QUALIFICATIONS OF SENATORS AND DELEGATES

SEC. 5. Any person may be elected senator who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the district, and qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution; and any person may be elected a member of the house of delegates who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the county, city, town, or election district, qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution. The removal of any person elected to either branch of the general assembly from the city, county, town, or district for which he was elected. shall vacate his office.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SEC. 6. The general assembly shall meet annually, and not oftener. unless, convened by the governor in the manner prescribed in this constitution. No session of the general assembly, after the first under this constitution, shall continue longer than ninety days, without the concurrence of three-fifths of the members elected to each house; in which case the session may be extended for a further period, not exceeding thirty days. Neither house, during the session of the general assembly, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. A majority of the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalty as each house may prescribe.

SEC. 7. The house of delegates shall choose its own speaker, and in the absence of the lieutenant-governor, or when he shall exercise the office of governor, the senate shall choose from their own body a president pro tempore; and each house shall appoint its own officers, settle its own rules of proceeding, and direct writs of election for supplying intermediate vacancies; but if vacancies shall occur during the recess of the general assembly, such writs may be issued by the governor, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. Each house shall judge of the election, qualification, and returns of its members, may punish them for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

SEC. 8. The members of the general assembly shall receive for their services a compensation, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the public treasury, but no act increasing such compensation shall take effect until after the end of the term for which the members of the house of delegates voting thereon were elected; and no senator or delegate during the term for which he shall have been elected shall be appointed to any civil office of profit under the commonwealth. which has been created, or the emoluments of which have been increased, during such term, except offices filled by election by the people.

SEC. 9. Bills and resolutions may originate in either of the two houses of the general assembly, to be approved or rejected by either, and may be amended by either house, with the consent of the other. SEC. 10. Each house of the general assembly shall keep a journal of its proceedings, which shall be published from time to time, and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the journal. No bill shall become a law until it has been read on three different days of the session in the house in which it originated, unless two-thirds of the members in that house shall otherwise determine.

SEC. 11. The members of the general assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the sessions of their respective houses; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. They shall not be subject to arrest under any civil process, during the session of the general assembly, nor for fifteen days next before the convening and after the termination of each

session.

SEC. 12. The whole number of members to which the State may at any time be entitled in the House of Representatives of the United States shall be apportioned, as nearly as may be, amongst the several counties, cities, and towns of the State, according to their population. SEC. 13. In the apportionment the State shall be divided into districts, corresponding in number with the Representatives to which it may be entitled in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, which shall be formed, respectively, of contiguous counties, cities, and towns, be compact, and include, as nearly as may be, an equal number of population.

SEC. 14. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless when, in cases of invasion or rebellion, the public safety may require it. The general assembly shall not pass any bill of attainder, or any ex post facto law, or any law impairing the obligation of contracts, or any law whereby private property shall be taken for public uses without just compensation, or any law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall any man be forced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, or otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and the same shall in no wise affect, diminish, or enlarge their civil capacities. And the general assembly shall not prescribe any religious test whatever, or confer any peculiar privileges or advantages on any sect or denomination, or pass any law requiring or authorizing any religious society, or the people of any district within this commonwealth, to levy on themselves or others any tax for the erection or repair of any house of public worship, or for the support of any church or ministry, but it shall be left free to every person to select his religious instructor, and to make for his support such private contract as he shall please.

SEC. 15. No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be expressed in its title; nor shall any law be revived or amended with reference to its title, but the act revived, or the section amended, shall be reënacted and published at length.

SEC. 16. The governor, lieutenant-governor, judges, and all others offending against the State, by maladministration, corruption, neglect of duty, or other high crime or misdemeanor, shall be impeachable by the house of delegates, and be prosecuted before the senate,

QUALIFICATIONS OF SENATORS AND DELEGATES

SEC. 5. Any person may be elected senator who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the district, and qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution; and any person may be elected a member of the house of delegates who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the county, city, town, or election district, qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution. The removal of any person elected to either branch of the general assembly from the city, county, town, or district for which he was elected. shall vacate his office.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SEC. 6. The general assembly shall meet annually, and not oftener. unless convened by the governor in the manner prescribed in this constitution. No session of the general assembly, after the first under this constitution, shall continue longer than ninety days, without the concurrence of three-fifths of the members elected to each house; in which case the session may be extended for a further period, not exceeding thirty days. Neither house, during the session of the general assembly, shall, without the consent of the other. adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. A majority of the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalty as each house may prescribe.

