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PROPOSED CONSTITUTION OF 1968
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CONSTITUTION OF 1867
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committees, shall be absolutely privileged,
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Art. III, sec. 18. No Senator or Delegate
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and a member shall not be liable therefor in
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shall be liable in any civil action, or
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any civil action or criminal prosecution.
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criminal prosecution, whatever, for words
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spoken in debate.
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General Assembly
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Section 3.15. Sessions.
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Declaration of Rights, Art. 12. That for
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The General Assembly may provide by law
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redress of grievances, and for amending,
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for an organizational session prior to the
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strengthening and preserving the Laws, the
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convening of the regular session. The Gener-
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Legislature ought to be frequently convened.
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al Assembly shall convene in regular session
on the third Wednesday of January of each
year, unless otherwise prescribed by law, and
may continue in session for a period not
longer than ninety days; provided that by
the affirmative vote of a majority of the
members of each house a regular session may
be extended for a period not longer than
thirty days, and that by the affirmative vote
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Art. II, sec. 16. The Governor shall
convene the Legislature, or the Senate alone,
on extraordinary occasions; and whenever
from the presence of an enemy, or from any
other cause, the Seat of Government shall
become an unsafe place for the meeting of
the Legislature, he may direct their sessions
to be held at some other convenient place.
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of three-fifths of the members of each house
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Art. III, sec. 14. The General Assembly
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a regular session may be extended a second
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shall meet on the third Wednesday of Janu-
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time for a period not longer than thirty
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ary, nineteen hundred and sixty-five, and
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days. The governor may convene a special
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on the same day in every year thereafter,
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session of the General Assembly at any time
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and at no other time, unless convened by
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and shall convene a special session upon the
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Proclamation of the Governor.
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written request of three-fifths of all the
members of each house. The governor may,
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Sec. 15. The General Assembly may
continue its session so long as in its judg-
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on extraordinary occasions, convene the Sen-
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ment the public interest may require, for
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ate by proclamation, stating the purpose for
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a period not longer than seventy days in
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which he has convened it. The presiding of-
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each year; .... When the General Assembly
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ficer of the Senate and the presiding officer
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shall be convened by Proclamation of the
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of the House of Delegates, acting concurrent-
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Governor, the session shall not continue
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ly, may convene a special session of the Gen-
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longer than thirty days, but no additional
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eral Assembly at any time.
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compensation other than mileage and other
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allowances provided by Law shall be paid
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members of the General Assembly for
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special session.
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Section 3.16. Organization.
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Sec. 19. Each House shall be judge of
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Each house shall be the judge of the qual-
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the qualifications and elections of its mem-
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ifications and selection of its members, as
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bers, as prescribed by the Constitution and
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prescribed by this Constitution and the laws
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Laws of the State; shall appoint its own
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of this State. Each house shall elect its
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officers, determine the rules of its own
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officers and determine its rules of procedure,
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proceedings, punish a member for dis-
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and may permit its committees and subcom-
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orderly, or disrespectful behavior, and with
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mittees to meet between sessions of the Gen-
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the consent of two-thirds of its whole num-
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eral Assembly. Each house, by the affirmative
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ber of members elected, expel a member;
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vote of a majority of all its members, may
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but no member shall be expelled a second
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compel the attendance and testimony of wit-
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time for the same offence.
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nesses and the production of records and pa-
pers either before the house as a whole or
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Sec. 24. The House of Delegates may
inquire, on the oath of witnesses, into all
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before any of its committees and subcommit-
tees, provided that the rights and the records
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complaints, grievances and offences, as the
Grand Inquest of the State, and may com-
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and papers of all witnesses in such eases are
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mit any person, for any crime, to the
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protected by law. Each house may punish a
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public jail, there to remain, until discharged
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member for disorderly or disrespectful be-
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by due course of Law. They may examine
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havior, by the affirmative vote of a majority
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and pass all accounts of the State, relating
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