PART 2. AUTHORITIES OF THE NATION
TITLE I. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
SECTION I. THE LEGISLATIVE POWER
Article 44
A Congress consisting of two Chambers, one of Deputies of the Nation and the other of Senators of the Provinces and of the City of Buenos Aires, will be vested with the Legislative Power of the Nation.
CHAPTER I. THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES
Article 45
The Chamber of Deputies shall be composed of representatives elected directly, by a simple majority of votes, by the people of the Provinces, the city of Buenos Aires, and the Capital in case of transfer [of the Capital], [with the City of Buenos Aires and any new Capital] being considered for this purpose as individual states making up their own electoral districts. The number of representatives shall be one for every 33,000 inhabitants or fraction thereof that is not smaller than 16,500. After the completion of each census, the Congress shall fix the representation in accordance with the census, being able to increase but not to decrease the base indicated for each Deputy.
Article 46
The Deputies for the first Legislative Session shall be appointed in the following proportion: for the Province of Buenos Aires, twelve; for that of Cordoba, six; for that of Catamarca, three; for that of Corrientes, four; for that of Entre Rios, two; for that of Jujuy, two; for that of Mendoza, three; for that of La Rioja, two; for that of Salta, three; for that of Santiago, four; for that of San Juan, two; for that of Santa Fe, two; for that of San Luis, two; and for that of Tucuman, three.
Article 47
For the second Legislative Session, a general census shall be taken, and the number of Deputies shall be established accordingly; but this census can be renewed only every ten years.
Article 48
To be a Deputy one is required to have attained the age of twenty-five years, have four years of holding citizenship, and be a native of the Province that elects him or been in residence in the Province during the previous two years.
Article 49
For this [first] time, the legislatures of the Provinces shall regulate the means for effectuating the direct election of the Deputies of the Nation; for the future, the Congress shall enact a general law.
Article 50
Deputies shall serve in their representation for four years, and may be re-elected, but the Chamber shall be renewed by half every two years; to this end, those named for the first legislature, as soon as they meet, shall draw lots [to determine] who must leave after the first period.
Article 51
In case of vacancy, the Government of the Province, or of the Capital, shall proceed with the legal election of a new member.
Article 52
The Chamber of Deputies has the exclusive right to initiate proposed laws on taxes and recruitment of troops.
Article 53
Only the Chamber of Deputies has the right to bring charges before the Senate against the President, the Vice President, the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministers, and the members of the Supreme Court, in cases where they are allegedly responsible for poor performance or for committing an offense in carrying out their duties, or for common crimes, after being apprized of [the charges] and having declared by a two-thirds majority of the members present that there is cause for bringing an action.
