CONSTITUTION OF MARYLAND.*

The Declaration of Rights, and the Constitution and Form of Government of the State of Maryland.

THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS.

THE parliament of Great Britain, by a declaratory act, having assumed a right to make laws to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever, and, in pursuance of such claim, endeavoured, by force of arms, to subjugate the united colonies to an unconditional submission to their will and power, and having at length constrained them to declare themselves independent states, and to assume a government under the authority of the people: Therefore,

We, the delegates of Maryland, in free and full convention assembled, taking into our most serious consideration the best means of establishing a good constitution in this state, for the sure foundation and more permanent security thereof, declare :

1. That all government of right originates from the people, is founded in compact only, and instituted solely for the good of the whole.

2. That the people of this state ought to have the sole and exclusive right of regulating the internal government and police thereof.

3. That the inhabitants of Maryland are entitled to the common law of England, and the trial by jury, according to the course of that law, and to the benefit of such of the English statutes, as existed at the time of their first emigration; and which, by experience, have been found applicable to their local and other circumstances, and of such others as have been since made in England, and Great Britain, and have been introduced, used, and practised by the courts of law or equity; and also to all acts of assembly, in force on the first of June, seventeen hundred and seventy-four, except such as may have since expired, or have been, or may be, altered by acts of convention, or this declaration of rights-subject, nevertheless, to the revision of, and amendment or repeal by, the legislature of this state; and the inhabitants of Maryland are also entitled to all property derived to them from or under the charter granted by his majesty Charles I. to Cæcilius Calvert, baron of Baltimore.

4. That all persons invested with the legislative or executive powers of government are the trustees of the public, and, as such, accountable for their conduct; wherefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and the public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to do, reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power and oppression is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

Such parts of the original constitution, or the amendments thereto, as have been altered or abolished, are printed in brackets.

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5. That the right, in the people, to participate in the legislature, is the best security of liberty, and the foundation of all free government: for this purpose, elections ought to be free and frequent, and every man having property in, a common interest with, and an attachment to, the community, ought to have a right of suffrage.

6. That the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government ought to be for ever separate and distinct from each other.

7. That no power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws unless by, or derived from, the legislature, ought to be exercised or allowed. 8. That freedom of speech and debate, or proceedings, in the legislature, ought not be impeached in any other court of judicature.

9. That a place for the meeting of the legislature ought to be fixed, the most convenient to the members thereof, and to the depository of public records; and the legislature ought not to be convened or held at any other place, but from evident necessity.

10. That, for redress of grievances, and for amending, strengthening, and preserving the laws, the legislature ought to be frequently convened. 11. That every man hath a right to petition the legislature, for the redress of grievances, in a peaceable and orderly manner.

12. That no aid, charge, tax, burthen, fee or fees, ought to be set, rated, or levied, under any pretence, without consent of the legislature. 13. That the levying of taxes by the poll is grievous and oppressive, and ought to be abolished; that paupers ought not to be assessed for the support of government; but every other person in the state ought to contribute his proportion of public taxes, for the support of government, according to his actual worth, in real or personal property, within the state; yet fines, duties, or taxes may properly and justly be imposed or laid, with political view, for the good government and benefit of the community.

14. That sanguinary laws ought to be avoided, as far as is consistent with the safety of the state; and no law to inflict cruel and unusual pains and perralties ought to be made in any case, or at any time hereafter.

15. That retrospective laws, punishing facts committed before the existence of such laws, and by them only declared criminal, are oppressive, unjust, and incompatible with liberty; wherefore, no ex post facto law ought to be made.

16. That no law to attaint particular persons of treason or felony, ought to be made in any case, or any time hereafter.

17. That every freeman, for any injury done him in his person or property, ought to have remedy, by the course of the law of the land, and ought to have justice and right, freely, without sale, fully, without any denial, and speedily, without delay, according to the law of the land. 18. That the trial of facts where they arise is one of the greatest securities of the lives, liberties, and estates of the people.

19. That, in all criminal prosecutions, every man hath a right to be informed of the accusation against him; to have a copy of the indictment or charge in due time (if required) to prepare for his defence; to be allowed counsel; to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have process for his witnesses; to examine the witnesses for and against timer oath; and to a speedy trial by an impartial jury, withont whose unanimous consent he ought not to be found guilty,

20. That no man ought to be compelled to give evidence against himself, in a court of common law, or in any other court, but in such cases as have been usually practised in this state, or may hereafter be directed by the legislature.

21. That no freeman ought to be taken, or imprisoned, or disseized of his freehold, liberties, or privileges, or outlawed, or exiled, or in any manner destroyed, or deprived of his life, liberty, or property, but by the judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.

22. That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted by the courts of law.

23. That all warrants, without oath or affirmation, to search suspected places, or to seize any person or property, are grievous and oppressive; and all general warrants to search suspected places, or to apprehend suspected persons, without naming or describing the place or the person in special, are illegal, and ought not to be granted.

24. That there ought to be no forfeiture of any part of the estate of any person, for any crime except murder, or treason against the state, and then only on conviction and attainder.

25. That a well regulated militia is the proper and natural defence of a free government.

26. That standing armies are dangerous to liberty, and ought not to be raised or kept up without consent of the legislature.

27. That, in all cases and at all times, the military ought to be under strict subordination to, and control of, the civil power.

28. That no soldier ought to be quartered in any house in time of peace, without the consent of the owner; and in time of war, in such manner only as the legislature shall direct.

29. That no person, except regular soldiers, mariners, and marines in the service of this state, or militia when in actual service, ought in any case to be subject to, or punishable by, martial law.

