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fore, in those departments, is one of the beft fecurities of permanent freedom.

XXXII. That no perfon ought to hold at the fame time more than one office of profit, nor ought any person in public trust to receive any present from any foreign prince or state, or from the United States, or any of them, without the approbation of this State.

XXXIII. That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to him, all perfons profeffing the Chriftian religion are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore no perfon ought by any law to be molefted in his perfon or estate, on account of his religious perfuafion or profeffion, or for his religious practice, unless, under colour of religion, any man fhall disturb the good order, peace, or fafety of the State, or fall infringe the laws of morality, or injure others in their natural, civil, or religious rights; nor ought any perfon to be compelled to frequent, or maintain, or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain any particular place of worship, or any particular miniftry yet the legiflature may in their difcretion lay a ge-` neral and equal tax for the fupport of the Chriftian religion; leaving to each individual the power of appointing the payment of the money collected from him, to the fupport of any particular place of worship or minifter, or for the benefit of the poor of his own denomination, or the poor in general of any particular county; but the churches, chapels, glebes, and all the property now belonging to the Church of England, ought to remain to the Church of England for ever. And all acts of Affembly lately paffed for collecting monies for building or repairing particular churches or chapels of ease, shall continue in force and be executed, unless the legiflature fhall by act fu perfede or repeal the fame; but no county court fhall affets any quantity of tobacco or fum of money hereafter, on the application of any veftry-men, or church-wardens; and every incumbent of the Church of England who hath remained in his parifh, and performed his duty, fhall be entitled to receive the provifion and fupport estabJifhed by the act, entitled, "An act for the fupport of the clergy of the Church of England in this province," till the November court of this prefent year, to be held for the county in which his parish fhall lie, or partly lie, for fuch time as he hath remained in his parish, and performed his duty.

XXXIV. That every gift, fale or devife of lands to any minister, public teacher, or preacher of the gofpel, as fuch, or to any religious

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fect, order, or denomination, or to, or for the fupport, ufe, or benefit of, or in truft for any minifter, public teacher, or preacher of the gofpel, as fuch, or any religious fect, order, or denomination; and every gift or fale of goods or chattels to go in fucceffion, or to take place after the death of the feller or donor, or to or for fuch fupport, ufe or benefit; and also every devife of goods or chattels to, or for the fupport, ufe or benefit of any minifter, public teacher, or preacher of the gofpel, as fuch, or any religious fect, order or denomination, without the leave of the legiflature, fhall be void; except always any fale, gift, leafe or devife of any quantity of land not exceeding two acres, for a church, meeting, or other house of worship, and for a burying ground, which fhall be improved, enjoyed, or ufed only for fuch purpose, or such fale, gift, leafe, or devife, fhall be void.

XXXV. That no other teft or qualification ought to be required on admiffion to any office of truft or profit, than fuch oath of fupport and fidelity to this State, and fuch oath of office as fhall be directed by this Convention, or the legiflature of this State, and a declaration of a belief in the Christian religion.

XXXVI, That the manner of adminiftering an oath to any person, ought to be fuch as thofe of the religious perfuafion, profeffion, or denomination, of which fuch perfon is one, generally esteem the most effectual confirmation by the atteftation of the Divine Being. And that the people called Quakers, thofe called Dunkers, and thofe called Menonifts, holding it unlawful to take an oath on any occafion, ought to be allowed to make their folemn affirmation in the manner that Quakers have been heretofore allowed to affirm, and to be of the fame avail as an oath in all fuch cafes as the affirmation of Quakers hath been allowed and accepted within this State, instead of an oath, And farther, on fuch affirmation, warrants to search for stolen goods, or for the apprehenfion or commitment of offenders, ought to be granted, or fecurity for the peace awarded; and Quakers, Dunkers, or Me nonifts, ought alfo, on their folemn affirmation as aforefaid, to be ad◄ mitted as witneffes in all criminal cafes not capital,

XXXVII. That the city of Annapolis ought to have all its rights, privileges, and benefits, agreeable to its charter, and the acts of Affembly confirming and regulating the fame; fubject nevertheless to. fuch alterations as may be made by this Convention, or any future legiflature.

XXXVIII, That the liberty of the prefs ought to be inviolably preferved.

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XXXIX. That

XXXIX. That monopolies are odious, contrary to the spirit of 2 free government and the principles of commerce, and ought not to be fuffered.

XL. That no title of nobility or hereditary honours ought to be granted in this State.

XLI. That the fubfifting refolves of this and the feveral Conventions held for this colony, ought to be in force as laws, unlefs altered by this Convention, or the legiflature of this State.

XLII. That this declaration of rights, or the form of government to be established by this Convention, or any part of either of them, ought not to be altered, changed or abolished by the legislature of this State, but in fuch manner as this Convention fhall prefcribe and direct.

FRAME OF GOVERNMENT.

1. That the legislature confift of two diftinct branches, a Senate and a Houfe of Delegates, which fhall be ftiled, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND.

