Number.  Composed of one hundred members apportioned by statute among the counties and cities of the State.

Elected.  By the people for two years.

Qualifications.  Same as for Senators.

Powers.  Elects its own Speaker and all other officers; impeaches State officers, and prosecutes them before the Senate.  The Clerk of the House of Delegates is also Keeper of the Rolls.

Apportioned means divided or distributed or allotted.  A statute is any law, but the word is most commonly understood to mean a law made by a legislature representing the people.  The number of delegates appointed to the counties and cities—­that is, the number which each is entitled to elect—­is decided by statute in proportion to the number of inhabitants.

The chairman of the House of Delegates is called the speaker.  The same title is given to the presiding officer of the lower house in nearly every legislature in English-speaking countries.

The rolls are the statutes in written form as passed by the Assembly.  A law when proposed in the Assembly is called a bill.  To become a statute a bill must be voted on and have a majority three times in the House of Delegates and three times in the Senate and be signed by the governor.  Then it is an act, or a Statute, or a law.  The copy signed by the governor is an engrossed or written copy, and the official copies of the laws so engrossed are the rolls, and are preserved by the keeper of the rolls, who is the clerk of the House of Delegates.

General Assembly. (Senate and House jointly.)

Sessions.  Biennial.  Beginning the second Wednesday in January of every even year, and continuing sixty days.  The session may be extended not exceeding thirty days.  It may be convened in special session by the Governor.

The Senate and House of Delegates jointly—­that is, both together —­are called the General Assembly.  Sessions means sittings or meetings for business, and biennial means happening once every two years.  The General Assembly meets once every two years, and it does business for sixty days.  If the business necessary to be done require more time, the session may be extended—­that is, lengthened—­thirty days.  A special session is a session convened—­ that is, called to meet—­for some special or particular business.  The governor may convene such a session whenever he thinks it necessary.

Powers.  General powers of legislation under the constitution.  Elects U. S. Senators, County and City Electoral Boards, Auditor of Public Accounts, Second Auditor, Register of the Land Office, Superintendent of Public Printing, the Judges of the Commonwealth; decides contests in the election of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor; confirms or rejects nominations of certain officers made by the Governor, the State Board of Education, etc.

Powers means what the General Assembly has power to do.  Legislation is the making of laws.  The Assembly has powers of general legislation under the constitution—­that is, of making all such laws as the constitution directs or does not forbid.  (Explanations are given later on as to the boards and officers mentioned here which the General Assembly has power to elect.)