54: CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND. [ART. II

ment shall be made, as in case of refusal to accept, or resignation of an
office; and any person violating said oath shall, on conviction thereof,
in a Court of Law, in addition to.the penalties now or hereafter to be
imposed by law, be thereafter incapable of holding any office of profit
or trust in this State*.

ARTICLE II.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.

Section 1. The executive power of the State shall be vested in a
Governor, whose,term of office shall commence on the Second Wednes-
day of January next ensuiug his election, and continue for four years,
and until his successor shall have qualified; but the Governor chosen
at the first election under this Constitution shall not enter upon the dis-
charge of the duties of the office until the expiration of the term for
which the present incumbent was elected; unless the said office shall
become vacant by death, resignation, removal from the State, or other
disqualification of the said incumbent.

Sec. 2. An election for Governor, under this Constitution, shall be
held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November, in the
year eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, and on the same day and month
in every fourth year thereafter, at the places of yoting for delegates to
the General Assembly; and every person qualified to vote for Delegates
shall be qualified and entitled to vote for Governor; the election to be
held in the same manner as the election of Delegates, and the returns
thereof under seal to be addressd to the Speaker of the House of Dele-
gates, and enclosed and transmitted to the Secretary of State, and
delivered to said Speaker, at the commencement of the session of the
General Assembly next ensuing said election.

Sec. 3. The Speaker of the House of Delegates shall then open the
said returns in the presence of both Houses; and the person having
the highest number of votes, and being constitutionally eligible, shall
be the Governor, and shall qualify, in the manner herein prescribed, on
the second Wednesday of January next ensuing his election, or as soon
thereafter as may be practicable.

Sec. 4. If two or more persons shall have the highest and an equal
number of votes for Governor, one of them shall be chosen Governor by
the Senate and House of Delegates, and all questions in relation to the
eligibility of Governor, and to the returns of said election, and to the
number and legality of votes therein given, shall be determined by the
House of Delegates; and if the person or persons, having the highest

*The Act of 1910, Ch. 253 (page 446). proposed an amendment to Article I or
the Maryland Constitution by adding a new section to follow section 7 and to be
known as section 8. Said amendment is to be voted on by the people for adoption
or rejection at the general election to be held on the Tuesday next after the
first Monday in November, 1911.