ART. 35.] EVIDENCE—COMPETENCY OF WITNESSES. 685

Proof of Foreign Debts and other Instruments. 36. Exemplification of records. 37. Foreign sentence, judgment or de- cree of court. 38. Proof of instrument required to be recorded. 39. Proof of instrument not required to be recorded. 40. Proof where no subscribing wit. ness, or if subscribing witness be dead. 41. Oath to be taken by plaintiff. 42. Not to affect conveyance of real estate and estates of decedents. Proof of Accounts. 43. Proof of debt by oath of disinter- ested witness. 44. Proof by oath of creditor. 46. Affidavit by joint-plaintiff or agent, partner or corporate officer. 46. Common-law evidence and pro- cedure not precluded. Public Statutes, Office Copies and Official Certificates. 47. Evidence of private laws. 48. Statutes of United States, State or Territory.

49. Ordinances and resolutions of mayor and city council of Balti- more. 50. Proceedings of conyentions and general assembly. 51. Lost deeds. 52. Patents or other entries in books of land office. 53. Copy of original certificate in land office. 54. Copy of books, etc., in custody of secretary of state. 55. Copy of books, proceedings, etc., of treasury. 56. Copy of books, proceedings, etc., of comptroller. 57. Copy of entries of inspector of tobacco. 58. Copy of books and papers in cus- tody of keeper of records of court of chancery. 53. Copy of records in custody of clerk of court; short copies. 60. Copy of judicial proceedings not required to be recorded.

Competency of Witnesses.

F. G. L., (1860,) art. 37, sec. 1. 1864, ch, 109, sec. 1.

1. No person offered as a witness shall hereafter be excluded
by reason of incapacity from crime or interest, from giving
evidence, either in person or by deposition, according to the
practice of the courts, in the trial of any issue joined or
hereafter to be joined, or of any matter or question, or on any
inquiry arising in any suit, action or proceeding, civil or criminal,
in any court, or before any judge, jury, justice of the peace or
other person having, by law or by consent of parties, authority to
hear, receive and examine evidence; but every person so offered
may and shall be admitted to give evidence, notwithstanding that
such person may or shall have an interest in the matter in
question, or in the event of the trial of any issue, matter,
question or inquiry, or of the suit, action or proceeding in which
he is offered as a witness, and notwithstanding that such person