56 MARYLAND MANUAL.

of his official duties; and also, to provide by Law for the
punishment, by fine, or imprisonment in the Penitentiary,
or both, in the discretion of the Court, of any of said
officers, or members, who shall demand or receive any
bribe, fee, reward or testimonial, for the performance of his
official duties, or for neglecting or failing to perform the
same; and, also, to provide by Law for compelling any
person, so bribing, or attempting to bribe, or so demanding
or receiving a bribe, fee, reward or testimonial, to testify
against any person or persons who may have committed
any of said offences; provided, that any person so compelled
to testify shall be exempted from trial and punishment for
the offence of which he may have been guilty; and any
person convicted of such offence shall, as part of the pun-
ishment thereof, be forever disfranchised and disqualified
from holding any office of trust or profit in this State.

SEC. 51. The personal property of residents in this State
shall be subject to taxation in the county or city where the
resident bona fide resides for the greater part of the year for
which the tax may or shall be levied, and not elsewhere,
except goods and chattels permanently located, which shall
be taxed in the city or county where they are so located;
but the General Assembly may by law provide for the tax-
ation of mortgages upon property in this State and the
debts secured thereby in the county or city where such
property is situated.

SEC. 52. The General Assembly shall appropriate no
money out of the Treasury for payment of any private
claim against the State exceeding three hundred dollars,
unless said claim shall have been first presented to the
Comptroller of the Treasury, together with the proofs upon
which the same is founded, and reported upon by him.

SEC. 53. No person shall be incompetent, as a witness, on
account of race or color, unless hereafter so declared by
Act of the General Assembly.

SEC. 54. No County of this State shall contract any debt,
or obligation, in the construction of any Railroad, Canal, or
other Work of Internal Improvement, nor give, or loan its
credit to, or in aid of any association, or corporation, unless
authorized by an Act of the General Assembly, which shall
be published for two months before the next election for
members of the House of Delegates in the newspaper pub-