SEC. 7. The house of delegates shall choose its own speaker, and in the absence of the lieutenant-governor, or when he shall exercise the office of governor, the senate shall choose from their own body a president pro tempore; and each house shall appoint its own officers, settle its own rules of proceeding, and direct writs of election for supplying intermediate vacancies; but if vacancies shall occur during the recess of the general assembly, such writs may be issued by the governor. under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. Each house shall judge of the election, qualification, and returns of its members, may punish them for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

SEC. 8. The members of the general assembly shall receive for their services a compensation, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the public treasury, but no act increasing such compensation shall take effect until after the end of the term for which the members of the house of delegates voting thereon were elected; and no senator or delegate during the term for which he shall have been elected shall be appointed to any civil office of profit under the commonwealth. which has been created, or the emoluments of which have been increased, during such term, except offices filled by election by the people.

SEC. 9. Bills and resolutions may originate in either of the two houses of the general assembly, to be approved or rejected by either, and may be amended by either house, with the consent of the other. SEC. 10. Each house of the general assembly shall keep a journal of its proceedings, which shall be published from time to time, and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the journal. No bill shall become a law until it has been read on three different days of the session in the house in which it originated, unless two-thirds of the members in that house shall otherwise determine.

SEC. 11. The members of the general assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the sessions of their respective houses; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place. They shall not be subject to arrest under any civil process, during the session of the general assembly, nor for fifteen days next before the convening and after the termination of each session.

SEC. 12. The whole number of members to which the State may at any time be entitled in the House of Representatives of the United States shall be apportioned, as nearly as may be, amongst the several counties, cities, and towns of the State, according to their population. SEC. 13. In the apportionment the State shall be divided into districts, corresponding in number with the Representatives to which it may be entitled in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, which shall be formed, respectively, of contiguous counties, cities, and towns, be compact, and include, as nearly as may be, an equal number of population.

SEC. 14. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless when, in cases of invasion or rebellion, the public safety may require it. The general assembly shall not pass any bill of attainder, or any ex post facto law, or any law impairing the obligation of contracts, or any law whereby private property shall be taken for public uses without just compensation, or any law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall any man be forced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, or otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and the same shall in no wise affect, diminish, or enlarge their civil capacities. And the general assembly shall not prescribe any religious test whatever, or confer any peculiar privileges or advantages on any sect or denomination, or pass any law requiring or authorizing any religious society, or the people of any district within this commonwealth, to levy on themselves or others any tax for the erection or repair of any house of public worship, or for the support of any church or ministry, but it shall be left free to every person to select his religious instructor, and to make for his support such private contract as he shall please.

SEC. 15. No law shall embrace more than one object, which shall be expressed in its title; nor shall any law be revived or amended with reference to its title, but the act revived, or the section amended, shall be reënacted and published at length.

SEC. 16. The governor, lieutenant-governor, judges, and all others offending against the State, by maladministration, corruption, neglect of duty, or other high crime or misdemeanor, shall be impeachable by the house of delegates, and be prosecuted before the senate,

QUALIFICATIONS OF SENATORS AND DELEGATES

SEC. 5. Any person may be elected senator who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the district, and qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution; and any person may be elected a member of the house of | delegates who, at the time of election, is actually a resident within the county, city, town, or election district, qualified to vote for members of the general assembly according to this constitution. The removal of any person elected to either branch of the general assembly from the city, county, town, or district for which he was elected. shall vacate his office.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SEC. 6. The general assembly shall meet annually, and not oftener. unless, convened by the governor in the manner prescribed in this constitution. No session of the general assembly, after the first under this constitution, shall continue longer than ninety days. without the concurrence of three-fifths of the members elected to each house; in which case the session may be extended for a further period, not exceeding thirty days. Neither house, during the session of the general assembly, shall, without the consent of the other. adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting. A majority of the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalty as each house may prescribe.

SEC. 7. The house of delegates shall choose its own speaker, and in the absence of the lieutenant-governor, or when he shall exercise the office of governor, the senate shall choose from their own body a president pro tempore; and each house shall appoint its own officers, settle its own rules of proceeding, and direct writs of election for supplying intermediate vacancies; but if vacancies shall occur during the recess of the general assembly, such writs may be issued by the governor, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. Each house shall judge of the election, qualification, and returns of its members, may punish them for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.

SEC. 8. The members of the general assembly shall receive for their services a compensation, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the public treasury, but no act increasing such compensation shall take effect until after the end of the term for which the members of the house of delegates voting thereon were elected; and no senator or delegate during the term for which he shall have been elected shall be appointed to any civil office of profit under the commonwealth. which has been created, or the emoluments of which have been increased, during such term, except offices filled by election by the people.

SEC. 9. Bills and resolutions may originate in either of the two houses of the general assembly, to be approved or rejected by either. and may be amended by either house, with the consent of the other. SEC. 10. Each house of the general assembly shall keep a journal