Massachusetts Constitution of 1780
213
nually in the month of May, ten days at least before the last Wednesday
of that month.
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 the 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 any thing
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.
No member of the House of Representatives shall be arrested, or held
to bail on mean process, during his going unto, returning from, or his attending, 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 offenses, 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