312 CITY OF BALTIMORE. [ART. 4.

provided by such rule or regulation, as judge of the said court of
arbitration, and also to elect in like manner, or to provide for the
election or appointment of a clerk of the said court; and shall
have power also, by rules and regulations duly adopted by the
said corporation in such corporate meeting as aforesaid, or by the
delegation of said corporation in such meeting made by its said
board of directors, to define the duties, powers and functions of
the said judge and of the said clerk, and of any other members or
officers of the said court of arbitration provided for as herein-
after is authorized, and to determine the jurisdiction of the said
judge, original and appellate, whether sitting alone or with lay-
men, members of the said corporation associated with him, and to
fix the term of time for which the said judge and the said clerk,
respectively, shall be elected, and the terms and conditions upon
which each shall hold or continue to hold his office, and the
amount and mode of the compensation of each, not to be dimin-
ished, however, during the currency of a term of office; to pro-
vide for the appointment of temporary substitutes for the said
judge and the said clerk, or either, when from any cause this
shall be necessary for the prompt administration of the justice of
the court, and also for the appointment of lay arbitrators as mem-
bers of the said corporation, for the hearing and determination
of a particular case, either in the first instance with right to the
parties', or either of them, to appeal to the said judge, or as asses-
sors associated with the said judge when parties so choose, and to
define, in such cases, the powers, dnties and authority of such lay
arbitrators or assessors; and also prescribe the forms and modes
of application, procedure, pleading, practice, trial and process in
the said court, in all the necessary details thereof, and the effect
of the awards and judgments or decisions of the said court, as
to the finality or conclusiveness or otherwise thereof, and the
methods and means of securing compliance therewith by the
parties; and also to regulate the costs and fees to be paid by the
parties to any such controversy so submitted, and the amount
and time and manner of payment thereof, and the disposition of
such costs and fees; provided, however, that no such rule or reg-
ulation shall be valid if it shall be contrary to the general law of
the State, or to natural right or sound reason, or be intended to
provide for enforcing payment or other performance of the