30. That the independency and uprightness of judges are essential to the impartial administration of justice, and a great security to the rights and liberties of the people; wherefore, the chancellor and judges ought to hold commissions during good behaviour; and the said chancellor and judges shall be removed for misbehaviour, on conviction in a court of law, and may be removed by the governor, upon the address of the general assembly: provided, that two-thirds of all the members of each house concur in such address. That salaries, liberal, but not profuse, ught to be secured to the chancellor and the judges during the continuance of their commissions, in such manner, and at such times, as the legislature shall hereafter direct, upon consideration of the circumdances of this state. No chancellor or judge ought to hold any other office, civil or military, or receive fees or perquisites of any kind.

31. That a long continuance in the first executive department of power or trust, is dangerous to liberty; a rotation, therefore, in those departments, is one of the best securities of permanent freedom.

32. That no person ought to hold, at the same 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.

33. That, as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such man

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ner as he thinks most acceptable to him, all persons professing the Christian religion are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore, no person ought by any law to be molested in his person or estate, on account of his religious persuasion or profession, or for his religious practice; unless, under colour of religion, any man 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 particular place of worship or any particular ministry; (yet the legislature may, in their discretion, lay a general and equal tax for the support of the Christian religion; leaving to each individual the power of appointing the payment over of the money, collected from him, to the support of any particular place of worship or minister, 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 other property, now belonging to the church of England, ought to remain to the church of England for ever. And all acts of assembly lately passed, for collecting moneys for building or repairing particular churches or chapels of ease, shall continue in force, and be executed, unless the legislature shall, by act, supersede or repeal the same: but no county court shall assess any quantity of tobacco, or sum of money, hereafter, on the application of any vestrymen or church-wardens; and every incumbent of the church of England, who hath remained in his parish, and performed his duty, shall be entitled to receive the provision and support established by the act entitled "an act for the support of the clergy of the church of England in this province," till the November court of this present year, to be held for the county in which his parish shall lie, or partly lie, or for such time as he hath remained in his parish, and performed his duty.

34. That every gift, sale, or devise of lands, to anv minister, public teacher, or preacher of the gospel, as such, or to any religious sect, order, or denomination, or to or for the support, use, or benefit of, or in trust for, any minister, public teacher, or preacher of the gospel, as such, or any religious sect, order, or denomination; and every gift or sale of goods or chattels, to go in succession, or to take place after the death of the seller or donor, to or for such support, use, or benefit, and also every devise of goods or chattels to or for the support, use, or benefit of any minister, public teacher, or preacher of the gospel, as such, or any religious sect, order, or denomination, without the leave of the legislature, shall be void, except always any sale, gift, lease, or devise of any quantity of land not exceeding two acres, for a church, meeting, or other house of worship, and for a burying ground, which shall be improved, enjoyed, or used only for such purpose, or such sale, gift, lease, or devise, shall he void.

35. That no other test or qualification ought to be required, on admission to any office of trust or profit, than such oath of support and fidelity to this state, and such oath of office, as shall be directed by this convention or the legislature of this state, and a declaration of a belief in the Christian religion.

36. That the manner of administering an oath to any person, ought to be such as those of the religious persuasion, profession, or denomination, of which such person is one, generally esteem the most effectua

confirmation by the attestation of the divine Being; and that the people called Quakers, those called Tunkers, and those called Menonists, holding it unlawful to take an oath on any occasion, ought to be allowed to make their solemn affirmation in the manner that Quakers have been heretofore allowed to affirm; and to be of the same avail as an oath in all such cases as the affirmation of Quakers hath been allowed and accepted within this state instead of an oath. And further, on such affirmation, warrants to search for stolen goods, or the apprehension or commitment of offenders, ought to be granted, or security for the peace awarded, and Quakers, Tunkers, or Menonists ought also, on their solemn affirmation aforesaid, to be admitted as witnesses in all criminal cases, [not capital.]

37. That the city of Annapolis ought to have all its rights, privileges, and benefits, agreeable to its charter and the acts of assembly confirming and regulating the same, subject, nevertheless, to such alterations as may be made by this convention or any future legislature.

38. That the liberty of the press ought to be inviolably preserved. 39. That monopolies are odious, contrary to the spirit of a free government, and the principles of commerce, and ought not to be suffered. 40. That no title of nobility, or hereditary honours, ought to be granted in this state.

41. That the subsisting resolves of this and the several conventions held for this colony, ought to be in force as laws, unless altered by this convention, or the legislature of this state.

42. 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 such manner as this convention shall prescribe and direct.

This declaration of rights was assented to and passed, in convention" } of the delegates of the freemen of Maryland, begun and held at Annapolis, the 14th day of August, A. D. 1776.

By order of the convention.

MAT. TILGHMAN, Pres't.

The Constitution and Form of Government.

1. That the legislature consist of two distinct branches, a senate and house of delegates, which shall be styled, the general assembly of Maryland.

2. That the house of delegates shall be chosen in the following manher: 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 residing therein, and all freemen having property in this state above the value of thirty pounds current money, and having resided in the county in which they offer to vote one whole year next preceding the election, shall have a right of suffrage in the election of delegates for such county; and all freemen so] qualified shall, on the first Monday of October, seventeen hundred and seventy-seven, and on the same day in every year thereafter, assemble in the counties in which they are respectively qualified to vote, [at the court-house in the said counties, or at such other place as the legislature shall direct;] and, when assembled, they shall proceed to elect [viva voce] four delegates for their respective counties, of the most