WICOMICO COUNTY. 5087

1908, ch. 310, sec. 142 (p. 1104). 1912, ch. 636, sec. 142. 1916, oh. 265, sec. 142.

1927, ch. 138, sec. 142.

271. The Council shall meet on the second Monday evening following
their election for the purposes of organization, and shall hold regular
meetings on each Monday thereafter, and may adjourn from time to time,
and at said adjourned meetings may transact regular business as at a
stated meeting, and called meetings may be called in writing by the Mayor
or by a majority of the Council as often as necessary for the transaction
of business. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of any business, and a majority of those present shall decide
any question unless otherwise in this Act provided. The Councilmen
shall each receive a salary of Three Hundred Dollars per annum for their
services. The Council shall organize by electing a permanent President
of the Council and in his absence elect a President pro-tem.

1914, ch. 620, sec. 142A.

272. When any ordinance is introduced for passage by the Council it
shall be read but not passed at the meeting at which it is introduced. As
soon thereafter as conveniently may be, a statement of the substance of
the said ordinance shall be published by posting the same at some public
place, in the City of Salisbury (or by printing the same in some news-
paper printed in the City of Salisbury). At any regular or special meet-
ing of the Council held not more than sixty nor less than six days after
the meeting at which such ordinance was introduced and first read, the
said ordinance shall be read for a second time and passed, or amended
and passed, or rejected, or its consideration deferred to some specified
future date, by the said Council, provided, that no ordinance shall be
passed until it has been published as required by this Section for at least
five days.

Ordinances, when passed and approved by the Mayor, or when passed
over his veto, shall be permanently filed by the Clerk of Salisbury in a
book or books kept for that purpose.

No ordinance shall become a valid law until the provisions of this
Section have been at least substantially complied with, provided, that it
shall not be necessary, in any suit, proceeding or action in any Court or
before any Justice of the Peace in which the passage of such ordinance
or its validity shall be in issue, for the party relying on such ordinance to
prove the publication thereof unless such publication is denied by written
pleading, and in case of such denial, the due publication of such ordi-
nance shall be presumed and the burden of proving failure of publication
shall be upon the party relying upon such failure or the invalidity of the
ordinance.

In all the Courts and before all Justices of the Peace of this State the
book in which any ordinance is filed, and the ordinance filed therein shall
be proof of the law, provided, that the Mayor and Council of Salisbury
shall have power to provide by ordinance for the codification of the laws
and ordinances of the said City, and for the adoption of a City Code, and
for the payment from the general funds of the City of the expenses of