590

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

sion of the Mayor and Council for the hearing of such appeals
in such cases, such assessment and action of the assessor shall
be final and conclusive.

Title to
Highways,
streets, etc.

Sec. Z. The title of the Mayor and Council of Mt. Airy
to its highways, avenues, streets, lanes and alleys is hereby
declared to be inalienable, and no right or franchise in relation
to any highway, avenue, street, lane or alley, either on above
or below the surface of the same shall be granted by the Mayor
and Council of Mt. Airy to any person or corporation for
a longer period than fifty years.

Shall not
impairexisting
contracts,
obligations,
etc., at time of
incorporation.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall: not
effect or impair any right vested or acquired and existing at
the time of the passage of said Act, nor shall said Act impair,
discharge or release any contract, obligation, duty, liability
or penalty whatever now existing. All suits and actions,
both civil and criminal, pending, or which may hereafter be
instituted for causes of action now existing, or offenses already
committed against any law or ordinance repealed by this Act
shall be instituted, proceeded with and prosecuted to final
determination and judgment, as if the said Act had not been
passed. No tax levied, or any proceedings taken for the
collection of any such tax, or the enforcement of the payment
of the same before the passage of this Act, or the taxes levied
for the year 1900, if levied after the passage of this Act, shall
in any manner be affected by the passage of this Act, and the
mode of procedure in any such manner shall be the same as if
this Act had not been passed.

Laws and
ordinances
now in force
continued, etc.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all laws now in force
relating or applicable to the Mayor and Council of Mt.
Airy, or to the town of Mt. Airy, and not included in this Act,
and not inconsistent with said Act, and all ordinances of the
Mayor and Council of Mt. Airy now in force and not incon-
sistent with this Act, shall be and they are hereby continued,
until changed or repealed, respectively, by the General
Assembly of Maryland, or the Mayor and Council of Mt.
Airy.

Terms and
tenures of
office.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all officers provided
for and named in said Act, whether by election or appoint-
ment, shall continue to hold, exercise and discharge the duties
of their respective offices until they shall be suspended under
the provisions of this Act, and until their successors shall be
duly qualified, and nothing contained in said Act shall be
construed to interfere with the continuity of the terms or
tenure of any said officers, nor shall a reappointment or re-elec-