456

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

opened and read aloud by the County Commissioners, and
shall remain on file in their office open to the inspection of the
public; they shall thereupon award the contract for the same
to the lowest responsible bidder, who shall be required to
deliver the same as and when needed for the use of said
respective offices; and no such books, stationery or other simi-
lar articles for which requisition has been made, and contracts
so awarded, and for which the County Commissioners are
responsible, shall be purchased by the County Commissioners,

Contracts of
printed
notices,
ballots, etc.

except under such contract. All printed notices and news-
paper advertisements, and all printed blank forms, ballots and
other printed matter, except such as is included in the pre-
ceding section, required by law to be given, published or
used by, or such as is needed for the proper conduct of the
office of the clerk of the court, the register of wills, the sheriff,
the Board of County School Commissioners, the officers of
registration, the supervisors of elections, the State's attorney
and the treasurer of said county, for the supply of which, and
the payment for which, the County Commissioners are by law
responsible, shall be made known to the County Commission-
ers, in the same manner and at the same time, by requisition
upon them as directed by the preceding section; and the
County Commissioners shall thereupon, by advertisements
inserted, annually, once a week, for three successive weeks, in
the month of January, as aforesaid, in two newspapers pub-
lished, in said county, one of which, if possible, shall be of
opposite political faith from them, or a majority of them,
invite sealed proposals from the various printing and news-
paper offices of said county for the printing and publish-
ing of the same, and also for such printed notices, blank
forms and advertisements, as said County Commissioners,
or their clerk, may be required to use or give during the
year succeeding the date of the contract to be awarded
thereunder; said advertisements shall specify as far as it
is practicable the character of material and work for which
proposals are so invited, and in such advertisements proposals
for the newspaper advertising shall be invited separately and
distinct from the other printed notices, blank forms, ballots and
other such printed matter. The proposals shall be opened and
read aloud in public by the county commissioners at their meet-
ing on the first Tuesday in February of each year, and shall
remain on file in their office, open to the inspection of the public.
The contract for supplying during the ensuing year the printed
notices (other than newspaper advertisements), the blank forms,
the ballots and other such printed matter, shall thereupon be