shall be apportioned in the following manner : Every town or city containing twelve hundred inhabitants may elect one representative; and two thousand four hundred inhabitants shall be the ́mean increasing number which shall entitle it to an additional representative.

Every town containing less than twelve hundred inhabitants shall be entitled to elect a representative as many times, within ten years, as the number one hundred and sixty is contained in the number of the inhabitants of said town. Such towns may also elect one representative for the year in which the valuation of estates within the Commonwealth shall be settled.

Any two or more of the several towns may, by consent of a majority of the legal voters present at a legal meeting, in each of said towns respectively, called for that purpose, and held before the first day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty, and every tenth year thereafter, form themselves into a representative district, to continue for the term of ten years; and such dis trict shall have all the rights, in regard to representation, which would belong to a town containing the same number of inhabitants.

The number of inhabitants which shall entitle a town to elect one representative, and the mean in. creasing number, which shall entitle a town or city to elect more than one, and also the number by which the population of towns, not entitled to a representative every year, is to be divided, shall be increased respectively, by one tenth of the numbers above mentioned, whenever the population of the Commonwealth shall have increased to seven hundred and seventy thousand, and for every additional increase of seventy thousand inhabitants, the same

addition of one tenth shall be made respectively to the said numbers above mentioned.

In the year of each decennial census, the governor and council shall, before the first day of September, apportion the number of representatives which each city, town, and representative district, is entitled to elect, and ascertain how many years, within ten years, any town may elect a representative, which is not entitled to elect one every year, and the governor shall cause the same to be published forthwith.

And the house of representatives shall have power, from time to time, to impose fines upon such towns as shall neglect to choose and return members to the same, agreeably to this constitution.

The expenses of travelling to the general assembly, and returning home, once in every session, and no more, shall be paid by the government, out of the public treasury, to every member who shall attend as seasonably as he can in the judgment of the house, and does not depart without leave.

III.

Every member of the house of representatives shall be chosen by written votes; and, for one year at least next preceding his election, shall have been an inhabitant of the town he shall be chosen to represent; and he shall cease to represent the said town immediately on his ceasing to be qualified as aforesaid; and no possession of a freehold, or of any other estate, shall be required as a qualification for holding a seat in the house of representatives.

IV. Every male person, qualified as in this constitution is provided, shall have a right to vote in the choice of a representative or representatives for the town within which he resides.

V. The members of the house of representatives shall be chosen annually, on the second Monday of November, in every year: but meetings may be adjourned, if necessary, for the choice of representatives, to the next day, and again to the next succeeding day, but no further: but in case a second meeting shall be necessary for the choice of representatives, such meetings shall be held on the fourth Monday of the same month of November.

VI. The house of representatives shall be the grand inquest of this Commonwealth; and all impeachments made by them shall be heard and tried by the senate.

VII. All money bills shall 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 such adjournment shall not exceed two days at a time.

IX. Not less than sixty members of the house of representatives shall constitute a quorum for doing business.

X. The house of representatives shall be judge of the returns, elections, and qualifications of its own members, as pointed out in the constitution ; shall choose their own speaker; appoint their own officers; and settle the rules and orders of proceeding in their own house. They shall have authority to punish, by imprisonment, every person, not a member, who shall be guilty of disrespect to the house, by any disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence; or who, in the town where the

general court is sitting, and during the time of its sitting, shall threaten harm to the body or estate of any of its members, for anything said or done in the house; or who shall assault any of them therefor; or who shall assault or arrest any witness, or other person 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 shall be arrested, or held to bail on mesne process, during his going unto, returning from, or his at tending, the general assembly.

XI. The senate shall have the same powers in the like cases; and the governor and council shall have the same authority to punish in like cases: Provided, that no imprisonment, on the warrant or order of the governor, council, senate, or house of representatives, for either of the above described offences, be for a term exceeding thirty days.

And the senate and house of representatives may try and determine all cases where their rights and privileges are concerned, and which, by the constitution, they have authority to try and determine, by committees of their own members, or in such other way as they may respectively think best.

CHAPTER II.

Executive Power.

SECTION I.

Governor.

ART. 1. There shall be a supreme executive magistrate, who shall be styled, THE GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSA

CIIUSETTS; and whose title shall be--IIIS EX. CELLENCY.

II. The governor shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to this office, unless, at the time of his election, he shall have been an inhabitant of this Commonwealth for seven years next preceding; and unless he shall, at the same time, be seized, in his own right, of a freehold within the Commonwealth, of the value of one thousand pounds.

The governor shall hold his office for one year next following the first Wednesday of January, and until another is chosen and qualified in his stead.

III. Those persons, who shall be qualified to vote for senators and representatives, within the several towns of this Commonwealth, shall, at a meeting to be called for that purpose, on the second Monday of November, annually, give in their votes for a governor, to the selectinen, who shall preside at such meetings; and the town clerk, in the presence and with the assistance of the selectmen, shall, in open town meeting, sort and count the votes, and form a list of the persons voted for, with the number of votes for each person against his name; and shall make a fair record of the same in the town books, and a public declaration thereof in the said meeting; and shall, in the presence of the inhabitants, seal up copies of the said list, attested by him and the selectmen, and transmit the same to the sheriff of the county, thirty days at least before the first Wednesday in January; and the sheriff shall transmit the same to the secretary's office seventeen days at least before the said first Wednesday in January; or the selectmen may cause returns of the same to be made to the office of the