SEC. 34. No debt shall be hereafter contracted by the Gen-
eral Assembly unless such debt shall be authorized by the 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 dis-
charge 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shall not be repealed or applied to any other object until the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 individual 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 appro-
priation 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 purposes until the interest and debt are fully
paid or the sinking fund shall be equal to the amount of the
outstanding debt; but the General Assembly may, without
laying a tax, borrow an amount never to exceed fifty thousand
dollars to meet temporary deficiencies in the Treasury, and
may contract/debts to any amount that may be necessary for
the defence of the State. And provided further that nothing in
this section shall be construed to prohibit the raising of funds
for the purpose of aiding or compensating in such manner or way
as the General Assembly of the State shall deem proper, those
citizens of the State who have served, with honor, their country
and State in time of war; provided, however, that such action
of the General Assembly shall be effective only when submitted
to and approved by a vote of the people of the State at the
General Election next following the enactment of such legisla-
tion.*

SEC. 35. No extra compensation shall be granted or allowed
by the General Assembly to any public officer, agent, servant or
contractor, after the service shall have been rendered, or the
contract entered into; nor shall the salary or compensation of
any public officer be increased or diminished during his term of
office.

* Thus amended by Chapter 327, Acts of 1924, ratified by the people November 4, 1924.