ART. 35] COMPETENCY OF WITNESSES. 1089

53. Statutes of United States, State or Territory or Great Britain and Ireland may be read in evidence from the authorized printed publications thereof. 54. Ordinances and resolutions of mayor and city council of Baltimore. 55. Proceedings of conventions and general assembly. 56. Lost deeds. 57. Patents or other entries in books of land office. 58. Copy of original certificate in land office. 59. Copy of books, etc., in custody of secretary of State.

60. Copy of books, proceedings, etc., of treasurer. 61. Copy of books, proceedings, etc., of comptroller. 62. Copy of entries of inspector of tobacco. 63. Copy of books and papers in custody of keeper of records of court of chancery 64. Copy of record in custody of clerk of court; short copies 65. Copy of judicial proceedings not required to be recorded 66. Where transcript of record might be offered in evidence it shall be sufficient to produce origi- nal papers.

Competency of Witnesses.

1888, art. 35, sec. 1. 1860, art. 57, 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 here-
after 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 notwith-
standing that such person offered as a witness may have been
previously convicted of any crime or offense; but no person
who has been convicted of the crime of perjury shall be
admitted to testify in any case or proceeding whatever; and
the parties litigant and all persons in whose behalf any suit,
action or other proceeding may be brought or defended, them-
selves, and their wives and husbands shall be competent and
compellable to give evidence in the same manner as other
witnesses, except as hereinafter excepted.

Cunningham v. Dwyer, 23 Md. 219. Neidig v. Whiteford, 29 Md. 178.
Cooke v. Cooke, 29 Md. 538 Ward v. Leitch, 30 Md. 326. Gambrill v. Par-