CORPORATIONS 937

qualification, and he shall also be a qualified voter therein and not less than
twenty-five years of age.

One of said commissioners shall hold office for two years from the begin-
ning of his term of office and until his successor shall qualify; one of said
commissioners shall hold office for four years from the beginning of his
term of office and until his successor shall qualify; and one of said commis-
sioners shall hold office for six years from the beginning of his term of office
and until his successor shall qualify. The term of office of each commis-
sioner shall begin on the first Monday of May, in the year nineteen hun-
dred and ten (1910), and the appointment of each of said commissioners
shall be made and announced by the Governor not less than ten days before
said first Monday of May, nineteen hundred and ten. The Governor, at
the time for making and announcing the appointment of said three commis-
sioners, as well as in the commission issued by him to each of them, shall
designate which of said commissioners shall serve for the term of two years,
and which shall serve for the term of four years, and which shall serve for
the term of six years, as aforesaid, and also which shall be the chairman of
said commission. Upon the expiration of each of said terms, the term of
office of each commissioner thereafter appointed shall be six years from the
time of his appointment and qualification and until his successor shall
qualify.

Vacancies in said commission shall be filled by the Governor for the
unexpired term. Each commissioner shall be eligible for reappointment,
in the discretion of the Governor.

In the event that the terra of office above ascertained and prescribed for
each of said commissioners, or the term of office hereinafter prescribed for
the general counsel, shall in respect to any of said commissioners or the
general counsel be held and decided by the courts, and particularly by the
Court of Appeals of Maryland, to be in excess of the period or term of
office allowed or permitted by the Constitution of Maryland, then, in such
event, the term of office of each of said commissioners, or said general coun-
sel, shall, and this Act hereby declares and determines that the term of
office of each of them shall be for the period of two years¹ from and after
the first Monday of May in the year nineteen hundred and ten (unless
removed from office) and until their successors, respectively, qualify
according to law.

The Governor may remove any commissioner for inefficiency, neglect
of duty, or misconduct in office, giving to him a copy of the charges against
him and an opportunity of being publicly heard in person or by counsel,
in his own defense, upon not less than ten days' notice. If such commis-
sioner shall be removed, the Governor shall file in the office of the Secre-
tary of State a complete statement of all charges made against such com-
missioner, and his findings thereon, together with a complete record of the
proceedings.

The salary of the chairman of said commission shall be six thousand
dollars ($6,000) per annum, and the salary of each of the other two com-
missioners shall be five thousand dollars ($5,000) per annum.

The Governor shall, upon the recommendation of the commission, ap-
point an attorney-at-law of the State of Maryland to be and act as the
general counsel to said public service commission. The term of office of
said general counsel shall be six years from the beginning of his term of
office. The Governor may remove said general counsel for inefficiency, neg-
lect of duty or misconduct in office, giving him a copy of the charges against