II. That the Houfe of Delegates fhall be chofen in the following nanner: all freemen above twenty-one years of age, having a freehold of fifty acres of land in the county in which they offer to vote, and refiding therein; and all freemen having property in this State above the value of thirty pounds current money, and having refided in the county in which they offer to vote, one whole year next preceding the election, fhall have a right of fuffrage in the election of delegates for fuch county; and all freemen fo qualified fhall, on the first Monday of October, seventeen hundred and feventy-feven, and on the fame day in every year thereafter, affemble in the counties in which they are refpectively qualified to vote, at the court-house in the faid counties, or at fuch other place as the legislature fhall direct, and when affembled, they fhall proceed to elect, vivá voce, four delegates for their refpective counties, of the most wise, sensible, and discreet of the people, refidents in the county where they are to be chofen one whole year next preceding the election, above twenty-one years of age, and having in the State real or perfonal property above the value of five hundred pounds current money; and upon the final casting of the polls, the four perfons who fhall appear to have the greatest number of legal votes, fhall be declared and returned duly elected for their refpective countics.

III. That the sheriff of each county, or, in case of sickness, his deputy, fummoning two juftices of the county, who are required to at

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tend for the preservation of the peace, shall be the judge of the elec tion, and may adjourn from day to day, if neceffary, till the same be finished, so that the whole election fhall be concluded in four days, and shall make his return thereof, under his hand, to the chancellor of this State for the time being.

IV. That all perfons qualified by the charter of the city of Annapolis to vote for burgefles, fhall on the fame firft Monday of October, seventeen hundred and feventy-feven, and on the same day in every year for ever thereafter, elect vivá voce, by a majority of votes, two delegates, qualified agreeable to the faid charter; that the mayor, recorder, and aldermen of the faid city, or any three of them, be judges of the election, appoint the place in the faid city for holding the fame, and may adjourn from day to day as aforefaid, and shall make return thereof as aforefaid; but the inhabitants of the faid city fhall not be entitled to vote for delegates for Ann-Arundel county, unless they have a freehold of fifty acres of land in the county, diftinct from the city.

V. That all perfons, inhabitants of Baltimore town, and having the fame qualifications as electors in the county, fhall on the same first Monday in October, feventeen hundred and feventy-leven, and the fame day in every year forever thereafter, at such place in the faid town as the judges fhall appoint, elect viva voce, by a majority of votes, two delegates, qualified as aforefaid; but if the faid inhabitants of the town fhall fo decrease, as that the number of perfons having a right of fuffrage therein, fhall have been for the fpace of feven years fucceffively, lefs than one half the number of voters in fome one county in this State, fuch town thenceforward fhall cease to fend two delegates or reprefentatives to the Houfe of Delegates, until the faid town shall have one half of the number of voters in fome one county in this State.

VI. That the commiffioners of the faid town, or any three or more of them, for the time being, fhall be judges of the faid election, and may adjourn as aforefaid, and shall make return thereof as aforefaid; but the inhabitants of the faid town fhall not be entitled to vote for, or be elected delegates for Baltimore county; neither shall the inhabitants of Baltimore county, out of the limits of Baltimore town, be entitled to vote for, or be elected delegates for the faid town.

VII. That

VII. That on refusal, death, disqualification, refignation or re◄ moval out of this State, of any delegate, or on his becoming governor or member of the council, a warrant of election fhall iffue by the fpeaker, for the election of another in his place, of which ten days notice at least, excluding the day of notice and day of election, fhall be given.

VIII. That not less than a majority of delegates, with their fpeaker, to be chofen by them by ballot, conftitute an Houfe for the tranfaction of any bufinefs, other than that of adjourning.

IX. That the Houfe of Delegates fhall judge of the elections and qualifications of delegates.

X. That the Houfe of Delegates may originate all money bills, propofe bills to the Senate, or receive those offered by that body, and affent, diffent, or propofe amendments; that they may inquire, on the oath of witneffes, into all complaints, grievances, and offences, as the grand inqueft of this State, and may commit any perfon for any crime to the public gaol, there to remain till he be dif charged by due courfe of law. They may expel any member for a great misdemeanor, but not a second time for the fame caufe. They may examine and pafs all accounts of the State, relating either to the collection or expenditure of the revenue, or appoint auditors to state or adjust the fame. They may call for all public or official papers and records, and fend for perfons whom they may judge neceffary, in the courfe of their inquiries, concerning affairs relating to the public intereft; and may direct all office bonds, which fhall be inade payable to the State, to be fued for on any breach of duty.

XI. That the Senate may be at full and perfect liberty to exercise their judgment in paffing laws, and that they may not be compelled by the House of Delegates either to reject a money bill which the emergency of affairs may require, or to affent to fome other act of Jegiflation, in their confcience and judgment injurious to the public welfare, the Houfe of Delegates fhall not, on any occafion, or under any pretence annex to, or blend with a money bill, any matter, claufe, or thing, not immediately relating to, and neceffary for the impofing, affeffing, levying, or applying the taxes or fupplies to be raised for the fupport of government, or the current expensea of the State and to prevent altercation about fuch bills, it is declared, that no bill impofing duties or customs for the mere regula tion of commerce, or inflicting fines for the reformation of morals, or

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