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 seventy-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 shall have power from time to time to impofe fines upon such towns as shall neglect to chuse and return Members to the fame, agreeably to this Confti

tution.

The expences of travelling to the General
Affembly,

Affembly, and returning home once in every feffion and no more, shall 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 House, and does not depart without leave.

III. Every Member of the House of Reprefentatives fhall be chofen by written votes; and for one year at least next preceding his election, fhall have been an inhabitant of, and have been seized in his own right of a freehold of the value of one hundred pounds within the town he shall be chosen to represent, or any rateable estate 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, shall have a right to vote in the choice of a Reprefentative or Representatives for the faid town.

V. The

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

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

VII. All money-bills fhall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose 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 lefs than fixty Members of the House of Reprefentatives fhall constitute a Quorum for doing business.

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

F

fonment every perfon, not a Member, who shall be guilty of difrefpect to the House, by any diforderly or contemptuous behaviour in its presence; 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 estate of any of its Members, for any thing faid or done in the Houfe; or who fhall affault any of them therefor, and who shall affault or arreft any witnefs or other perfon ordered to attend the House, in his way in going or returning, or who fhall 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 Affembly.

XI. The Senate fhall have the same 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

And the Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives may try, and determine, all cafes where their rights and privileges are concerned, and which, by the Conftitution, they have authority to try and determine, by committees of their own members, or in fuch other way as they may respectively think best,

CHA P. II.

EXECUTIVE POWER.

§. I.

GOVERNOR.

I. THERE fhall be a fupreme execu tive magiftrate, who shall be stiled, THE GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS; and whofe title fhall be, HIS EXCELLENCY.

II. The Governor fhall be chofen annually: and no perfon fhall be eligible to this office, unless at the time of his election he shall have been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth for feven years next preceding; and unless he fhall, at the fame time, be feized in his own