CONSTITUTION — ART. III.

ticable, for one-half of the senators, shall be held on the same day, in every
second year thereafter.

67

SEC 8 Immediately after the Senate shall have convened, after the first
election, under this Constitution, the senators shall be divided by lot, into two
classes, as nearly equal in number as may be Senators of the first class shall
go out of office at the expiration of two years, and senator shall be elected on
the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November, eighteen
hundred and sixty-nine, for the term of four years, to supply their places, so
that, after the first election, one-half of the senators may be chosen every
second year In case the number of senators be hereafter increased, such clas-
sification of the additional senators shall be made as to preserve, as nearly as
may be, an equal number in each class

Classification of
senators

SEC 9 No person shall [be] eligible as a senator or delegate, who at the
time of his election is not a citizen of the State of Maryland, and who has not
resided therein for at least three years, next preceding the day of his election,
and the last year thereof in the county, or in the legislative district of Baltimore
city, which he may be chosen to represent, if such county or legislative district
of said city shall have been so long established; and if not, then in the county
or city, from which in whole or in part the same may have been formed; nor
shall any person be eligible as a senator unless ho shall have attained the age
of twenty-five years, nor as a delegate unless he shall have attained the age of
twenty-one years, at the time of his election.

Qualifications
of senators and
delegates
4 H & McH 279

SEC 10 No member of Congress, or person holding any civil or military
office under the United States, shall be eligible us a senator or delegate; and if
any person shall alter his election us senator or delegate be elected to Congress,
or be appointed to any office, civil or military, under the government of the
United States, his acceptance thereof shall vacate his seat

Persons
ineligible
1853, c 290

SEC. 11. No minister or preacher of the Gospel, or of any religious creed or do-
nomination, and no person holding any civil office of profit or trust under this
State, except justices of the peace, shall be eligible as senator or delegate

Persons
ineligible

Sec. 12 No collector, receiver, or holder of public money shall be eligible
as senator or delegate, or to any office of profit or trust, under tins State, until
he shall have accounted for and paid into the treasury all sums on the books
thereof charged to and due by him

Defaulters
ineligible
1856, c Ib

SEC 13. In case of death, disqualification, resignation, refusal to act, expul-
sion, or removal from the county or city for which he shall have been elected,
of any person who shall have been chosen as a delegate or senator, or in case
of a tie between two or more such qualified persons, u warrant of election shall
be issued by the speaker of the House of Delegates or president of the Semite,
as the case may be, for the election of another person in his place, of which
election, not less than ton days' notice shall be given, exclusive of the day of
the publication of the notice, and of the day of election, and, if during the
recess of the legislature, and more than ten days before its termination, such
death shall occur, or such resignation, refusal to act, or disqualification be com-
municated, in writing, to the governor by the person so resigning, refusing, or
disqualified, it shall be the duty of the governor to issue a warrant of election
to supply the vacancy thus created, in the same manner the said speaker or
president might have done, during the session of the General Assembly, pro-
vided, however, that unless a meeting of the General Assembly may intervene,
the election, thus ordered to fill such vacancy, shall be held on the day of the
ensuing election for delegates and senators.

Vacancies in
Senate or House.

SEC 14 The General Assembly shall meet on the first Wednesday of Janu-
ary, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and on the same day in every second
year thereafter, and at no other time, unless convened by proclamation of the
governor.

Meetings of
legislature.