MARYLAND MANUAL. 99

and less than 55, 000 souls, shall be entitled to five delegates; and
f very county having a population of 55, 000 and upwards, shall
be entitled to six delegates and no more; and each of the three
Legislative Districts of the City of Baltimore, shall be entitled
to the number of Delegates, to which the largest county shall, or
may be entitled to under the aforegoing apportionment. The Gen-
eral Assembly has power to provide by law, from time to time,
for altering and changing the boundaries of the three existing
Legislative Districts of the City of Baltimore, so as to make
them as near as may be, of equal population; but said districts
shall always consist of contiguous territory. (Article III, sec-
tions 4 and 5, Constitution. )

Delegates to the House are elected by the qualified voters.
(Article III, section 6, Constitution. )

The election of Delegates and one-half of State Senators takes
place every two years on the Tuesday next after the first Monday
in November. (Article III, section 7, Constitution. )

No person shall be eligible as a Senator or Delegate, who, at the
time of his election, is not a citizen of the State of Maryland,
and who has not resided therein for at least three years next
preceding the day of his election, and the last year thereof, in the
county, or the Legislative District of Baltimore City, which he
may be chosen to represent, if such county, or Legislative Dis-
trict of said city, shall have been so long established; and if not,
then in the county or city, from which, in whole, or in part, the
same may have been formed; nor shall any person be eligible as
a Senator unless he shall have attained the age of twenty-five
years, nor as a Delegate, unless he shall have attained the age of
twenty-one years, at the time of his election. (Article HI, sec-
tion 9, Constitution. )

Persons ineligible to the Legislature are members of Congress,
persons holding civil or military offices under the United States,
ministers or preachers of the Gospel, or of any religious creed or
denomination, persons holding civil office of profit or trust in this
State, except justices of the peace, and no collector, receiver or
holder of public money, unless he shall have accounted for the
same. Any person accepting office under the Federal Govern-
ment vacates his seat. (Article III, sections 10, 11 and 12,
Constitution. )

In case of a vacancy or a tie, when the Legislature is in session,
the Speaker of the House or President of the Senate, as the case
may be, shall issue his warrant for an election, of which ten days'
notice shall be given. (Article III, section 13, Constitution. )

The General Assembly meets biennially in regular session the
first Wednesday in January. (Article III, section 14, Constitu-
tion. )