302

CHAP. 197.

Only four
Justices of
the peace
to be
appointed.

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

Section 179 A. That on and after the expiration of the
respective terms of office of the aforesaid six justices of the
peace, appointed by the Governor of the State at the Session
of the Legislature of 1902, there shall be appointed by the
Governor at the Session of the Legislature of 1904, and
biennially thereafter according to law, only four justices of
the peace for said six districts, who shall be justices of the
peace at large for said election districts numbers four, five,
six, fourteen, twenty-two and twenty-three in lieu of the six
justices provided for in section 179 of this Act, each of which
four justices of the peace shall be entitled to receive a monthly
salary of sixty dollars, payable monthly, in lieu of all criminal
fees, as provided in the aforegoing section, and each of said
four justices of the peace shall be required to make the
monthly report in said preceding section required ; provided,
that no justice of the peace appointed under this Act shall be
entitled to receive said monthly salary unless he shall make
the monthly report under oath as above required, and shall
maintain an office for the transaction of such business as may
be brought before him, and keep the same open to the public.

Section 179s. It shall be the duty of each justice of the

Consolidate
warrants.

peace appointed under this Act, in order to avoid the unneces-
sary multiplication of costs against the county or offenders in
criminal cases, when a complaint discloses more than one
misdemeanor to have been committed by the person or
persons complained against, to consolidate or join in the
warrant to be issued as many districts charges against said
person or persons as there may be misdemeanors complained
of ; provided, that the justice of the peace shall deem it con-
sistent with justice so to do, and upon the application of the
defendant or defendants if the justice shall deem it necessary.
He shall grant a severance of the charges and a separate trial
as to each, but no additional warrant shall be required therefor,
and it shall be the duty of the said justice of the peace once

Statement to
be made out.

every month to make out a statement of the fees owing by
the County Commissioners to any constable for legal services
performed by such constable or constables in the prosecution
of offenders before said justices during the preceding month,
which have not been paid them by the parties convicted, as
required by law, and to state what fines and costs such con-
stable stand chargeable with, but no constable shall be entitled
to appropriate any such fines or costs (to wit, the costs payable
as fees to the justice of the peace by offenders, but by this
Act required to be paid over to the county instead of to the
justice as hitherto) to the payment of any account he may
hold against said county or to any other purpose whatsoever,