CONSTITUTION OF 1776. 95 



before the said Election; nor shall any Member, wliile he continues 

 such, hold any other Office, except in the ^Militia. 



' SECTION THE EIGHTH. 



No Person shall be capable of being elected a Member to serve in the 

 House of Eepresentatives of the Freemen of tliis Commonwealth more 

 than four Years in seven. 



SECTION THE NINTH. 



The Members of the House of Eepresentatives shall be chosen annu- 

 ally by Ballot, by the Freemen of the Commonwealth, on the second 

 Tuesday in October for ever, (except this present Year) and shall meet 

 on [the fourth Monday of the same Month; and shall be styled THE 

 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 

 FREEMEN OF PENNSYLVANIA, and shall have power to choose 

 their Speaker, the Treasurer of the State, and their other Officers ; sit on 

 their own Adjournments; prepare Bills and enact them into Laws; judge 

 of the Elections and Qualifications of their own Members'; they may 

 expel a Member, but not a second Time for the same Cause ; they may 

 administer Oaths or Affirmations on Examinations of Witnesses ; redress 

 Grievances ; impeach State Criminals ; grant Charters of Incorporation ; 

 constitute Towns, Boroughs, Cities and Counties; and shall havo all 

 other Powers necessary for the Legislature of a Free State or Common- 

 wealth; but they shall have no p®wer to add to, alter, abolish or infringe 

 any part of this constitution. 



SECTION THE TENTH. 



A Quorum of the House of Representatives shall consist of two-thirds 

 of the whole Number of Members elected; and having met, and chosen 

 their Speaker, shall each of them, before they proceed to Business, take 

 and subscribe, as well the Oath or Affirmation of Fidelity and Allegiance 

 herein after directed, as the following oath or affirmation, viz : 



I , do swear (or affirm) that, as a Member of this Assembly, 



I will not propose or assent to any Bill, Vote or Resolution, which shall 

 appear to me injurious to the People, nor do or consent to any Act or 

 Thing whatever, that shall have a Tendency to lessen or abridge their 

 Rights and Privileges as declared in the Constitution of this State; but 

 will, in all things, conduct myself as a faithful honest Reitreseutative 

 and Guardian of the People, according to the best of my Judgment and 

 Abilities. 



And each Member, before he takes his Seat, shall make and subscribe 

 the following Declaration, viz: 



I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the Universe, 

 the Rewarder of the good and punisher of the wicked : And I do acknowl- 



