BALTIMORE CITY. 885

of all the members elected to the City Council; provided said City Council
shall take action on such nomination within the first three regular suc-
ceeding sittings of said City Council after said nominations are sent to
it by the Mayor. If the City Council fails to take such action within
said time, then the person or persons so nominated shall be to all intents
and purposes such officer or officers as if they had been confirmed by said
City Council. If said City Council shall, by the required vote and in
the prescribed time, refuse to confirm such nominations, the Mayor shall,
within the next three regular succeeding sittings of said City Council,
send to it other name or names for such office or offices, and the duties of
said City Council and the Mayor shall continue to be as above prescribed
until a confirmation is had or a failure to act for three regular succeed-
ing sittings by the said City Council occurs. The Mayor shall have the
power to remove at pleasure, during the first six months of their respec-
tive terms, the heads of all departments or members thereof, heads of sub-
departments or members thereof, municipal officers not embraced in a de-
partment and special commissions or boards or members thereof, appointed
by him, but after six mouths the Mayor shall only remove said officials for
cause, after charges preferred against them,notice given and trial had before
the Mayor. The terms of all municipal officials appointed by the Mayor
shall be four years, unless otherwise provided for in this Charter. All
municipal officials who are appointed by the Mayor shall be appointed in
the month of September succeeding his election, and enter into their respec-
tive offices on the first Monday in October, immediately following their
respective appointments, or as soon thereafter as their appointments have
been confirmed, as above provided, if appointed or confirmed subsequent
thereto. All municipal officials, boards and commissioners in office under
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, upon the date of the taking
effect of this Charter, unless otherwise provided in this Charter, shall
hold their respective offices under existing laws and ordinances, the same
as if this Charter had not been passed, until their successors are appointed,
as provided in this section; they shall be subject to removal, as provided
in said laws and ordinances, and all vacancies occurring in said offices
shall be filled as now provided for in said existing laws and ordinances;
said municipal officials, boards and commissioners shall perform the
duties respectively now prescribed by existing laws and ordinances which
are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, and they shall
also perform such additional duties as may be required to be performed
by such officers in this Charter. All persons appointed by the Mayor,
as well as those municipal officials elected by the people or by the City
Council, shall, before entering upon the discharge of their respective
duties, qualify by taking before the Mayor an oath to faithfully perform
the duties of their respective offices, and that they will support the Laws
and Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Maryland.
A test book shall be kept by the Mayor, which shall be signed at the time
of taking the oath aforesaid by said officials, and after the qualifications
aforesaid, the Mayor shall issue to the said officials a commission signed