Article III

tion; nor shall the General Assembly have the power to
involve the State in the construction of works of inter-
nal improvement which shall involve the faith or credit
of the State, 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 advan-
tage from such works as have been heretofore aided by
the State; and provided that such aid, advances or ap-
propriations 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 improve-
ment 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 outstanding debt; but the General As-
sembly may authorize the Board of Public Works to di-
rect the State Treasurer to borrow in the name of the
State, in anticipation of the collection of taxes or other
revenues, including proceeds from the sale of bonds,
such sum or sums as may be necessary to meet tempo-
rary deficiencies in the treasury, to preserve the best in-
terest of the State in the conduct of the various State in-
stitutions, departments, bureaus, and agencies during
each fiscal year. Subject to the approval of the Board of
Public Works and as provided by law, the State Trea-
surer is authorized to make and sell short-term notes—
in the name of the State, in anticipation of the collec-
tion of taxes or other revenues, including proceeds from
the sale of bonds to meet temporary deficiencies in the
Treasury, but such notes must only be made to provide
for appropriations already made by the General Assem-
bly. Any revenues anticipated for the purpose of short-
term notes, made and sold under the authority of this
section, must be so certain as to be readily estimable as
to the time of receipt of the revenues and as to the
amount of the revenues. The General Assembly may
contract debts to any amount that may be necessary for
the defense of the State, and provided further that noth-
ing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
raising of funds for the purpose of aiding or compensat-
ing 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 sub-
mitted to and approved by a vote of the people of the
State at the General Election next following the enact-
ment of such legislation.

SEC. 35.⁵⁹ Extra compensation may not be granted
or allowed by the General Assembly to any public Offi-
cer, Agent, Servant or Contractor, after the service has
been rendered, or the contract entered into; nor may
the salary or compensation of any public officer be in-
creased or diminshed during his term of office except
those whose full term of office is fixed by law in excess
of 4 years. However, after January 1, 1956, for services
rendered after that date, the salary or compensation of
any appointed public officer of the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore may be increased or diminshed at
any time during his term of office; except that as to of-

Constitution of Maryland/805

ficers in the Classified City Service, when the salary of
any appointed public officer of the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore however, increased or decreased, it
may not again be increased or decreased, as the case
may be, during the term of such public officer.

SEC. 35A.⁶⁰ Nothing in this Constitution shall ex-
empt the salary or compensation of any judge or other
public officer from the imposition by the General As-
sembly of a non-discriminatory tax upon income.

SEC. 36.⁶¹ No Lottery grant shall ever hereafter be
authorized by the General Assembly, unless it is a lot-
tery to be operated by and for the benefit of the State.

SEC. 37.⁶² Vacant.

SEC. 38.⁶³ No person shall be imprisoned for debt,
but a valid decree of a court of competent jurisdiction
or agreement approved by decree of said court for the
support of a spouse or dependent children, or for the
support of an illegitimate child or children, or for ali-
mony (either common law or as defined by statute),
shall not constitute a debt within the meaning of this
section.

SEC. 39." The books, papers and accounts of all
banks shall be open to inspection under such regula-
tions as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 40. The General Assembly shall enact no Law
authorizing private property to be taken for public use
without just compensation, as agreed upon between the
parties, or awarded by a jury, being first paid or ten-
dered to the party entitled to such compensation.

SEC. 40A.⁶⁵ The General Assembly shall enact no
law authorizing private property to be taken for public
use without just compensation, to be agreed upon be-
tween the parties, or awarded by a jury, being first paid
or tendered to the party entitled to such compensation,
but where such property is situated in Baltimore City
and is desired by this State or by the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore, the General Assembly may pro-
vide that such property may be taken immediately upon
payment therefor to the owner or owners thereof by the
State or by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore,
or into court, such amount as the State or the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore, as the case may be,
shall estimate to be the fair value of said property, pro-
vided such legislation also requires the payment of any