lii.
THE CONSTITUTION AND FORM OF GOVERNMENT,
6. That all matters relating to the judges,
time, place and manner, of holding
elections in the city of Baltimore, shall hereafter be regulated by law
(z); but the
inhabitants of the said city shall not be entitled to vote for or
be elected delegates
for Baltimore county, neither shall the inhabitants of Baltimore county,
out of the limits of the city of Baltimore, be entitled to vote
for or be elected
delegates for the said city.
7. That on refusal, death, disqualification,
resignation, or removal out of
this state, of any delegate, or on his becoming governor or member of the
council, a warrant of election shall issue by the speaker for the election
of another
in his place, of which ten days notice at the least, excluding the day
of
notice and the day of election, shall be given.
8. That not less than a majority of the delegates,
with their speaker, (to
be chosen by them by ballot,) constitute a house for the transacting any
business
other than that of adjourning.
9. That the house of delegates shall
judge of the elections and qualifications
of delegates.
10. That the house of delegates may originate
all money bills, propose bills
to the senate, or receive those offered by that body, and assent, dissent
or propose
amendments; that they may inquire, on the oath of witnesses, into all
complaints, grievances and offences, as the grand inquest of this state,
and may
commit any person for any crime to the public gaol, there to remain till
he be
discharged by due course of law; they may expel any member for a great
misdemeanor,
but not a second time for the same cause; they may examine and
pass all accounts of the state, relating either to the collection or expenditure
of
the revenue, or appoint auditors to state and adjust the same; they may
call for
all public and official papers and records, and send for persons whom they
may
judge necessary in the course of their inquiries concerning affairs relating
to the
public interest, and may direct all office bonds, (which shall be made
payable
to the state,) to be sued for any breach of duty.
11. That the senate may be at full and perfect
liberty to exercise their judgment
in passing laws, and that they may not be compelled by the house of delegates,
either to reject a money bill which the emergency of affairs may require,
or to assent to some other act of legislation, in their conscience and
judgment,
injurious to the public welfare, the house of delegates shall not, on any
occasion, or under any pretence, annex to or blend with a money bill, any
matter,
clause or thing, not immediately relating to, and necessary for, the imposing,
assessing, levying or applying, the taxes or supplies, to be raised for
the
support of government, or the current expenses of the state; and to prevent
altercation
about such bills, it is declared, that no bill imposing duties or customs
for the mere regulation of commerce, or inflicting fines for the reformation
of morals, or to enforce the execution of the laws, by which an incidental
revenue may arise, shall be accounted a money bill; but every bill assessing,
levying, or applying taxes or supplies for the support of government, or
the
current expenses of the state, or appropriating money in the treasury,
shall be
deemed a money bill.
12. That the house of delegates may punish,
by imprisonment, any person
who shall be guilty of a contempt in their view, by any disorderly or riotous
(z) This section, by which the
commissioners of Baltimore-town, for the time being, were to
be judges of the election, and were empowered to adjourn and make return
thereof, was altered
by 1797, ch. 57, confirmed by 1798, ch. 2, which declared that the mayor
and second branch of
the city council shall be judges thereof, but this provision was abrogated
by the act of 1798, ch.
115, continued by 1799, ch. 48, according to which the present commencement
of the section
is substituted.
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