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the taxes laid for this purpose shall not be repealed or ap-
plied 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 improve-
ment, 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 in-
ternal improvements 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 pro-
vided 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)1 to any other purpose 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 As-
sembly may, without laying a tax, borrow an amount never
to exceed fifty thousand dollars to meet temporary defici-
encies 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 enact-
ment of such legislation.2

SEC. 35. No extra compensation shall be granted, or al-
lowed, 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.

1 Written thus in Chapter 327 of 1924.
2 Thus amended by Chapter 327, Acts of 1924, ratified Nov. 4, 1924.