pitano Giustiziere, to issue Orders for a new Election, having first received legal notice of the same, as shall hereafter be described.

VI. At the Elections of Representatives of the 2 Universities of Learning of Palermo and Catania, the above-mentioned duties shall be performed by the respective Rectors thereof, and, in their absence, by the Senior Professors.

VII. The Capitan d'Arme and the Capitani Giustizieri, and the 2 Rectors of the Universities of Learning of Palermo and Catania, shall not interfere with the decisions with respect to the qualifications above specified of the Candidates to be elected Representatives of the Chamber of Commons;-the duty of examining and deciding upon such qualifications appertaining, upon the conclusion of the Election, in the first place to the Prothonotary, and afterwards, at the instance of the Parties concerned, to the Chamber itself,

CHAPTER X.

ART. I. The Elections of Representatives of Districts shall take place in the Capitals of those Districts.

II. The Elections of Representatives of Cities and Parliamentary Lands shall take place in those Cities and Lands.

III. Some Public Place or open Square shall always be selected for such meetings, at the discretion of the respective Capitano.

IV. It is competent for any Elector to propose a Candidate, but the Election must fall upon him who obtains the greatest number of Votes.

V. Every Elector must give his vote in Person or by Deputy, alta voce, to the Chief Notary, (Maestro-Notaro), and in the presence of the Capitano d'Arme, and his Officers, who will register the same, according to the Forms which will hereafter be established.

[Placet Regiæ Majestati; the Forms being already approved of.]

VI. No Peer shall have the right of interfering in the Election of Members of the Chamber of Commons.

VII. The Chief Notary of the Commune in which the Election takes place, shall officiate during the Election.

VIII. No Troops, of any description whatever, shall reside in the Places of Election, during the Elections.

IX. If an armed Force, belonging to the ordinary Garrison, shall be stationed in one of such Places of Election, such Force, with the exception of such part of it as is absolutely necessary for daily service, shall, 2 days before the day of Election, remove to at least 2 miles' (miglia) distance from the same, and shall not return until the expiration of 2 days after the Election shall have terminated.

X. No Person holding a Public Appointment, or one dependent

upon the Crown, shall interfere in the said Elections, under a Penalty of 200 ounces, and dismissal from his Office.

XI. No Candidate shall give money to the Electors, nor feast or entertain them in any other manner, under a penalty of 200 ounces, and the annulment of the Election.

XII. The Elections of the Representatives of the 2 Universities of Palermo and Catania shall be conducted conformably to the regulations above specified; and their respective Chancellor shall, in the presence of the Rector, perform the functions of the Chief Notary, by receiving and registering the votes of the Professors.

XIII. The acceptance, by a Member of the Chamber of Commons, of any Office under the Crown, with the exception of a Military Appointment, shall, ipso facto, vacate his Seat; but it is competent for such Member to be again elected, unless in the case of those Appointments which are specified in Chapter VI, Article V.

[Placet Regiæ Majestati;—all other Functionaries, not excepted in Chapter VI., Article VI., being eligible to Seats.]

CHAPTER XI.

ART. I. His Majesty alone shall possess the right to convoke, prorogue, and dissolve, the Parliament.

II. The King shall convoke the Parliament every year, as has already been sanctioned in Article IX. of the Royal Provisions.

III. His Majesty shall, however, always convoke, prorogue, and dissolve the Parliament, with the advice of His Privy Council, the formation of which will be treated of hereafter.

IV. The duration of the Representation in the Chamber of Commons shall be limited to 4 years, reckoning from the date of the Convocation, after which it will expire, as a matter of course.

V. The Convocation of the Parliament shall be effected through the medium of the Prothonotary of the Kingdom, who shall declare His Majesty's pleasure to every Peer, and to every Representative of the Commons, the King's Order to this effect having been previously communicated, by the competent Minister of State, to the Prothonotary.

VI. Upon a renewal of the Chamber of Commons, the Prothonotary shall direct the Capitan d'Arme, the Capitani Giustizieri, and the Rectors of the 2 Universities, to summon the Electors, in order that they may proceed to the respective Elections of the Representatives to the Chamber of Commons, within a given period, which shall be neither more nor less than 40 days; and the same shall be done in accordance with the forms which will be hereafter described, the King's Order to that effect having been previously communicated, through the medium of the competent Minister of State, to the Prothonotary.

VII. The Parliament shall be opened by His Majesty in the Chamber

of Peers, either in Person, or by one of the Peers, commissioned for that purpose, who shall be required to take the Oath of Allegiance before 2 Royal Commissioners, according to the Catholic forms; and the Commons shall be present at the Ceremony, and shall remain standing behind the Bar of the Chamber.

VIII. The King will pronounce, or direct to be read, a Speech adapted to the occasion, to which no Member shall have the power of replying.

IX. His Majesty shall prorogue or dissolve the Parliament, either in Person or by Commission, with the same forms and ceremonies (the Oath only excepted,) as are prescribed for the opening of the Parliament.

[Placet Regiæ Majestati;-with the understanding that, when the Parliament is prorogued, it shall again assemble within a Year of the time of its previous Convocation, as is provided in the Second Article of this Chapter; and that, when it is dissolved, His Majesty will convoke another Parliament, to be composed of new Members of the Chamber of Commons: and also that, upon both occasions, any Discussion which may be pending shall be regarded as never having taken place.]

