informal or invalid deeds or wills; refunding money paid
into the State Treasury, or releasing persons from their
debts or obligations to the State, unless recommended by
the Governor or officers of the Treasury Department. And
the General Assembly shall pass no special law for any case
for which provision has been made by an existing general
law. The General Assembly, at its first session after the
adoption of this Constitution, shall pass general laws pro-
viding for the cases enumerated in this section, which are
not already adequately provided for, and for all other cases
where a General Law can be made applicable.

SEC. 34. No debt shall be hereafter contracted by the
General Assembly, unless such debt shall be authorized by
a law providing for the collection of an annual tax or taxes
sufficient to pay the interest on such debt as it falls due,
and also to discharge the principal thereof within fifteen
years from the time of contracting the same; and the taxes
laid for this purpose shall not be repealed or applied to any
other object until the said debt and interest thereon shall
be fully discharged. The credit of the State shall not in
any manner be given, or loaned to, or in aid of any indi-
vidual, association or corporation; nor shall the General
Assembly have the power in any mode to involve the State
in the construction of Works of Internal Improvement, nor
in granting any aid thereto, which shall involve the faith or
credit of the State; nor make any appropriation therefor,
except in aid of the construction of Works of Internal
Improvement in the counties of St. Mary's, Charles and
Calvert, which have had no direct advantage from such works
as have been heretofore aided by the State: and provided;
that such aid, advances or appropriations shall not exceed in
the aggregate the sum of five hundred thousand dollars. And
they shall not use or appropriate the proceeds of the Internal
Improvement Companies, or of the State tax, now levied, or
which may hereafter be levied, to pay off the public debt, or
to any other purpose until the interest and debt are fully paid,
or the sinking fund shall be equal to the amount of the out-
standing debt; but the General Assembly may, without laying
a tax, borrow an amount never to exceed fifty thousand dol-
lars, to meet temporary deficiencies in the Treasury, and may
contract debts to any amount that may be necessary for the
defence of the State.

SEC. 35. No extra compensation shall be granted or allowed
by the General Assembly to any Public Officer, Agent, Ser-
vant or Contractor, after the service shall have been rendered
or the contract entered into; nor shall the salary or compensa-
tion of any public officer be increased or diminished during
his term of office.