Page:Ottoman constitution of 1876.pdf/8

374 His Majesty the Sultan may according to the necessities of circumstances anticipate the opening and shorten or prolong the session.

The ceremony of opening takes place in the presence of His Majesty the Sultan either in person or represented by the Grand Vizier and in the presence of the Ministers and the members of the two chambers. There shall be read an Imperial speech setting forth the internal situation of the Empire and the state of its external relations in the course of the past year and indicating the measures the adoption of which is judged necessary for the ensuing year.

All the members of the general assembly shall take an oath of fidelity to His Majesty the Sultan and to the country to observe the Constitution, to perform the duty intrusted to them and to abstain from every act contrary to duty. The administration of the oath shall take place for the new members on the opening of the session in the presence of the Grand Vizier and after the opening in the presence of their respective presidents and in the public session of the chamber to which they belong.

Members of the General Assembly are free in giving their opinion and their votes. None of them can be bound by instructions or promises, influence or menaces. They cannot be attacked for opinions or votes given in the course of deliberations in the chamber to which they belong unless they have contravened the internal regulation of that Chamber, in which case the dispositions of the proper regulations shall be applied to them.

Every member of the General Assembly who by an absolute majority of two-thirds of the chamber to which he belongs, is accused of treason, of an attempt of violating the Constitution or of bribery or who has been legally condemned to imprisonment or exile ceases thereby to be a Senator or Deputy. The judgment and the application of the penalty belong to a competent tribunal.