ART. 65] MARYLAND NATIONAL GUARD——ORGANIZATION. 431

1896, ch. 89.

14. The names of persons duly elected or nominated to offices
in accordance with the provisions of this article shall be forwarded
to the commander in-chief to the end that commissions may be
issued to them, but before forwarding such names the brigade
commander or the regimental commander or the commanding
officer of the first naval battalion, as the case may be, shall require
the person so elected, and may require those nominated, to be
examined with respect to their qualifications and fitness to fill the
offices to which they have been elected, or for which they have
been nominated respectively, by a board of examiners. The
board of examiners for the examination of officers, except officers
of the first naval battalion, shall consist, for the examination of
all officers above the rank of captain, of three officers in the bri-
gade above the rank of captain, and for the examination of aids
on the staff of the brigadier general and of officers of the separ-
ate organizations, of three officers not above the rank of captain,
to be appointed by the brigade commander; and for the exami-
nation of all regimental officers not above the rank of captain, of
three officers of the regiment to be appointed by the regimental
commander. The board of examiners for the examination of
officers of the first naval battalion, shall consist of three officers
of said battalion to be appointed by the commander or command-
ing officer. On the report of any of such boards of examiners,
the appointing officer shall forward said report through the regu-
lar channels to the commander-in chief, and if the commander-in-
chief shall adjudge a person unqualified for the office to which
he has been elected or nominated as aforesaid, another person
shall, within twenty days after due notice of such adverse decision
be elected or nominated, and in default of such election or nomi-
nation the vacancy may be tilled by the commander-in-chief.
All officers whose election or nomination as set forth in this
article, shall be approved by the Governor and commander-in-
chief, shall be duly commissioned by him.

Ibid.

15. Every commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer and
private, before he enters upon his duties, or exercises any com-
mand, shall take and subscribe in such manner and before such