WITH THE AMENDMENTS INGRAFTED.
lxiii.
alteration and confirmation thereof at least two thirds of all the members
of
each branch of the general assembly shall concur.
60. That every bill passed by the general assembly,
when engrossed, shall
be presented by the speaker of the house of delegates, in the senate, to
the governor
for the time being, who shall sign the same, and thereto affix the great
seal, in the presence of the members of both houses. Every law shall
be recorded
in the office of the court of appeals of the western shore (t),
and in due
time printed, published and certified, under the great seal, to the several
county
courts, in the same manner as hath been heretofore used in this state.
61. (u).
62. That every person, being a member of
either of the religious sects or societies
called Quakers, Menonists, Tunkers, or Nicolites or New Quakers, and who
shall
be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath on any occasion, being
otherwise
qualified and duly elected a senator, delegate, or elector of the senate,
or being otherwise
qualified and duly appointed or elected to any office of profit or trust,
on making
affirmation instead of taking the several oaths appointed by the constitution
and form of government, and the several acts of assembly of this state
now in force,
or that hereafter may be made, such person may hold and exercise any office
of
profit or trust to which he may be appointed or elected, and may, by such
affirmation,
qualify himself to take a seat in the legislature, and to act therein as
a member
of the same in all cases whatsoever, or to be an elector of the senate,
in as full
and ample a manner, to all intents and purposes whatever, as persons are
now
competent and qualified to act who are not conscientiously scrupulous of
taking such
oaths (v).
63. That the people called Quakers, those
called Nicolites or New Quakers,
those called Tunkers, and those called Menonists, holding it unlawful to
take an
oath on any occasion, shall be allowed to make their solemn affirmation
as witnesses,
in the manner that Quakers have been heretofore allowed to affirm, which
affirmation shall be of the same avail as an oath, to all intents and purposes
whatever.
That before any of the persons aforesaid shall be admitted as a witness
in
any court of justice in this state, the court shall be satisfied, by such
testimony as
they may require, that such person is one of those who profess to be conscientiously
scrupulous of taking an oath (w).
64. That in any suit or action at law hereafter
to be commenced or instituted
in any county court of this state, the judges thereof, upon suggestion,
in writing,
by either of the parties thereto, supported by affidavit, or other proper
evidence,
that a fair and impartial trial cannot be had in the county court of the
county where
such suit or action is depending, shall and may order and direct the record
of their
(t) So provided by the act of
1804, ch. 55, confirmed by 1805, ch. 16, instead of the general
court, which was thereby abolished.
(u) This section, for introducing
the new government, directed that an election be held for the
electors of the senate on Monday the 25th of November 1776, and that the
electors meet at Annapolis
on Monday the 9th of December 1776, and there choose senators; that an
election be
held on Wednesday the 18th of December 1776, for delegates to serve in
general assembly, and
for sheriffs; and prescribed in the manner, &c. of holding the said
elections, and to whom the returns
should be made. That the general assembly should meet at Annapolis
on Monday the 10th
of February 1777, and then choose a governor and council for the residue
of the year; and prescribed
the manner of filling, in the first instance only, all the offices in the
disposition of the governor
with the advice of the council. Which provisions ceasing to have
any operation, the section
is left blank, but the number is retained in order to preserve the original
numbers of the
constitution.
(v) This was made a part of
the constitution by the act of 1794, ch. 49, confirmed by 1795,
ch. 11.
(w) This was made a part of the constitution by
the act of 1797, ch. 118, confirmed by 1798,
ch. 83.
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