572

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

drinks," prior to the first day of June, eighteen hundred and

ninety, or to affect any offense already committed or which may

be committed before this act shall take effect, but all such offenses

may be prosecuted and punished under the law existing at the

time of the commission of said respective offenses; and provided

To take
effect.

further, that if for any reason this act shall not take effect on the

first day of June, eighteen hundred and ninety, the said article

fifteen, of the Code of Public Local Laws, title "Kent county,"

sub-title "Liquors and intoxicating drinks," shall continue to re-

main in force until other laws shall be enacted in lieu thereof.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That the question whether or not any

person or persons, house, company, association or body corporate,
as hereinafter described, may be licensed in Kent couiity, of this

State, by whom or in which spirituous or fermented liquors or

intoxicating drinks may be sold, or whether or not no license to

To be sub-

sell the same in said county shall be issued, shall be submitted to

mitted.

the qualified voters of said county on Saturday, the tenth day of

May, of the year eighteen hundred and ninety, and the sheriff of

said county shall, at least three weeks previous to said election,

cause public notice to be given of the submission of said question,

by advertisement set up at the most public places within each

election district of said county, and also by advertisement in two

newspapers of greatest circulation therein, which said advertise-

ment shall contain a copy of this act, and of the time and place

of holding the said election, and the cost of such advertisement

and handbills shall be paid by the county commissioners of said

county, but if for any cause said notice shall not be given, said

failure shall not affect the validity of this act, or operate to pre-

vent its taking effect.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That ballots cast at said election on

the question of license or no license, to be counted as deciding for

or against the sale of spirituous, or fermented liquors or intoxi-

cating drinks in said county, shall have printed or written on

them the words, "For license or against license," and the votes

cast for license and the votes cast against license shall fee care-

Returns.

fully counted by the judges of said election in the respective

election districts of said county, and the number of votes for

license and the number of votes against license shall be certified

by them, and the return judges of said election shall meet at the

court-house on the Tuesday next after said election, and cast up

the whole vote for license and against license in said district, and

shall make a separate written return of said whole vote to the

clerk of the circuit court for Kent county, and said clerk shall

record among the records of his office, and" shall prepare a certi-

ficate, proclaiming the result of such election in said county, and

cause said certificate to be published within ten days after said

returns have been received by him, once in all the newspapers

published in said county.