Assembly, or be distributed among them, at the public
expense.

SEC. 17. No Senator or Delegate, after qualifying as such,
notwithstanding he may hereafter resign, shall during the
whole period of time for which he was elected, be eligible
to any office which shall have been created, or the salary or
profits of which shall have been increased, during such
term.

SEC. 18. No Senator or Delegate shall be liable in any
civil action or criminal prosecution whatever for words
spoken in debate.

SEC. 19. Each House shall be judge of the qualifications
and elections of its members., as prescribed by the Constitu-
tion and Laws of the State; shall appoint its own officers,
determine the rules of its own proceedings, punish a mem-
ber for disorderly or disrespectful behavior, and with the
consent of two-thirds of its whole number of members
elected, expel a member; but no member shall be expelled
a second time for the same offence.

SEC. 20. A majority of the whole number of members
elected to each House shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business; but a smaller number may adjourn
from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent
members in such manner and under such penalties as each
House may prescribe.

SEC. 21. The doors of each House and of the Committee
of the Whole shall be open, except when the business is
such as ought to be kept secret.

SEC. 22. Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceed-
ings and cause the same to be published. The yeas and
nays of members on any question shall, at the call of any
five of them in the House of Delegates, or one in the
Senate, be entered on the Journal.

SEC. 23. Each House may punish by imprisonment, dur-
ing the session of the General Assembly, any person, not a
member, for disrespectful or disorderly behavior in its pres-
ence, or for obstructing any of its proceedings, or any of
its officers in the execution of their duties; provided such
imprisonment shall not at any one time exceed ten days.

SEC. 24. The House of Delegates may inquire, on the
oath of witnesses, into all complaints, grievances and