The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-09-04


lation published in said City of Balti-
more or county within thirty days after
II shall be reported to him. Such charter
shall be submitted to the voters of said
city or county at the next general or
Congressional election after the report
of said charter to said Mayor of Balti-
more or President of the Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners; and II a majority of
the votes cast for and against the adop-
ton of said charter shall be In favor of
such adoption, the said charter from and
after the thrtieth day from the date of
such election shall become the law of
said city or county subject only to the
Constitution and Public General Laws of
this State and any Public Local Laws
inconsistent with the provisions of said
charter and former charter of said the
City of Baltimore or county shall be
thereby repealed.
Section 2. The General Assembly at its
first session after the adoption of this
amendment shall, by Public General
Law, provide a grant of express powers
for such county or counties as may
thereafter form a charter under the pro-
visions of this Article. Such express
powers granted to the counties and the
powers heretofore granted to the City of
Baltimore. as set forth in Article A. Sec
ton 6. Public Local Laws of Maryland,
shall not be enlarged or extended by
any 'lldl Ntl lOIUSu uIlueT the pTOVbSlOHS
of this Article. but such powers may be
extended, modified, amended or repealed
by the General Assembly.
Section 3. Every charter so formed
shall provide for an elective legislative
body in which shall be vested the law
making power of said city or county.
Such legislative body in the City of Bal
timore shall be known as the City Coun-
Gil of the City of Baltimore. and in any
county shall be known as the County
Council of the county. The chief execu-
tive officer, If such charter shall provide
for the election of such executive Off
Ger, or the presiding officer of said legis-
lative body, If such charter shall not
provide for the election of chief ex-
ecutive officer, shall be known in the
City of Baltimore as Mayor of Balti-
more and in any county as the Presi-
dent of the County Council of the coun-
ty. and all references in the Constitu-
ton and laws of this State to the Mayor
of Baltimore and City Council of the
City of Baltimore or to the County Com
miSsioners of the counties shall be con-
strued to refer to the Mayor of Balti-
more and City Council of the City Of
Baltimore and to the President and
County Council herein provided for
whenever such construction would be
reasonable. From and after the adop-
ton of a charter by the City of Balti-
more, or any county of this State, as
hereinbefore provided, the Mayor of Bal
timore and City Council of the City of
Baltimore or the County Council of said
county, subject to the Constitution and
Public General Laws of this State, shall
have full power to enact local laws of
said city or county, including the power
to repeal or amend Local Laws of said
city or county enacted by the General
Assembly, upon all matters covered by
the express powers granted as above
provided; provided that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to author
lie or empower the County Council of
any county in this State to enact laws
or regulations for any incorporated
town, village. municipality in said
county on any matter covered by the
powers granted to said town. village
or municipality by the Act incorporating
1t, or any subsequent Act or Acts amen
datory thereto. Provided. however. that
the charters for the various counties
shall provide that the County Council of
the counties shall not sit more than one
month in each year for the purpose of
enaCting legislation for such counties
during the month so designated for that
purpose in the charter, and all laws and
ordinances so enacted shall be published
once week for three successive weeks
In at least one newspaper published in
such counties, so that the taxpayers and
citizens may have notice thereof This
provision shall not apply to Baltimore
City. All such local laws enacted by
the Mayor of Baltimore and City Coun-
Gil of the City of Baltimore or the Coun-
Gil of the counties. as herenbefore pro-
vided, shall be subject to the same rules
of Interpretation as those now applica-
Bile to the Public Local Laws Of this
state. except that in case of any con-
fict between said Local Law and any
Public General Law now or hereafter
enacted, the Public General Law shall
control.
Section 4. From and after the adoption
of charter under the provisions of this
Article by the City of Baltimore or any
county of this State, no Public Local
Law shall be enacted by the General
Assembly for said city or county on any
subject covered by the express powers
granted as above provided. Any law so
drawn as to apply to two or more of the
geographical subdivisions of this State
shall not be deemed a Local Law, within
the meaning of this Act. The term geo
graphical subdivision" herein used shall
be taken to mean the City of Baltimore
or any Of the counties of this State
Section D. Amendments to any charter
adopted by the City of Baltimore or by
any county of this State under the pro-
visions of this Article may be proposed
by resolution of the Mayor of Balti-
City of Baltimore, or the Council of said
county or by a petition signed by not
less than 20 per cent of the registered
voters of said city or county provided
however. that in any case 10000 sigma
lures shall be sufficient to complete pc
ton. and filed with the Mayor of Balti-
more or the President of the County
Council, and when so proposed shall be
submitted to the voters of said city or
county at the next General or Congress
sional election occurring after the pas
sage of said resolution, or the filing of
said petition, and if at said election the
majority of the votes cast for and
against said amendment shall be in favor
thereof, said amendment shall be adopt
ed and become a part of the charter Of
said city county from ard after the
thirtieth day after said election Said
amendment shall be published by said
Mayor of Baltimore or President of the
County Council once a week for five
successive weeks prior to said election
in at least one newspaper published in
said city or county.
Section g. The power heretofore con-
ferred upon the General Assembly to