Page:The Federal and state constitutions v3.djvu/448

1702 when this act becomes part of the constitution, an office as aforesaid, both under this State and the United States, shall be affected by this act, if within fifteen days after the same shall become part of the constitution he shall resign his seat in Congress or his office held under the United States.

That every person being a member of either of the religious sects or societies called Quakers, Menonists, Tunkers, or Nicolites, or New Quakers, and who shall be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath on any occasion, being otherwise qualified and duly elected a senator, delegate, or elector of the senate, or being otherwise qualified and duly appointed or elected to any office of profit or trust, on making affirmation instead of taking the several oaths appointed by the constitution and form of government, and the several acts of assembly of this State now in force, or that hereafter may be made, such persons may hold and exercise any office of profit or trust to which he may be appointed or elected, and may, by such affirmation, qualify himself to take a seat in the legislature, and to act therein as a member of the same in all cases whatsoever, or to be an elector of the senate, in as full and ample a manner, to all intents and purposes whatever, as persons are now competent and qualified to act who are not conscientiously scrupulous of taking such oaths.

That the people called Quakers, those called Nicolites, or New Quakers, those called Tunkers, and those called Menonists, holding it unlawful to take an oath on any occasion, shall be allowed to make their solemn affirmation as witnesses, in the manner that Quakers have been heretofore allowed to affirm, which affirmation shall be of the same avail as an oath, to all intents and purposes whatever.

Before any of the persons aforesaid shall be admitted as a witness in any court of justice in this State, the court shall be satisfied, by such testimony as they may require, that such person is one of those who profess to be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath.

That the several counties of this State, for the purpose of holding all future elections for delegates, electors of the senate, and sheriffs of the several counties, shall be divided into separate districts, in the manner hereinafter directed, viz: Saint Mary’s County shall be divided and laid off into separate districts; Kent County shall be divided and laid off into three separate districts; Calvert County shall be divided and laid off into three separate districts; Charles County shall be divided and laid off into four separate districts; Talbot County shall be divided and laid off into four separate districts; Somerset County shall be divided and laid off into three separate districts; Dorchester County shall be divided and laid off into three separate districts; Cecil County shall be divided and laid off into four separate districts; Prince George’s County shall be