ART. 4. ] CITY OF BALTIMORE. 47

ment until the end of two years from and after the tenth day of
March, next, and until his successor shall have been appointed
and qualified; and the other of the said commissioners shall serve
from the time of his appointment until the end of four years from
and after the tenth day of March next, and until his successor
shall have been appointed and qualified, and when the result of
the said ballots shall be ascertained, notice thereof shall be given
at once to the Governor, by the commissioners in writing to be
filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

44. To enable the said board to perform the duties imposed on
them they are hereby authorized and required as speedily as may
be practicable after notification to them of the purpose of the
Government of the United States to withdraw its provost mar-
shal and police from service in the city of Baltimore, (on the
receipt of which notification the active duties of said board and
the right of the commissioners to receive salary for their services
shall commence, ) to appoint, enroll and employ a permanent
police force for the city of Baltimore, which they shall equip and
arm as they shall judge necessary; the number of policemen to
be so appointed and employed, exclusive of officers, shall at the
first organization be three hundred, with power however to
reduce that number or increase it to not more than four hundred,
as experience may warrant; provided however, that for extra-
ordinary emergencies, the board may raise such additional force
as the exigency may in their judgment demand; no person shall
be appointed or employed, either as policeman or officer of police,
who shall have been convicted of or against whom any indict-
ment may be pending for any offence, the punishment of which
may be confinement in the penitentiary; and among the neces-
sary qualifications for such appointment and employment, shall
be citizenship of the United States, loyalty to the Government
and Constitution of the United States, ability to read and write,
good character and physical strength and courage; the policemen
shall be employed to serve for five years and be subject to re-
moval only for cause, after a hearing by the board, who are here-
by invested with exclusive jurisdiction in the premises: any
policeman whose term of service shall expire, and who, during
his employment, shall have faithfully performed his duty, shall,