1626                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 559

religious persuasion, or profession, or for his religious practice,
unless, under the color of religion, he shall disturb the good order,
peace or safety of the State, or shall infringe the laws of morality,
or injure others in their natural, civil or religious rights; nor ought
any person to be compelled to frequent, or maintain, or contribute,
unless on contract, to maintain, any place of worship, or any minis-
try; nor shall any person, otherwise competent, be deemed incom-
petent as a witness, or juror, on account of his religious belief,
provided, he believes in the existence of God, and that under His
dispensation such person will be held morally accountable for his
acts, and be rewarded or punished therefor either in this world or
in the world to come.

Nothing shall prohibit the offering, reading from, or listening to
prayers or Biblical Scriptures, if participation therein is on a volun-
tary basis, in any governmental or public school, institution or place.

Nothing shall prohibit OR REQUIRE THE making reference to
belief in, reliance upon, or invoking the aid of God or a Supreme
Being in any governmental or public document, proceeding, activity,
ceremony, school, institution, or place.

Nothing in this article shall constitute an establishment of religion.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the aforegoing article
hereby proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of Maryland,
at the next general election to be held in this State in November
1970, shall be submitted to the legal and qualified voters thereof for
their adoption or rejection in pursuance of directions contained in
Article 14 of the Constitution of this State, and at the said general
election, the vote on the said proposed amendment to the Constitution
shall be by ballot, and upon each ballot there shall be printed the
words "For the Constitutional Amendment" and "Against the Consti-
tutional Amendment" as now provided by law, and, immediately, after
said election, all returns shall be made to the Governor of the vote
for and against said proposed amendment, as directed by said
Article 14 of the Constitution, and further proceedings had in ac-
cordance with said Article 14.

Approved May 5, 1970

CHAPTER 559
(Senate Bill 528)

AN ACT to authorize and empower the County Commissioners of
St. Mary's County, from time to time, to borrow not exceeding
Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) in order to
finance the construction, development and improvement of flood
prevention and watershed projects in said County, as herein
defined, and to effect such borrowing by the issuance and sale at
public or private sale of its general obligation bonds in like par
amount; empowering said County to fix and determine, by reso-
lution, the form, tenor, interest rates or method of arriving at
the same, terms, including redemption and registration provisions,
conditions, maturities and all other details incident or neces-