are treated as States in most all but name, with the exception being that some
Laws do not apply in Autonomous Cities. ​Autonomous Cities shall receive the same number of seats
in the Legislature as they would as if they were states– the same is said for all elections, where
Autonomous Cities are treated as states.​”
This Amendment was added when Alexandria was in the process of separating from Pobfénix
and becoming and Autonomous City to make sure that it was treated like a state in all but name, since
the city believed it could not function as part of Pobfénix.

The Fourth Amendment (1987)

Section 4 (Miscellaneous), Article 4.2 (Participation in International Organizations)
“​The Crowned Republic may participate in any International Organization granted that both the
Senate and President approve of application. If delegates need to be selected to any organization, a
special committee of the Prince, President, Vice President, Speaker, President of the Senate, and all
State Governors shall determine how these delegates will be selected and draw election boundaries if
necessary.​”
This Amendment was the first to create a whole new article–Article 4.4–which concerns
participation in international organizations. This was added to set what would need to happen if
Highton was to join such an organization.

The Fifth Amendment (1999)

Section 2 (The Republic), Article 2.2 (The Legislature)
“​The total number of Seats delegated to States shall be set at 100. Each Party shall submit a list of 12
candidates for federal seats two weeks before a general election is set to take place. 12 seats, separate
from the 100 selected by states, shall be divided proportionally among the party lists according to
number of votes. The Speaker shall be one of these 12.​”
The Fifth Amendment did two things- it set the number of Seats to 112 and set up the Federal
Seats in the Legislature.
The Sixth Amendment (2001)
Section 4 (Miscellaneous), Article 4.2 (National Symbols)
“The National Flag shall be the “​National United ​States United​” Flag, a Royal Blue field with a
double gold backwards flambirtion and ​one large ​a star ​for every state with one of the six being larger
and in the center of the flag​”
This was added when the new flag was raised in 2001.

The Seventh Amendment (2008)

Section 2 (The Republic), Article 2.1 (The Executive)
“​The President may serve a maximum of two terms. ​The President may be reelected any number of
times.​”
President Campbell pushed for this Amendment, since the Royal Party did not believe in term
limits. Several attempts to repeal this amendment have been blocked by the Royal Party.