births, marriages and deaths, and shall
pass laws providing for the celebration
of marriage between any persons legally
competent to contract marriage, and
shall provide that any persons prevented
by conscientious scruples from being
married by any of the existing provisions
of law, may be married by any Judge or
Clerk of any Court of Record, or any
Mayor of any incorporated city in this
State.
Sec. 50. The rate of interest in this
State shall not exceed six per centum
per annum, and no higher rate shall be
taken or demanded, and the General
Assembly shall provide by law, all neces-
sary forfeitures and penalties against
usury.
Sec. 51. Corporations may be formed
under general laws, but shall not be
created by special act, except for munic-
ipal purposes and in cases where, in
the judgment of the General Assembly,
the object of the corporation cannot be
attained under general laws. All laws
and special acts, pursuant to this section,
may be altered from time to time, or
repealed; Provided, nothing herein con-
tained shall be construed to alter, change
or amend, in any manner, the section in
relation to banks.
Sec. 52. The Governor, Comptroller,
and Treasurer of the State are hereby
authorized, conjointly, or any two of
them, to exchange the State's interest
as stockholder and creditor in the Balti-
more and Ohio Rail Road Company for
an equal amount of the bonds or regis-
tered debt now owing by the State; and,
subject to such regulations and condi-
tions as the General Assembly may from
time to time prescribe, to sell the State's
interest in the other works of internal
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improvement, whether as a stockholder
or a creditor; also, the State's interest in
any banking corporation, and receive in
payment the bonds and registered debt
now owing by the State, equal in amount
to the price obtained for the State's said
interest; Provided, that the interest of
the State in the Washington Branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road be
reserved and excepted from sale; and,
Provided further, that no sale or contract
of sale of the State's interest in the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the Chesa-
peake and Delaware Canal, and the
Susquehanna and Tide-Water Canal
Companies shall go into effect until the
same shall be ratified by the ensuing
General Assembly.
Sec. 53. The General Assembly before
authorising the sale of the State's interest
in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and
before prescribing regulations and con-
ditions for said sale, shall pass all laws
that may be necessary to authorize the
Counties of Allegany, Washington,
Frederick and Montgomery, or any one
of them, to create a debt by the issue of
bonds or otherwise, so as to enable them,
or any of them, to become the purchasers
of said interest.
Sec. 54. The General Assembly shall
have power to regulate by law, not in-
consistent with this Constitution, all
matters which relate to the Judges of
Election, tune, place and manner of
holding elections in this State, and of
making returns thereof.
Sec. 55. The General Assembly shall
have power to pass all such laws as may
be necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the powers vested by this
Constitution, in any department or office
of the Government, and the duties
imposed upon them thereby.
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