be entitled to elect a Senator and two Delegates to the General Assembly, and all such County or other officers as this Constitution may authorize, or require to be elected by other Counties of the State; a notice of such election shall be given by the sheriffs of Worcester and Somerset Counties in the manner now prescribed by Law; and in case said new County shall be established, as aforesaid, then the Counties of Somerset and Worcester shall be entitled to elect but two Delegates each to the General Assembly.

SEC. 5. The County of Wicomico, if formed according to the provisions of this Constitution, shall be embraced in the First Judicial Circuit; and the times for holding the Courts therein shall be fixed and determined by the General Assembly.

SEC. 6. The General Assembly shall pass all such Laws as may be necessary more fully to carry into effect the provisions of this Article.

ARTICLE XIV.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly may propose Amendments to this Constitution; provided, that each Amendment shall be embraced in a separate Bill, embodying the Article or Section, as the same will stand when amended and passed by three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses, by yeas and nays, to be entered on the Journals with the proposed Amend

ment. The Bill, or Bills, proposing amendment, or amendments, shall be published by order of the Governor, in at least two newspapers in each county, where so many may be published, and where not more than one may be published, then in that newspaper, and in three newspapers published in the City of Baltimore, one of which shall be in the German language, once a week, for at least three months preceding the next ensuing general election, at which the said proposed amendment, or amendments, shall be submitted, in a form to be prescribed by the General Assembly, to the qualified voters of the State for adoption or rejection. The votes cast for and against said proposed amendment, or amendments, severally, shall be returned to the Governor, in the manner prescribed in other cases, and if it shall appear to the Governor that a majority of the votes cast at said election on said amendment, or amendments, severally, were cast in favor thereof, the Governor shall, by his proclamation, declare the said amendment, or amendments, having received said majority of votes, to have been adopted by the people of Maryland as part of the Constitution thereof, and thenceforth said amendment, or amendments, shall be part of the said Constitution. When two or more amendments shall be submitted, in manner aforesaid, to the voters of this State at the same election, they shall be so submitted as that each amendment shall be voted on separately.

SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide by Law for taking, at the general election to be held in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and every twenty years thereafter, the sense of the people in regard to calling a convention for altering this Constitution; and if a majority of voters at such election or elections shall vote for a Convention, the General Assembly, at its next session, shall provide by Law for the

assembling of such convention, and for the election of Delegates thereto. Each County and Legislative District of the City of Baltimore shall have in such convention a number of Delegates equal to its representation in both Houses at the time at which the convention is called. But any Constitution, or change, or amendment of the existing Constitution, which may be adopted by such convention, shall be submitted to the voters of this State, and shall have no effect unless the same shall have been adopted by a majority of the voters voting thereon.

ARTICLE XV.

MISCELLANEOUS.

SECTION 1. Every person holding any office created by, or existing under the Constitution, or Laws of the State, (except Justices of the Peace, Constables and Coroners), or holding any appointment under any Court of this State, whose pay or compensation is derived from fees, or moneys coming into his hands for the discharge of his official duties, or, in any way, growing out of, or connected with his office, shall keep a book in which shall be entered every sum or sums of money received by him, or on his account, as a payment or compensation for his performance of official duties, a copy of which entries in said book, verified by the oath of the officer, by whom it is directed to be kept, shall be returned yearly to the Comptroller of the State for his inspection, and that of the General Assembly of the State, to which the Comptroller shall, at each regular session thereof, make a report showing what

officers have complied with this section; and each of the said officers, when the amount received by him for the year shall exceed the sum which he is by Law entitled to retain as his salary or compensation for the discharge of his duties, and for the expenses of his office, shall yearly pay over to the Treasurer of the State the amount of such excess, subject to such disposition thereof as the General Assembly may direct; if any of such officers shall fail to comply with the requisitions of this section for the period of thirty days after the expiration of each and every year of his office, such officer shall be deemed to have vacated his office, and the Governor shall declare the same vacant, and the vacancy therein shall be filled as in case of vacancy for any other cause, and such officer shall be subject to suit by the State for the amount that ought to be paid into the treasury; and no person holding any office created by or existing under this Constitution or Laws of the State, or holding any appointment under any Court in this State, shall receive more than three thousand dollars a year as a compensation for the discharge of his official duties, except in cases specially provided in this Constitution.

Banks v. State, 60 Md. 305.

SEC. 2. The several Courts existing in this State at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall, until superseded under its provisions, continue with like powers and jurisdiction, and in the exercise thereof, both at Law and in Equity, in all respects, as if this Constitution had not been adopted; and when said Courts shall be so superseded, all causes then depending in said Courts shall pass into the jurisdiction of several Courts, by which they may be respectively superseded.

SEC. 3. The Governor and all officers, civil and military, now holding office under this State, whether by

election or appointment, shall continue to hold, exercise and discharge the duties of their offices (unless inconsistent with or otherwise provided in this Constitution), until they shall be superseded under its provisions, and until their successors shall be duly qualified.

Smith & Davis v. Thursby, 28 Md. 244.

SEC. 4. If at any election directed by this Constitution, any two or more candidates shall have the highest and an equal number of votes, a new election shall be ordered by the Governor, except in cases specially provided by this Constitution.

SEC. 5. In the trial of all criminal cases, the Jury shall be the Judges of Law, as well as of fact.

Franklin v. State, 12 Md. 236. Phipps v. State, 22 Md. 386. League v. State, 36 Md. 257. Wheeler v. State, 42 Md. 563. Broll v. State, 45 Md. 356. Beard v. State, 71 Md. 275.

SEC. 6. The right of trial by Jury of all issues of fact in civil proceedings in the several Courts of Law in this State, where the amount in controversy exceeds the sum of five dollars, shall be inviolably preserved.

Gittings v. State, 33 Md. 458.

SEC. 7. All general elections in this State shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November, in the year in which they shall occur; and the first election of all officers, who, under this Constitution, are required to be elected by the people, shall, except in cases herein specially provided for, be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday of November, in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-seven.