84 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 42

fixing a time to be set forth in said notice for a hearing
thereon in said Court as soon thereafter as may be, at
which hearing any citizen who is a taxpayer or water con-
sumer may appear and be heard. The proceedings in refer-
ence thereto at such hearing shall be informal and, if, after
such hearing, the Court shall pass an Order authorizing
the borrowing of such sum or sums of money as the Court
may deem adequate and proper to meet the emergency,
thereupon the said Mayor and City Council shall be author-
ized to borrow the same and to pledge the credit of the city
to the amount specified by the Court in its Order. There
shall be no appeal from the finding of the Circuit Court.

D. WATER DEPARTMENT BOND ISSUES

The Mayor and City Council of Cumberland, in addition
to the power to borrow money as set forth in Section 55,
or as hereinbefore set forth, in this section, shall also
have the power to borrow from time to time, pledging
the credit of the city therefor, such sums of money
as they may deem necessary for the operation, preservation
or extension of the water system of said city, including the
vicinity of Cumberland; provided, however, that before any
such loan is made, the Mayor and City Council shall pass
an ordinance authorizing such loan, stating its purpose and
setting forth in detail the terms and provisions thereof,
which ordinance shall be published once a week for at least
four weeks in one or more daily newspapers published in
the City of Cumberland, and provided further that such
loan shall be approved by a majority of the votes cast there-
on by the duly qualified voters of the city at a general or
special election at which the approval or disapproval of
such loan shall be submitted.

E. WATER SYSTEM INDEBTEDNESS

The bonds heretofore or hereafter issued for water im-
provements shall be issued in addition to and exclusive of
the ten per cent bonded indebtedness on the assessed valua-
tion of the City of Cumberland authorized by Section 55
of Chapter 96 of the Acts of the Assembly of 1922 (City
Code, Sec. 55).

F. PENALTY FOR VIOLATION

If the Mayor or any member of the City Council or any
city employee shall violate any of the provisions of this sec-
tion, he or they shall, upon trial and conviction, be sen-
tenced to pay a fine of not exceeding One Thousand