law, nor section of law, shall be revived or amended by reference to its title or section only; nor shall any law be construed by reason of its title to grant powers or confer rights which are not expressly contained in the body of the Act; and it shall be the duty of the General Assembly, in amending any article or section of the Code of Laws of this State, to enact the same as the said article or section would read when amended. And whenever the General Assembly shall enact any Public General Law, not amendatory of any section or article in the said Code, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to enact the same, in articles and sections, in the same manner as the Code is arranged, and to provide for the publication of all additions and alterations which may be made to the said Code. Davis v. State, 7 Md. 151. Keller v. State, 11 Md. 525. Parkinson v. State, 14 Md. 184. The Trustees of Allegany Co. School v. Maffit, 22 Md. 126. McPherson v. Leonard, Comptroller, 29 Md. 377. Cearfoss v. State, 42 Md. 403. McGrath v. State, 46 Md. 631. Co. Commrs. of Dorchester Co. v. Meekins, 50 Md. 28. Second German American Bldg. Asso. v. Newman, 50 Md. 62. Co. Commrs. of Talbot Co. v. Co. Commrs. of Queen Anne's Co., 50 Md. 245. Mayor, &c., of Balto. v. Reitz, 50 Md. 574. State v. Fox, 51 Md. 411. Co. Commrs. of Prince George's Co. v. Commrs. of Laurel, 51 Md. 457. Mayor, &c., of Balto. v. Stoll, 52 Md. 435. Maryland Agricultural College v. Keating, 58 Md. 580. Steifel v. Maryland Institution for the Instruction of the Blind, 61 Md. 144. Slymer v State, 62 Md. 237. Trustees Catholic, &c., v. Manning, 70 Md. 269. State v. Norris, 70 Md. 91. Ellicott Co. v. Speed, 72 Md. 22. Commrs. Calvert Co. v. Hillen, 72 Md. 60. Scharf v. Tasker, 73 Md. 378. Lankford v. Commrs. Somerset Co., 73 Md. 105. Gans v. Carter and Aiken, Trustees, 77 Md. 1. SEC. 30. Every bill, when passed by the General Assembly, and sealed with the Great Seal, shall be presented to the Governor, who, if he approves it, shall sign the same in the presence of the presiding officers and chief clerks of the Senate and House of Delegates. Every law shall be recorded in the office of the Court of Appeals, and in due time be printed, published and certified under the Great Seal, to the several courts, in the same manner as has been heretofore usual in this State. Parkinson v. State, 14 Md. 184. Berry v. Balto. & Drum Md. 446. Legg v. Mayor, &c., of Annapolis, 42 Md. 203. 61 Md. 14. Point R. R. Co., 41 SEC. 31. No Law passed by the General Assembly shall take effect until the first day of June next after the session at which it may be passed, unless it be otherwise expressly declared therein. Parkinson v. State, 14 Md. 184. Risewick v. Davis, 19 Md. 96. SEC. 32. No money shall be drawn from the Treasury of the State by any order or resolution, nor except in accordance with an appropriation by law; and every such law shall distinctly specify the sum appropriated and the object to which it shall be applied; provided, that nothing herein contained shall prevent the General Assembly from placing a contingent fund at the disposal of the Executive, who shall report to the General Assembly at each session the amount expended and the purposes to which it was applied. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public money shall be attached to and published with the laws after each regular session of the General Assembly. Thomas v. Owens, 4 Md. 189. McPherson v. Leonard, 29 Md. 377. SEC. 33. The General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws in any of the following enumerated cases, viz.: For extending the time for the collection of taxes; granting divorces; changing the name of any person; providing for the sale of real estate belonging to minors or other persons laboring under legal disabilities, by executors, administrators, guardians or trustees; giving effect to informal or invalid deeds or wills; refunding money paid into the State Treasury, or releasing persons from their debts or obligations to the State, unless recommended by the Governor or officers of the Treasury Department. And the General Assembly shall pass no special law for any case for which provision has been made by an existing general law. The General Assembly, at its first session after the adoption of this Constitution, shall pass general laws providing for the cases enumerated in this section which are not already adequately provided for, and for all other cases where a General Law can be made applicable. Whittington v. Polk, 1 H. & J. 236. Horsey v. State, 3 H. & J. 2. Gover v. Hall, Exr., 3 H. & J. 43. Partridge v. Dorsey, 3 H. & J. 302. Crane v. Meginnis, 1 G. & J. 463. Lessee of Dulany, &c. v. Tilghman, 6 G. & J. 461. Norris v. Trustees of the Abingdon Academy, 7 G. & J. 7. Berrett v. Oliver 7 G. & J. 191. Lawrence v. Hicks, 8 G. & J. 386. The Regents of the Uni-versity of Maryland v. Williams, 9 G. & J. 365. Dorsey v. Gilbert, 11 G. & J. 87. Cromwell v. State, 12 G. & J. 257. Prout v. Berry, 12 G. & J. 286. State v. B. & O. R. R. Co., 12 G. & J. 400. Campbell's Case, 2 Bl. 209. Wright v. Wright's Lessee, 2 Md. 429. Rock Hill College v. Jones, 47 Md. 16. Pumphrey v. Mayor, &c. of Balto., 47 Md. 145. O'Brien & Co. v. Co. Commrs. of Balto. Co., 51 Md. 15. Co. Commrs. of Prince George's Co. v. Co. Commrs. of Laurel, 51 Md. 457. Montague, Exr. v. State, 54 Md. 481. Hodges v. Balto. Passenger Railway Co., 58 Md. 603. Lankford v. Commrs. Somerset Co., 