The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-09-03

amendment to the qualified voters of
the State for adoption or rejection.
Section l. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Maryland, (three-
fifths of all the Members elected to
each of the two Houses concurring),
That the following new and additional
Article, to be known as Article XVI,
title, 1.-The Referendum" be, and the
same is hereby proposed as an amend
ment to the Constitution of Maryland.
and if adopted by the legal and quail
fed voters thereof, as herein provided,
it shall stand as part and as new
and additional Article of said Consti-
tuition, to be known and entitled as
| aforesaid:
! ARTICLE XVI THE REFERENDUM.
Section l (a). The people reserve
to themselves power known as The
Referendum, by petition to have sub
mitted to the registered voters OF the
State, to approve or reject at the
polls. any Act, or part of any Act of
the General Assembly. if approved by
the Governor, or if passed by the
General Assembly over the veto of the
Governor:
(b) The provisions of this Article
shall be self-executing; provided that
additional legislation in furtherance
thereof and not in conflict Herewith
may be enacted.
Sec. 2. No law enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly shall take effect until
the first day of June next after the
session at which it may be passed,
unless it contain Section declaring
such law an emergency law and nee
essary for the immediate preservation
of the public health or safety and
passed upon a yea and nay vote sup
ported by three-fifths of all the men,
bers elected to each of the two Houses
of the General Assembly; provided,
however, that said period Of suspen-
sion may be extended as provided in
Section (b) hereof. If before said
I first day of June there shall have been
i filed with the Secretary Of the State
petition to refer to vote of the
people any law or part Of law cap
able of referendum, as in this Article
provided the same shall be referred
| by the Secretary Of State to such
vote, and shall not become a law or
take effect until thirty days after its
approval by majority of the electors
voting thereon at the next ensuing
election held throughout the State for
Members of the House of Representa-
tives of the United States. An emer-
gency law shall remain in force not
withstanding such petition, but shall
stand repealed thirty days after hay
ing been rejected by majority Of the
qualified electors voting thereon; pro-
vided, however, that no measure Great
ing or abolishing any Office, or chang
ing the salary, term or duty of any
officer, or granting any franchise or
! special privilege, or creating any vest
ed right or interest, shall be enacted
as an emergency law. No law max
, ing any appropriation for maintaining
the State Government, or for main
! tanning or aiding any public institr-
ton, not exceeding the next previous
appropriation for the same purpose,
shall be subject to rejection or re-
peal under this section. The increase
in any such appropriation for main
tanning or aiding any public institu-
ton shall only take effect as in the
case Of other laws, and such increase
or any part thereof specified in the
petition. may be referred to vote of
the people upon petition.
Sec. (a). The referendum petit
ton against an Act or part of an Act
passed by the General Assembly, shall
be sufficient if signed by ten thousand
| qualified voters Of the State of Mary
land, of whom not more than half
shall be residents of Baltimore City,
or of any one county; provided that
any public local law for any one coun-
ty or the City of Baltimore shall be
referred by the Secretary of State
only to the people Of said county or
City of Baltimore, upon referendum
petition of 10 per cent. Of the quail
fed voters Of said county or City of
Baltimore as the case may be, cal
culated upon the whole number of
votes cast therein respectively for
Governor at the last preceding Guber-
Material election.
(b) If more than one-half, but less
than the full number Of signatures re-
quired to complete any referendum pc
tition against any law passed by the
General Assembly, be filed with Sec
rotary Of State before the first day
OF June, the time for the law to take
effect and for filing the remainder of
signatures to complete the petition
shall be extended to the thirtieth day
of the same month with like effect
Sec. A. A petition may consist Of
several papers, but each paper shall
contain the full text of the Act or part
of Act petitioned upon; and there shall
be attached to each such paper an
affidavit Of the person procuring the
signatures thereon that of the said
persons own personal knowledge ev-
cry signature thereon is genuine and
bona fide, and that the signers are
registered voters of the State of Mary
land, and Of the City Of Baltimore, or
county, as the case may be, as set
opposite their names, and no other
verification shall be required.
Sec. (a). The General Assembly
shall provide for furnishing the voters
of the State the text of all measures
to be voted upon by the people; pro