and fifty-one, in Howard county, and all
those counties in which senators were
elected in the year eighteen hundred and
forty-six.
Sec. 6. Immediately after the Senate
shall have convened after the first elec-
tion under this Constitution, the sena-
tors shall be divided, by lot, into two
classes, as nearly equal in number as
may be — the senators of the first class
shall go out oF office at the expiration
of two years, and senators shall be
elected on the first Wednesday of No-
vember, eighteen hundred and fifty-
three, for the term of four years, to sup-
ply their places; so that, after the first
election, one-half of the senators may be
chosen every second year; provided, that
in no case shall any senator be placed in
a class which shall entitle him to serve
for a longer term than that for which he
was elected. In case the number of sen-
ators be hereafter increased, such classi-
fication of the additional senators shall
be made as to preserve as nearly as may
be an equal number in each class.
Sec. 7. The General Assembly shall
meet on the first Wednesday of January,
eighteen hundred and fifty-two, on the
same day, in the year eighteen hundred
and fifty-three, and on the same day in
the year eighteen hundred and fifty-four,
and on the same day in every second
year thereafter, and at no other time
unless convened by the proclamation of
the Governor.
Sec. 8. The General Assembly may
continue their first two sessions after the
adoption of this Constitution, as long as,
in the opinion of the two Houses, the
public interests may require it, but all
subsequent regular sessions of the Gen-
eral Assembly shall be closed on the
tenth day of March next ensuing the
time of their commencement, unless the
same shall be closed at an earlier day
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by the agreement of the two Houses.
Sec. 9. No person shall be eligible as
a senator or delegate who, at the time of
his election, is not a citizen of the United
States, and who has not resided at least
three years next preceding the day of his
election in this State, and the last year
thereof in the county or city which he
may be chosen to represent, if such
county or city shall have been so long
established, and if not, then in the
county from which, in whole or in part,
the same may have been formed; nor
shall any person be eligible as a senator
unless he shall have attained the age of
twenty-five years, nor as a delegate un-
less he shall have attained the age of
twenty-one years at the time of his elec-
tion.
Sec. 10. No member of Congress, or
persons holding any civil or military of-
fice under the United States, shall be
eligible as a senator or delegate; and if
any person shall, after his election as a
senator or delegate, be elected to Con-
gress, or be appointed to any office, civil
or military, under the government of the
United States, his acceptance thereof
shall vacate his seat.
Sec. 11. No Minister or Preacher of
the Gospel, of any denomination, and
no person holding any civil office of
profit or trust under this State, except
justices of the peace, shall be eligible as
senator or delegate.
Sec. 12. Each House shall be judge of
the qualifications and elections of its
members, subject to the laws of the
State — appoint its own officers, deter-
mine the rules of its own proceedings,
punish a member for disorderly or dis-
respectful behaviour, and with the con-
sent of two-thirds, expel a member; but
no member shall be expelled a second
time for the same offence.
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