36 Constitution of the [Art. 3.

Each House may
imprison for dis-
respect.

Sec. 22. Each House may punish by imprisonment,
during the session of the General Assembly, any person not
a member for disrespectful or disorderly behavior in its
presence, 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.

Powers of the
House of Delegates

Sec. 23. The House of Delegates may inquire, on the
oath of witnesses, into all complaints, grievances and offences,
as the Grand Inquest of the State, and may commit any
person for any crime to the public jail, there to remain until
discharged by due course of law; they may examine and
pass all accounts of the State, relating either to the collec-
tion or expenditure of the revenue, and appoint auditors to
state and adjust the same, they may call for all public or
official papers and records, and send for persons whom they
may judge neccessary in the course of their inquiries con-
cerning affairs relating to the public interest, and may direct
all office bonds which shall be made payable to the State,
to be sued for any breach thereof.

Special adjourn-
ments.

Sec. 24. Neither House shall, without the consent of the
other, adjourn for more than three days at any one time, nor
to any other place than that in which the House shall be sit-
ting, without the concurrent vote of two-thirds of the mem-
bers present.

Impeachment.

Sec. 25. The House of Delegates shall have the sole
power of impeachment in all cases, but a majority of all the
members elected must concur in an impeachment; all im-
peachments shall be tried by the Senate, and when sitting
for that purpose, the Senators shall be on oath or affirma-
tion to do justice according to the law and evidence, but no
person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-
thirds of all the Senators elected.

Either House may
originate Bills.

Sec. 26. Any bill may originate in either House of the
General Assembly, and be altered, amended, or rejected by
the other; but no bill shall originate in either House during
the last ten days of the session, nor become a law until it
be read on three different days of the session in each House,