[Sidenote: Powers of General Assembly over municipal corporations.] SEC. 14. The General Assembly shall have full power by statute to modify, change or abrogate any and all of the provisions of this article and substitute others in their place, except sections seven, nine, and thirteen. ARTICLE VIII. CORPORATIONS OTHER THAN MUNICIPAL. [Sidenote: Corporations under general laws.] SECTION 1. Corporations may be formed under general laws, but shall not be created by special act except for municipal purposes and in cases where, in the judgment of the Legislature, the object of the corporation can not be attained under general laws. All general laws and special acts passed pursuant to this section may be altered from time to time or repealed. [Sidenote: Debts of corporations, how secured.] SEC. 2. Dues from corporations shall be secured by such individual liabilities of the corporations and other means as may be prescribed by law. [Sidenote: What corporations shall include.] SEC. 3. The term corporation, as used in this article, shall be construed to include all associations and joint stock companies having any of the powers and privileges of corporations not possessed by individuals or partnerships. And all corporations shall have the right to sue and shall be subject to be sued in all courts in like cases as natural persons. [Sidenote: Legislature to provide for organising cities, towns, etc.] SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the Legislature to provide for the organization of cities, towns and incorporated villages, and to restrict their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, contracting debts and loaning their credit, so as to prevent abuses in assessment and in contracting debts by such municipal corporations. ARTICLE IX. EDUCATION. [Sidenote: Education shall be encouraged.] SECTION 1. Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. [Sidenote: General Assembly shall provide for schools.] [Sidenote: Separation of the races.] SEC. 2. The General Assembly, at its first session under this Constitution, shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of public schools, wherein tuition shall be free of charge to all the children of the State between the ages of six and twenty-one years. And the children of the white race and the children of the colored race shall be taught in separate public schools; but there shall be no discrimination in favor of or to the prejudice of either race. [Sidenote: Counties to be divided into districts.] SEC. 3. Each county of the State shall be divided into a convenient number of districts, in which one or more public schools shall be maintained at least four months in every year; and if the commissioners of any county shall fail to comply with the aforesaid requirements of this section they shall be liable to indictment.