108 CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND.

the passage of such Bill; hut no other matter than such Bill shall be con-
sidered during such extended session except a provision for the cost thereof.

Second. The Governor for the purpose of making up his budgets shall
have the power, and it shall be his duty, to require from the proper State
officials, including herein all executive departments, all executive and ad-
ministrative offices, bureaus, boards, commissions and agencies expending or
supervising the expenditure of, and all institutions applying for State
moneys and appropriations, such itemized estimates and other information,
in such form and at such times as he shall direct. The estimates for the
legislative department, certified by the presiding officer of each house, of
the judiciary, as provided by law, certified by the Comptroller, and for the
public schools, as provided by law, shall be transmitted to the Governor,
in such form and at such times as he shall direct, and shall be included in
the budget without revision.

The Governor may provide for public hearings on all estimates and may
require the attendance at such hearings of representatives of all agencies,
and of all institutions applying for State moneys. After such public hear-
ings he may in his discretion revise all estimates except those for the
legislative and judiciary departments, and for the public schools as pro-
vided by law.

Third. The Legislature may, from time to time, enact such laws, not
inconsistent with this Section, as may be necessary and proper to carry
out its provisions.

Fourth. In the event of any inconsistency between any of the provisions
of this Section and any of the other provisions of the Constitution, the
provisions of this Section shall prevail. But nothing herein, shall in any
manner affect the provisions of Section 34 of Article III of the Consti-
tution or of any laws heretofore or hereafter passed in pursuance thereof,
or be construed as preventing the Governor from calling extraordinary
sessions of the Legislature, as provided by Section 16 of Article II, or as
preventing the Legislature at such extraordinary sessions from considering
any emergency appropriation or appropriations.

If any item of any appropriation bill passed under the provisions of this

Section shall be held invalid upon any ground, such invalidity shall not

affect the legality of the Bill or of any other item of such Bill or Bills.1

This section referred to in construing art. 3, sec. 32—see notes thereto. McPherson

v. Leonard, 29 Md. 390. (And see discussion of this section in dissenting opinion.)

Sec. 53. No person shall be incompetent, as a witness, on account of
race or color, unless hereafter so declared by Act of the General Assembly.
See art. 35 of the An. Code.

Sec. 54. No County of this State shall contract any debt, or obligation,
the construction of any Railroad, Canal, or other Work of Internal Improve-
ment nor give, or loan its credit to or in aid of any association, or corpora-
tion, unless authorized by an Act of the General Assembly, which shall be
published for two months before the next election for members of the

1 Thus amended by the act of 1916, ch. 159, ratified November 7, 1916.