73Md. 105. Gans v. Garter & Aiken, trustees, 77 Md. 1. SEC. 34. No debt shall be hereafter contracted by the General Assembly unless such debt shall be authorized by a Law providing for the collection of an annual tax or taxes sufficient to pay the interest on such debt as it falls due, and also to discharge the principal thereof within fifteen years from the time of contracting the same; and the taxes laid for this purpose shall not be repealed or applied to any other object until the said debt and interest thereon shall be fully discharged. The credit of the State shall not in any manner be given, or loaned to, or in aid of any individual, association or corporation; nor shall the General Assembly have the power in any mode to involve the State in the construction of Works of Internal Improvement, nor in granting any aid thereto, which shall involve the faith or credit of the State; nor make any appropriation therefor, except in aid of the con-struction of Works of Internal Improvement, in the counties of St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert, which have had no direct advantage from such works as have been heretofore aided by the State; and provided, that such aid, advances or appropriations shall not exceed in the aggregate the sum of five hundred thousand dollars. And they shall not use or appropriate the proceeds of the Internal Improvement Companies, or of the State tax, now levied, or which may hereafter be levied, to pay off the public debt, or to any other purpose until the interest and debt are fully paid, or the sinking fund shall be equal to the amount of the outstanding debt; but the General Assembly may, without laying a tax, borrow an amount never to exceed fifty thousand dollars to meet temporary deficiencies in the Treasury, and may contract debts to any amount that may be necessary for the defence of the State. State v. Hendrickson, 15 Md. 205. SEC. 35. No extra compensation shall be granted or allowed by the General Assembly to any Public Officer, Agent, Servant or Contractor, after the service shall have been rendered, or the contract entered into; nor shall the salary or compensation of any public officer be increased or diminished during his term of office. SEC. 36. No Lottery grant shall ever hereafter be authorized by the General Assembly. Lucas v. McBlair, 12 G. & J. 1. SEC. 37. The General Assembly shall pass no Law providing for payment, by this State, for Slaves emancipated from servitude in this State; but they shall adopt such measures as they may deem expedient to obtain from the United States compensation for such Slaves, and to receive and distribute the same equitably to the persons entitled. SEC. 38. No person shall be imprisoned for debt. SEC. 39. The General Assembly shall grant no charter for Banking purposes, nor renew any Banking Corporation now in existence, except upon the condition that the Stockholders shall be liable to the amount of their respective share or shares of stock in such Banking Institution, for all its debts and liabilities upon note, bill or otherwise; the books, papers and accounts of all Banks shall be open to inspection, under such regulations as may be prescribed by Law. Hammond v. Strauss, 53 Md. 1. Helfrich v. Catonsville Water Co., .74 Md. 269. O'Brien v. Balto. Belt R. R. Co., 74 Md. 363. SEC. 40. The General Assembly shall enact no Law authorizing private property to be taken for public use, without just compensation, as agreed upon between the parties, or awarded by a jury, being first paid, or tendered to the party entitled to such compensation. Canal Co. v. Railroad Co., 4 G. & J. 1. The Tide Water Canal Co. v. Archer, 9 G. & J. 479. B. & S. Railroad Co. v. Compton, 2 Gill, 20. Alexander v. Mayor, &c., of Balto., 5 Gill, 383. Binney's Case, 2 Bl. 99. Waring v. Waring, 2 Bl. 673. Hepburn's Case, 3 Bl. 95. Compton v. The Susquehanna Railroad, 3 Bl. 386. Baltimore v. McKim, 3 Bl. 453. Hamilton v. Annapolis & Elk Ridge Railroad Co., 1 Md. Ch. Dec. 107. Harness v. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Co., 1 Md, Ch. Dec. 248. Hamilton v. Annapolis & Elk Ridge Railroad Co., 1 Md. 553. Hoye v. Swan's Lessee, 5 Md. 237. Moale v. Mayor, &c., of Balto., 5 Md. 314. Steuart v. Mayor, &c., of Balto., 7 Md. 500. Graff v. Mayor, &c., of Balto., 10 Md. 544. Reddall v. Bryan, 14 Md. 444. Western Md. R. R. Co. v. Owings, 15 Md. 199. Kane v. Mayor, &c., of Balto., 15 Md. 240. State v. Graves, 19 Md. 369. Douglass v. Boonsborough Turnpike R. Co., 22 Md. 229. Western Md. R. R. Co. v. Patterson, 37 Md. 125. State v. Consolidation Coal Co., 46 Md. 1. Mayor, &c., of Cumberland v. Wilison, 50 Md. 138. P. R. R. Co. v. B. & R. R. Co., 60 Md. 267. American Telephone Co. v. Pearce, 71 Md. 535. Ulman v. M. & C. C. Balto., 72 Md. 587-609. Balto. Belt Railroad Co. v. Baltzell, 75 Md. 94. Helfrick v. Catonsville Water Co., 74 Md. 269. O'Brien v. Balto. Belt R. R. Co., 74 Md. 363. O. SEC. 41. Any citizen of this State who shall, after the adoption of this Constitution, either in or out of this State, fight a duel with deadly weapons, or send or accept a challenge so to do, or who shall act as a second, or knowingly aid or assist in any manner those offending, shall ever thereafter be incapable of holding any office of profit or trust under this State, unless relieved from the disability by an Act of the Legislature. SEC. 42. The General Assembly shall pass Laws necessary for the preservation of the purity of elections. |