PHILLIPS LEE GOLDSBOROUGH, GOVERNOR. 41

period of two years after the date of his appointment or until
his successor is appointed and qualified, and be paid a salary
to be fixed by said County Commissioners, not to exceed fifteen
hundred dollars per year. In the appointment of such engi-
neer the said County Commissioners shall be governed by the
merits and qualification of the appointee without reference
to his political opinions. The said engineer shall be liable to
be removed from office for incompeteney or wilful, continued
or persistent neglect of duty, upon the sworn complaint of
ten or more resident taxpayers of Charles county, to be filed in
writing with the said County Commissioners, and every such
complaint shall state specifically the nature and character of
the charge preferred, of which due no lice shall be given the
said county road engineer, and if the said County Commis-
sioners after hearing said charges, at which the engineer and
the parties making complaint shall be entitled to be represented
by counsel and to produce any competent testimony, shall find
the said county engineer is incompetent, or has been guilty
of wilful, continued or persistent neglect of duty it shall be
their duty to immediately remove said county road engineer
from office. The said road engineer shall be a citizen of
Charles county and reside therein. No one shall be eligible
for appointment to the position of road engineer of Charles
county nor shall any one be eligible to hold said position who
is not a citizen and resident of Charles county, and who has
not been a registered voter of said county for at least two years
prior to his appointment, and said road engineer shall have
entire charge, control and supervision of said roads, subject to
the approval and supervision of the said County Commission-
ers. The salary of said engineer, as well as the supervisors and
laborers shall be paid monthly. The said engineer shall give
bond in the penalty of five thousand dollars, with such security
as the said County Commissioners may approve, and under
such conditions as they may prescribe in regard to the duties
to be performed, and for the use, safekeeping and due return
of all property placed in his charge. He shall have power and
authority to discharge said supervisors or laborers appointed or
employed by the County Commissioners, and shall file in writ-
ing the reasons for such discharge with said County Com-
missioners. Such supervisors or laborers discharged by the
said engineer shall have the right to appeal within the period
of ten days from the date that the reasons for their discharge
was filed with the Board of County Commissioners, whereupon
the County Commissioners shall hear said appeal at their first
meeting thereafter and their decision shall be final. The said