CHAPTER XII.

ART. I. The Throne shall always be erected in the Chamber of Peers, and be ascended by 3 steps.

II. The King shall sit upon the Throne on the day of the opening of Parliament.

III. The Princes of the Royal Family, who are either Spiritual or Temporal Peers, and the Archbishops, Bishops, and other Ecclesiastical Dignitaries, according to their order of Precedence, shall stand at his right hand, and the Temporal Peers, according to their titles, on his left: the Commons shall remain standing opposite to the Throne, and behind the Bar, which will be situated at the extremity of the Chamber.

[Placet Regiæ Majestati;—the Members composing the Chief Magistracy of the Kingdom being to be in attendance upon such occasions ; as well as the Junta of Presidenti and Consultore, until the new Magistracies are organized.]

CHAPTER XIII.

ART. I. In the Chamber of Commons, no Member shall have any distinction or precedence whatever; but in the Chamber of Peers, the same order of sitting shall be observed as at present, viz.: that of the antiquity of each Peerage; and all newly elected Peers (whatever may be their title) shall take the last place.

II. The votes in both Chambers shall be given promiscuously, those

for the Affirmative repairing to the right hand, and those for the Negative to the left hand, of the respective Chamber.

CHAPTER XIV.

ART. I. The President of the Chamber of Peers shall, in every Parliament, be selected by His Majesty from among the Members of the Chamber itself; and the President of the Chamber of Commons shall be elected by the Chamber of Commons itself, and approved of by His Majesty.

II. The Election of the President of the Chamber of Commons shall take place on the day after the solemn opening of Parliament, on which occasion the Prothonotary of the Kingdom shall preside.

III. This Election shall be effected by secret voting, and can only fall upon a Member of the Chamber of Commons.

CHAPTER XV.

ART. I. The President of each Chamber shall possess the following pre-eminences and attributes:

He shall occupy a distinguished seat.

He shall answer and speak in the name of the Chamber, whenever occasion may require.

He shall open the deliberations.

He shall determine the time for taking the votes; and, after the same shall have been counted by the Secretary, shall announce the result.

He shall decide definitively on all controversies which may arise among the Members, as to priority in speaking.

He shall restore silence and order, in the event of animosities and disturbances in the Chamber; and in case any Member shall not immediately obey, the Chamber shall punish him by a vote of censure, verbally or in writing, or with a more severe admonition or punishment, in proportion to his contumacy and culpability.

II. The President shall only have a vote when the numbers are equal.

III. He shall have the management of the expenditure, and superintend the Regulations and police of the Chamber.

IV. He shall execute and sign all Decrees, in the name of the Chamber.

V. He may reprimand any Member whenever he may think proper, but not in harsh or offensive terms; he may threaten with punishment, but cannot inflict any without the consent of the Chamber.

VI. He shall himself be liable, in the same manner as other Members, to the censure and punishment of the Chamber, which, in cases of aggravation, may even extend to dismissal from Office, and expulsion from the Chamber.

CHAPTER XVI.

ART. I. No Judge or Magistrate can interrogate, proceed against, or arrest, or pronounce or execute a Sentence against, the Members of either Chamber, individually, or against their Members collectively, for any thing spoken, done, discussed, or resolved upon in Parliament, under the penalty of 1,000 ounces, the forfeiture of every description of Public Employment, and banishment to an Island for the term of 10 years.

II. His Majesty, in the execution of such Sentences, is precluded from granting a pardon, or any mitigation of punishment to Delinquents; nor shall the latter be permitted to plead any Order or Commission of His Majesty, in justification or extenuation of their offence.

III. The Chambers alone can take cognizance of any excesses committed by their Members, respectively, within the same: and shall have the sole and exclusive right of punishing them by votes of censure, delivered vivá voce, or registered in the proceedings, by imprisonment, or prohibition from attending Parliament, and by still severer punishments, as will be declared in the new Civil Code.

CHAPTER XVII.

ART. I. Each of the 2 Presidents shall appoint the Chancellor of his Chamber, who shall enjoy an annual salary of 400 ounces. [Placet Regiæ Majestati; as regards the Appointment; but subject to the understanding, that they shall be selected by the King upon the nomination of the respective Presidents.]

II. Each of the 2 Chancellors shall appoint 2 Secretaries, who shall enjoy an annual salary of 150 ounces each, and the other Subordinate Officers, whom the Chambers may think necessary.

III. Each of the 2 Chambers shall appoint an Usher, with an annual salary of 100 ounces.

IV. The 2 Chancellors, with their Secretaries, shall register, in a clear and distinct manner, the proceedings of their respective Chambers, and count and announce the votes; and they shall have the custody of the respective Registers.

[Placet Regiæ Majestati; subject to the Royal Sanction expressed in Article I. of this Chapter.]

V. The Prothonotary of the Kingdom shall keep the Archives of all the Resolutions of the Parliament, whether sanctioned or not, in an Office situate within the House of Parliament.

VI. In addition to the above-named Officers, there shall be in the Chamber of Commons, a Capitano d'Ordine, who shall be appointed by the President of the Chamber; and shall maintain the police of the same; and the Door Keepers shall be under his orders. It shall be his special duty to execute the commands of the Chamber itself, upon receiving the authority of the President in writing to that effect, in matters which exclusively concern the said Chamber, and he shall enjoy an [1816-17.]

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