they shall keep a journal of their proceedings,
and shall hold regular sessions in the city of
Annapolis, on the first Wednesday of Jan-
nary, April, July and October in each year,
and oftener if necessary, at which sessions
they shall bear and determine such matters
as affect the public works of the State, and as
the general assembly may confer upon them
the power to decide.
Sec. 2. They shall exercise a diligent and
faithful supervision of all public works in
which the State may be interested as stock-
holder or creditor, and shall appoint the di-
rectors in every railroad or canal company in
which the State has the legal power to appoint
directors, which said directors shall repre-
sent the State in all meetings of the stock-
holders of every railroad or canal company
in which the State is a stockholder; they
shall require the directors of all said public
works, from time to time, and as often as
there shall be any change in the rates of toll
on any of said works to furnish said board
of public works a schedule of such modified
rates of toll, and shall use all legal powers
which they may possess to obtain the estab-
lishment of rates of toll, which may prevent
an injurious competition with each other, to
the detriment of the interests of the State,
and so to adjust them as to promote the agri-
cultural interest of the State; they shall re-
port to the general assembly at each regular
session, and recommend such legislation as
they shall deem necessary and requisite to
promote or protect the interests of the State"
in the said public works; they shall perform
such other duties as may be hereafter pre-
scribed by law, and a majority of them shall
be competent to act. The governor, comp-
troller and treasurer shall receive no addi-
tional salary for services rendered by them as
members of the board of public works.
The next section relates to the commis-
sioner of the land office. The committee
recommend that the word " the" in the second
line be inserted before the word " Tuesday,"
In the sixth line strike out the words "the
first day of January next after his election,"
and insert " the first Monday in January en-
suing his election," In the eighth line strike
out the word "any" before the word "two."
In the eighth, ninth and tenth lines, after the
expression '' shall direct a new election to be
held by writs to the sheriffs of the several
counties," add "and of the city of Balti-
more." In the event of a tie between two
or more candidates, the governor in ordering
a new election will then issue writs not only
to the sheriffs of the several counties, but
also to the sheriff of Baltimore city, which
is an important matter, as the election for a
commissioner of the land office is by general
ticket throughout the State. In the thirteenth
and fourteenth lines after striking out the
words " and shall be keeper of the chancery
records,' ' insert " and shall also be the keeper |
of the chancery records." In the seventeenth
line strike out the words " the said commis-
sioner of the land office," and insert the word
"he" in place of them. At the end of the
section add the following clause :
"In case of vacancy in land office by
death, resignation, or other cause, the gov-
ernor shall fill such vacancy until the next
general election for members of the general
assembly thereafter, when a commissioner of
the land office shall be elected for the full
term of six years ensuing."
The fourth section relates to the State li-
brarian. The committee recommend that
the words " the legislature" in the fourth
line be stricken out, and in their plaice be in-
serted the words ' 'and the general assem-
bly." In the fifth line strike out the word
"an" and substitute the word "any."
Add the following clause at the end of the
section: " In case of a vacancy in the office
of State librarian from death, resignation or
other cause, the governor shall fill such va-
cancy until the next meeting of the general
assembly thereafter, and until a successor be
elected and qualified,"
The next section provides for the election
of county commissioners; their compensa-
tion; their powers and their duties. As it
stood after its adoption in convention it was
enumerated as section four, instead of sec-
tion five, and reads thus :
"The county commissioners shall be elect-
ed by general ticket by the voters of the sev-
eral counties. An election for county com-
missioners shall be held on Tuesday next
after the first Monday of November, 1865; as
nearly one half as may be of said commission-
ers shall hold their office for two years, and
the other half for four years, and at the first
meeting after their election and qualification,
or as soon thereafter as practicable, they shall
determine by lot which of their number shall
hold his office for two and four years re-
spectively, and thereafter there shall be
elected as aforesaid, at each general election
for county officers, county commissioners for
"our years to fill the places of those whose
term has expired; said commissioners shall
exercise such powers and perform such duties
only as the legislature may from time to
time prescribe; but such powers and duties
shall be similar, and the tenure of office uni-
form throughout the State, and the legisla-
ture shall have power to pass such laws as
may be necessary for determining the number
for each county, fixing the salary, and ascer-
taining and defining the powers, duties, and
tenure of office of said commissioners, and
the commissioners elected under this consti-
tution shall have and exercise all the powers
and duties in their respective counties, now
exercised by the county commissioners under
the laws of the State, and they shall receive
the same salary, and their present number in |
