EDWIN WARFIELD, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

789

sue and be sued in the courts of this State in all matters per-

taining to the highways and bridges over which they are given

control by the provisions of this Act. It shall be the duty of

each of the said County Commissioners, immediately upon

the passage of this Act and thereafter at the time of qualifying

as County Commissioners, in addition to the usual oath, to

severally take and subscribe to an oath before the Clerk of the

Circuit Court for Baltimore County that he will, to the best of

his skill and ability, diligently and faithfully execute his duties

as Highways Commissioner, and that he will not during the

time he remains such become pecuniarily interested in any con-

tract for work done or material provided for the roads and

bridges of Baltimore County, nor will he directly or indirectly

Pecuniary
profit or re-

receive any pecuniary profit or reward as such except as pro-

ward.

vided by law. The president of the Board of County Com-

missioners shall be ex-officio president of the Highways Com-

mission ; said Highways Commission shall designate the chief

clerk and auditor to the County Commissioners as secretary

of said commission ; and said Highways Commission shall,

at the time of its organization, as aforesaid, or thereafter,

from time to time adopt such by-laws and rules of procedure

for the orderly conduct of business as it may deem necessary.

Said Highways Commission shall meet on Thursday in each

week at the office of the County Commissioners of Baltimore

County for the transaction of business connected with its duties

under this Act, and may hold such other meetings as a proper

discharge of its duties may require. It shall keep a journal

of proceedings in which shall be entered all its proceedings

in detail, the correctness of the same to be attested each week

by the president and secretary of the commission. It shall

also keep books showing in detail the expenditures of moneyi

Expenditures

in each election district of the county on account of the roads

of money.

and bridges thereof and from what fund such expenditures

were, made, and by which books the condition of the general

road, and bridge fund and the several district funds may be

readily seen at any time; all of which said books and records

shall be open to the inspection of any taxpayer of the county.

It shall annually compile statistics relating to the public roads

of Baltimore County and cause the same to be printed or

published in one or more of the county newspapers. All

maps, plans and statistics collected and compiled under their

direction shall be preserved in their office. All bills or claims

on account of the roads or bridges of the county shall be

passed upon by the commission at a regular or adjourned

meeting, and no such claim involving the expenditure of more