ART. III] CONSTITUTION.

in violation of this section shall be void; all charters
granted or adopted in pursuance of this section, and
all charters heretofore granted and created subject to
repeal or modification, may be altered from time to
time, or be repealed; provided, nothing herein con-
tained shall be construed to extend to banks or the
incorporation thereof; the General Assembly shall not
alter or amend the charter of any corporation existing at
the time of the adoption of this Article, or pass any other
general or special Law for the benefit of such corporation
except upon the condition that such corporation shall
surrender all claim to exemption from taxation or from
the repeal or modification of its charter, and that such
corporation shall thereafter hold its charter subject to the
provisions of this Constitution; and any corporation char-
tered by this State which shall accept, use, enjoy or in
anywise avail itself of any rights, privileges, or advantages
that may hereafter be granted or conferred by any gen-
eral or special Act, shall be conclusively presumed to
have thereby surrendered any exemption from taxation
to which it may be entitled under its charter, and shall
be thereafter subject to taxation as if no such exemption
has been granted by its charter.]*

New Central Coal Co. v. George's Creek Coal and Iron Co.,
37 Md. 537. Montell & Co. v. Consolidated Coal Co., 39 Md. 164.
State v. Northern Central R. R. Co., 44 Md. 131. Reed v. Balto.
Trust and Guarantee Co., 72 Md. 531. Jackson v. Walsh, 75 Md.
304. Webster v. Cambridge Female Seminary, 78 Mu, 193. Phin-
ney v. Sheppard Hospital, 88 Md. 638. State v. N. C. Ry. Co.,
90 Md. 471. Scholle v. State, 90 Md. 734.

43

Sec. 49. The General Assembly shall have power to
regulate by law, not inconsistent with this Constitution,
all matters which relate to the Judges of Election, time,
place and manner of holding elections in this State, and
of making returns thereof.
Lankford v. Commrs. Somerset Co. 73 Md. 105.

Elections.

Sec. 50. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly
at its first session, held after the adoption of this Consti-
tution, to provide by Law for the punishment, by fine, or
imprisonment in the Penitentiary or both, in the discre-
tion of the Court, of any person who shall bribe or at-
tempt to bribe any Executive, or Judicial officer of the
State of Maryland, or any member, or officer of the Gen-
eral Assembly of the State of Maryland, or of any Muni-
cipal Corporation in the State of Maryland, or any Execu-
tive officer of such corporation, in order to influence him

*As amended by Charter 195, Acts of 1890, ratified by the people November
2,1891.

Bribery.