SEC. 43. The property of the wife shall be protected from the debts of her husband.

Schindel v. Schindel, 12 Md. 294. Steffey v. Steffey, 19 Md. 9. Kennedy v. Lange, 50 Md. 91. Clark v. Wooton, 63 Md. 113.

SEC. 44. Laws shall be passed by the General Assembly, to protect from execution a reasonable amount of the property of the debtor, not exceeding in value, the sum of five hundred dollars.

SEC. 45. The General Assembly shall provide a simple and uniform system of charges in the offices of Clerks of Courts, and Registers of Wills, in the Counties of this State, and City of Baltimore, and for the collection thereof; provided, the amount of compensation to any of the said officers, in the various Counties, shall not exceed the sum of three thousand dollars a year, and in the City of Baltimore, thirty-five hundred dollars a year, over and above office expenses, and compensation to assistants; and provided further, that such compensation of Clerks, Registers, assistants and office expenses shall always be paid out of the fees, or receipts of the offices, respectively. Banks v. State, 60 Md. 305.

SEC. 46. The General Assembly shall have power to receive from the United States, any grant or donation of land, money, or securities for any purpose designated by the United States, and shall administer, or distribute the same according to the conditions of the said grant.

SEC. 47. The General Assembly shall make provisions for all cases of contested elections of any of the officers, not herein provided for.

State v. Jarrett & Harwood, 17 Md. 309. Groome v. Gwinn, 43 Md. 572.

SEC. 48. Corporations may be formed under general laws, but shall not be created by special act, except for municipal purposes and except in cases where no general

Laws exist, providing for the creation of corporations of the same general character as the corporation proposed to be created, and any act of incorporation passed in violation of this section shall be void; all charters granted or adopted in pursuance of this section, and all charters. heretofore granted and created subject to repeal or modi- . fication, may be altered from time to time, or be repealed; provided, nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend to banks, or the incorporation thereof; the General Assembly shall not alter or amend the charter of any corporation existing at the time of the adoption of this Article, or pass any other general or special Law for the benefit of such corporation, except upon the condition that such corporation shall surrender all claim to exemption from taxation or from the repeal or modification of its charter, and that such corporation shall thereafter hold its charter subject to the provisions of this Constitution; and any corporation chartered by this State which shall accept, use, enjoy or in anywise avail itself of any rights, privileges, or advantages that may hereafter be granted or conferred by any general or special Act, shall be conclusively presumed to have thereby surrendered any exemption from taxation to which it may be entitled under its charter, and shall be thereafter subject to taxation as if no such exemption has been granted by its charter.

New Central Coal Co. v. George's Creek Coal & Iron Co., 37 Md. 537. Montell & Co. v. Consolidated Coal Co., 39 Md. 164. State v. Northern Central R. R. Co., 44 Md. 131. Reed v. Balto Trust and Guarantee Co., 72 Md. 531. Amendment 1890, c. 195. Jackson v. Walsh, 75 Md. 304.

SEC. 49. The General Assembly shall have power to regulate by law, not inconsistent with this Constitution, all matters which relate to the Judges of Election, time, place and manner of holding elections in this State, and of making returns thereof.

Lankford v. Commrs. Somerset Co., 73 Md. 105.

SEC. 50. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly, at its first session, held after the adoption of this Consti

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tution, to provide by Law for the punishment, by fine, or imprisonment in the Penitentiary, or both, in the discretion of the Court, of any person, who shall bribe, or attempt to bribe, any Executive, or Judicial officer of the State of Maryland, or any member, or officer of the General Assembly of the State of Maryland, or of any Municipal Corporation in the State of Maryland, or any Executive officer of such corporation, in order to influence him in the performance of any of his official duties; and, also, to provide by Law for the punishment, by fine,or imprisonment in the Penitentiary, or both, in the discretion of the Court, of any of said officers, or members, who shall demand or receive any bribe, fee, reward or testimonial, for the performance of his official duties, or for neglecting or failing to perform the same; and, also, to provide by Law for compelling any person, so bribing, or attempting to bribe, or so demanding or receiving a bribe, fee, reward or testimonial, to testify against any person or persons who may have committed any of said offences; provided, that any person so compelled to testify, shall be exempted from trial and punishment for the offence, of which he may have been guilty; and any person convicted of such offence, shall, as part of the punishment thereof, be forever disfranchised and disqualified from holding any office of trust or profit in this State.

SEC. 51. The personal property of residents of this State shall be subject to taxation in the county or city where the resident bona fide resides for the greater part of the year for which the tax may or shall be levied, and not elsewhere, except goods and chattels permanently located, which shall be taxed in the city or county where they are so located, but the General Assembly may by law provide for the taxation of mortgages upon property in this State and the debts secured thereby in the county or city where such property is situated.

Amendment 1890, c. 426.

SEC. 52. The General Assembly shall appropriate no money out of the Treasury for payment of any private claim against the State exceeding three hundred dollars, unless said claim shall have been first presented to the Comptroller of the Treasury, together with the proofs upon which the same is founded, and reported upon by him.

SEC. 53. No person shall be incompetent, as a witness,. on account of race or color, unless hereafter so declared by Act of the General Assembly.

SEC. 54. No County of this State shall contract any debt, or obligation, in the construction of any Railroad, Canal, or other Work of Internal Improvement, nor give, or loan its credit to, or in aid of any association, or corporation, unless authorized by an Act of the General Assembly, which shall be published for two months before the next election for members of the House of Delegates in the newspapers published in such County, and shall also be approved by a majority of all the members elected to each House of the General Assembly, at its next Session after said election.

Baltimore & Drum Point Railroad Company v. Pumphrey, 74 Md. 86.

SEC. 55. The General Assembly shall pass no law suspending the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

SEC. 56. The General Assembly shall have power to pass all such Laws as may be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested by this Constitution, in any Department or office of the Government, and the duties imposed upon them thereby.

SEC. 57. The Legal rate of Interest shall be six per cent.. per annum, unless otherwise provided by the General Assembly.

Bandel v. Isaac, 13 Md. 202. Birmingham v. Md. Land and Perm. Homestead Asso. of Balto. Co., 45 Md. 541. Citizens' Security and Land Co. v. Uhler, 48 Md. 455.

SEC. 58. The Legislature, at its first session after the ratification of this Constitution, shall provide by Law for State and municipal taxation upon the revenues accruing from business done in the State by all foreign corporations.

SEC. 59. The office of "State Pension Commissioner" is hereby abolished; and the Legislature shall pass no law creating such office, or establishing any general pension system within this State.

SECTION 1. The Judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, Orphans' Courts, such Courts for the City of Baltimore as are hereinafter provided for, and Justices of the Peace; all said Courts shall be Courts of Record, and each shall have a seal to be used in the authentication of all process issuing therefrom. The process and official character of Justices of the Peace shall be authenticated as hath heretofore been practised in this State, or may hereafter be prescribed by Law.

Ex parte O'Neill, 8 Md. 227. Shafer v. Mumma, 17 Md. 331.

SEC. 2. The Judges of all of the said Courts shall be citizens of the State of Maryland, and qualified voters under this Constitution, and shall have resided therein not less than five years, and not less than six months next preceding their election or appointment in the judicial