Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

tion or article in the said code, it shall be the duty of the Legislature to enact the same in articles and sections, in the same manner as the said code may be arranged; and to provide for the publication of all additions and alterations which may be made to the said code, and it shall also be the duty of the Legislature to appoint one or more commissioners learned in the law, whose duty it shall be to revise, sim- Rules of Practice, plify, and abridge the rules of practice, plead- Conveyancing ings, forms of conveyancing, and proceedings 1852, Res. 14, of the Courts of record in this State.

Pleading and

to be revised.

may originate

SEC. 18. Any bill may originate in either Either House House of the General Assembly, and be alter- Bills. ed, amended or rejected by the other; but no bill shall originate in either House during the last three days of the session, or become a law, until it be read on three different days of the session in each House, unless three-fourths of the members of the House, where such bill is pending, shall so determine.

SEC. 19. No bill shall become a law unless Passage of Bills. it be passed in each House by a majority of the whole number of members elected, and on its final passage the ayes and noes be recorded.

of money to he

SEC. 20. No money shall be drawn from the Appropriations Treasury of the State, except in accordance made by law. with an appropriation made by law, and every 4 Md. 189. 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 Legislature from placing a

contingent fund at the disposal of the Execu- Contingent fund. tive, who shall report to the Legislature at each session the amount expended and the

Statement
Receipts and

be published.

of purposes to which it was applied; an accurate Expenditures to 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.

1854, ch. 16.

Divorces not to

be granted by Ge

SEC. 21. No divorce shall be granted by the

neral Assembly. General Assembly.

2 Md. 429.

No debts to be contracted by the Legislature.

SEC. 22. No debt shall hereafter be contracted by the Legislature, 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 the interest thereon shall be fully discharged, and the amount of debts so contracted and remaining unpaid shall never The Credit of the exceed one hundred thousand dollars. 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, or in any enterprize which shall involve the faith or credit of the State, or make any appropriations Proceeds of In- therefor. And they shall not use or appropriment Companies ate the proceeds of the internal improvement be used to pay companies, or of the State Tax now levied, or

State not to be given.

ternal Improve

and State Tax to

Public Debt.

which may hereafter be levied, to pay off the public debt, to any other purpose, until the interest and debt are fully paid, or the sinking fund shall be equal to the amount of the out

standing debt; but the Legislature may, without laying a tax, borrow an amount never to exceed fifty thousand dollars, to meet tempo- Temporary Defirary deficiencies in the Treasury, and may contract debts to any amount that may be necessary for the defence of the State.

Defence of the

State.

pensation or In

to be allowed.

SEC. 23. No extra compensation shall be No extra Comgranted or allowed by the General Assembly crease of Salary to any public officer, agent, servant or contractor, after the services 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.

of Senators and

certain offices.

SEC. 24. No Senator or Delegate, after qua- Disqualification lifying as such, shall, during the term for which Delegates to hold he was elected, be eligible to any office which shall have been created, or the salary or profits of which shall have been increased during such term, or shall, during said term, hold any office or receive the salary or profits of any office, under the appointment of the Executive or Legislature.

imprison for dis

SEC. 25. Each House may punish by impri- Each House may sonment, during the session of the General respect. Assembly, any person not a member, for disrespectful or disorderly behaviour in its presence, or for obstructing any of its proceedings or any of its officers in the execution of their duties; provided, such imprisonment shall not, at any one time, exceed ten days.

Arrest.

SEC. 26. The members of each House shall, Exemption from in all cases, except treason, felony, or other criminal offence, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of the Gen

No liability for words spoken in debate.

Powers of the
House of Dele-

gates.

Provision for vacancies in office

legate.

eral Assembly, and in going to and returning from the same, allowing one day for every thirty miles such member may reside from the place at which the General Assembly is convened. SEC. 27. No Senator or Delegate shall be liable, in any civil action or criminal prosecution whatever, for words spoken in debate.

SEC. 28. The House of Delegates may inquire, on the oath of witnesses, into all complaints, grievances and offences, as the Grand Inquest of the State, and may commit any person for any crime to the public jail, there to remain until discharged by due course of lawthey may examine and pass all accounts of the State, relating either to the collection or expenditure of the revenue, and appoint auditors to state and adjust the same-they may call for all public or official papers, and records, and send for persons whom they may judge necessary in the course of their inquiries concerning affairs relating to the public interest, and may direct all office bonds which shall be made payable to the State, to be sued for any breach of duty.

SEC. 29. In case of death, disqualification, of Senator or De- resignation, refusal to act, expulsion or removal from the county or city for which he shall have been elected, of any person who shall have been chosen as a Delegate or Senator, or in case of a tie between two or more such qualified persons, a warrant of election shall be issued by the Speaker of the House of Delegates or President of the Senate, as the case may be, for the election of another person in his place, of which election, not less than ten days notice shall be

given, exclusive of the day of the publication of the notice and of the day of election; and in case of such resignation or refusal to act, being communicated in writing, to the Governor, by the person making it, or if such death occur during the legislative recess and more than ten days before its termination, it shall be the duty of the Governor to issue a warrant of election to supply the vacancy thus created in the same manner that the said Speaker or President might have done during the session of the Legislature; provided, however, that unless a meeting of the General Assembly may intervene, the election thus ordered to fill such vacancy shall be held on the day of the ensuing election for Delegates and Senators.

Senators and De

purchased.

SEC. 30. The Senators and Delegates shall Compensation of receive a per diem of four dollars, and such legates. mileage as may be allowed by law, and the presiding officer of each House shall be allowed an addition of one dollar per day. No book Books not to be or other printed matter not appertaining to the business of the session, shall be purchased or subscribed for, for the use of the members or be distributed among them, at the public expense. SEC. 31. No law passed by the General As- When Laws to sembly 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.

take effect.

SEC. 32. No law shall be passed creating Office of Attorthe office of Attorney General.

ney General abolished.

bly may disfran

SEC. 33. The General Assembly shall have General Assemfull power to exclude from the privilege of vot-chise certain pering at elections, or of holding any civil or mili

sons.

« AnteriorContinuar »