The Democratic advocate., 1905-10-07
CHAPTER 81.
AN ACT to amend Section "a Of Article OF
the Constitution OF this State.

AN ACT TO amend Section "a Of Article of
the Constitution Of this State.
SEcrIox /. Be Il enacted By the Geaeral
assembly of Maryland three hf,hs OF ali the
members i,f the two Houses concurring),
Thai the following section be and the same is
hereby proposed as an amendment To the
Constitution of this State, aud IL adopted hy
the legal and qualified voters thereof, as herein
provided. II shall supersede and stand ia the
place and stead of Section "a Of Article Of
said Constitution.
SEcrIox "a. No debt shall be hereafter
contracted by the General Assembly unless
such debt shall be authorized by a Law pro.
yiding for the collection of an annual tax or
taxes sufficient 10 pay the interest on such
debt as il 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laid for this purpose shall not be repealed or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 indl.
yidual, association or corporations; nor shalt
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
construction of works OF internal Improvement
in the counties of ST. Mary's, Charles and
Calvert, which had no direct advantage from
such works as have been heretofore aided BY
The Slate; aud provided that such aid, advances
or appropriations shall not exceed in the az
gregate the sum of five hundred thousand dol
lars, and they shall not use or appropriate the
proceeds of the internal improvement cOmpa-
nies. or of the State tax now levied or which
may hereafter be levied to pay off the public
debt, to any other purpose antil 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 10 ex-
coed fifty thousand dollars 10 meet temporary
deficiencies in the treasury, aud may contract
debts 10 any amount that may be necessary
for the defense of the State.
But nothing in this section or in this Con-
stituiion contained shall deprive the General
Assembly Of the power to apportion amongst
and TO appropriate to the city of Baltimore aud
the several counties of the State Out OF any
funds in the Treasury not otherwise appro-
prialed sum of money not exceeding four
hundred thousand dollars each year, TO be
expended only in the construction and main
tenance of public roads and highways under
and in accordance with such regulations as
the General Assembly may from time to time
prescribe.
Section 2. Aad be IL further enacted by
the authority aforesaid, That the aioregoing
section hereby proposed as an amendment 10
the Constitution shall be, at the next general
election held in this State, submitted to the
legal and qualified voters thereof for their
adoption or rejection, in pursuance Of the di-
rections contained in Article IA of the Con-
stitution of this State. aud at the said general
election the vote on said proposed amendment
TO the Constitution shall be by ballot, and
upon each ballot shall be printed the words
sfFor Constitutional Amendment and
Against Constitutional Amendment" as
now prescribed by law and immediately after
said election due return shall be made to the
Governor of the vote for and against said pro
posed amendment, as directed by the said
fourteenth article of the Constitution.
This ia TO certify that this engrossed docu-