7
good order, peace, or safety of the State, or
shall infringe the laws of morality, or injure
others in their natural, civil, or religious
rights; nor ought any person to be compelled
to frequent or maintain or contribute, unless
on contract, to maintain any place of worship
or any ministry; nor shall any person be
deemed incompetent as a witness or juror who
believes in the existence of a God, and that
under his dispensation such person will be
held morally accountable for his acts, and be
rewarded or punished therefor, either in this
world or the world to come.
ART. 34. That no other test or qualification
ought to be required, on admission to any
office of trust or profit, than such oath of office
as may be prescribed by this Constitution, or
by the laws of the State, and a declaration of
belief in the Christian religion; and if the
party shall profess to be a Jew, the declara-
tion shall be of his belief in a future state of
rewards and punishments.
ART. 35. That every gift, sale or devise of
land, to any minister, public teacher or
preacher of the gospel, as such, or to any re-
ligious sect, order or denomination, or to or
for the support, use or benefit of, or in trust
for any minister, public teacher, or preacher
of the gospel, as such, or any religious sect,
order or denomination, and every gift or sale
of goods or chattels to go in succession, or to
take place after the death of the seller or
donor, to or for such support, use or benefit;
and, also, every devise of goods or chattels,
to or for the support, use or benefit of any
minister, public teacher or preacher of the gos-
pel, as such; or any religious sect, order or
denomination, without the leave of the legis-
lature, shall be void; except always, any
sale, gift, lease or devise of any quantity of |
land, not exceeding five acres, for a church,
meeting house or other house of worship, or
parsonage, or for a burying ground, which
shall be improved, enjoyed or used only for
such purpose; or such sale, gift, lease or de-
vise shall be void.
ART. 36. That the manner of administering
an oath or affirmation to any person, ought
to be such as those of the religious persuasion,
profession or denomination of which be is a
member, generally esteem the most effectual
confirmation by the attestation of the Divine
Being.
ART. 37. That the city of Annapolis ought
to have all its rights, privileges and benefits,
agreeably to its charter, and the acts of assem-
bly confirming and regulating the same; sub-
ject to such alterations as have been or as may
be made by the legislature.
ART. 38. That the liberty of the press
ought to be inviolably preserved.
ART. 39. That monopolies are odious, con-
trary to the spirit of a free government and
the principles of commerce, and ought not to
be suffered.
ART. 40. That no title of nobility or heredi-
tary honors ought to the granted in this State.
ART. 41. That the legislature ought to en-
courage the diffusion of knowledge and virtue,
the promotion of literature, the arts, sciences,
agriculture, commerce and manufactures, and
the general melioration of the condition of
the people.
ART, 42. This enumeration of rights shall
not be construed to impair or deny others re-
tained by the people.
ART. 43. That this Constitution shall not
be altered, changed or abolished, except in
the manner therein prescribed and directed. |
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 1.
ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
SECTION 1. Every free white male person,
of twenty-one years of age or upwards, who
shall have been one year next preceding the
election a resident of the State, and for six
months a resident of the city of Baltimore, or
of any county in which he may offer to vote,
and being at the time of the election a citizen
of the United States, shall be entitled to vote
in the ward or election district in which he
resides, in all elections hereafter to be held ;
and at all such elections the vote shall be
taken by ballot. And in cage any county
or city shall be so divided as to form portions
of different electoral districts for the election |
of Congressmen, senator, delegate, or other
officer or officers, then to entitle a person to
vote for such officer, he must have been a resi-
dent of that part of the county or city which
shall form a part of the electoral district in
which he offers to vote, for six months next
preceding the election; but a person who shall
have acquired a residence in such county or
city entitling him to vote at any such election,
shall be entitled to vote in the election district
from which be removed, until he shall have
acquired a residence in the part of the county
or city to which he has removed.
SEC. 2. That if any person shall give, or
offer to give, directly or indirectly, any bribe,
present or reward, or any promise, or any
security for the payment or delivery of money |
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