against any officer or officers of the Commonwealth, for misconduct and mal-adminiftration in their offices. But previous to the trial of every impeachment, the Members of the Senate shall respectively be fworn, truly and impartially to try and determine the charge in question according to evidence. Their judgment, however, fhall not extend further than to removal from office, and difqualification to hold or enjoy any place of honour, truft, or profit, under this Commonwealth: but the party fo convicted shall be, nevertheless, liable to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, according to the laws of the land.

IX. Not less than fixteen Members of the Senate shall conftitute a Quorum for doing bufinefs.

1. THERE shall be in the legislature of this Commonwealth a.Representation of the People,

annually elected, and founded ciple of equality.

upon the prin

II. And

II. And in order to provide for a Reprefentation of the Citizens of this Commonwealth founded on the principle of equality, every corporate town containing one hundred and fifty rateable polls, may elect one Representative: every corporate town containing three hundred and feventy-five rateable polls, may elect two Representatives: every corporate town containing fix hundred rateable polls, may elect three Representatives; and proceeding in that manner, making two hundred and twenty-five rateable polls the mean increafing number for every additional Representative.

Provided nevertheless, that each town now incorporated not having one hundred and fifty rateable polls, may elect one Representative: but no place fhall hereafter be incorporated with the privilege of electing a Representative, unless there are within the fame one hundred and fifty rateable polls.

And the House of Representatives fhall have power from time to time to impose fines upon fuch towns as shall neglect to chufe and return Members to the fame, agreeably to this Confti

tution.

The expences of travelling to the General

Assembly,

Affembly, and returning home once in every feffion and no more, fhall be paid by the Government out of the public treasury, to every Member who fhall attend as feasonably as he can, in the judgment of the Houfe, and does not depart without leave.

III. Every Member of the House of Reprefentatives shall be chofen by written votes; and for one year at least next preceding his election, fhall have been an inhabitant of, and have been feized in his own right of a freehold of the value of one hundred pounds within the town he shall be chofen to reprefent, or any rateable eftate to the value of two hundred pounds; and he shall cease to represent the said town, immediately on his ceafing to be qualified as aforefaid.

IV. Every male perfon, being twenty-one years of age, and refident in any particular town in this Commonwealth for the space of one year next preceding, having a freehold eftate within the fame town of the annual income of three pounds, or any eftate of the value of fixty pounds, fhall have a right to vote in the choice of a Reprefentative or Representatives for the faid town.

V. The Members of the House of Representatives fhall be chofen annually in the month of May, ten days at least before the last Wednefday of that month.

VI. The House of Reprefentatives shall be the grand inqueft of this Commonwealth; and all impeachments made by them fhall be heard and tried by the Senate.

VII. All money-bills fhall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propofe or concur with amendments as on other bills.

VIII. The House of Representatives shall have power to adjourn themselves, provided fuch adjournment shall not exceed two days at

a time.

IX. Not less than fixty Members of the House of Reprefentatives fhall conftitute a Quorum for doing business.

X. The House of Representatives shall be the judge of the returns, elections, and qualifications of its own Members, as pointed out in the Conftitution; fhall chufe their own Speaker, appoint their own officers, and fettle the rules and orders of proceeding in their own House. They fhall have authority to punish by imprifonment

F

fonment every perfon, not a Member, who fhall be guilty of disrespect to the House, by any disorderly or contemptuous behaviour in its prefence; or who, in the town where the General Court is fitting, and during the time of its fitting, fhall threaten harm to the body or eftate of of its Members, for any thing

any

faid or done in the House; or who fhall affault any of them therefor, and who shall affault or arreft any witness or other perfon ordered to attend the House, in his way in going or returning, or who shall rescue any person arrested by the order of the House.

And no Member of the House of Representatives fhall be arrested or held to bail on mefne procefs, during his going unto, returningfrom, or his attending the General Assembly.

XI. The Senate fhall have the fame powers in the like cafes; and the Governor and Council fhall have the fame authority to punish in like cafes. Provided, that no imprisonment on the warrant or order of the Governor, Council, Senate, or House of Representatives, for either of the above-defcribed offences, be for a term exceeding thirty days.

And