308 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

wards, being citizens of the United States, who have resided
in the said town for and during a period of six months next
preceding the third Tuesday in April in each and every year,
at some suitable place for holding an election in said town, are
hereby authorized to elect a Mayor and four Councilmen for
sard town, who shall be owners of real estate and taxpayers on
assessment of not less than five hundred dollars, and shall have
resided within the limits of the said town for a period of two
years next preceding the election; also a clerk and a bailiff,
each of whom shall have resided in the said town for two years,
or owners of real estate and qualified to vote at said election.
The Mayor elected under this Act shall serve for one year, or
until his successor shall have been elected and qualified; the
Councilmen elected under this Act shall serve for one and two
years, or until their successors are elected and qualified; and
it is herein provided that two Councilmen receiving the highest
number of votes at the first election shall be elected for two
years, and the two receiving the lowest number of votes shall
be elected for one year, and at the second election two Council-
men shall be elected to serve for two years, or until their suc-
cessors are elected and qualified, so that there shall always be
two Councilmen holding over. The clerk and the bailiff to be
elected under this Act shall, after they shall have qualified,
hold their, respective offices or serve for one year, or until
their successors are elected and qualified.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted. That the Mayor, Councilmen,
clerk and bailiff elected under the provisions of this Act shall
qualify on the first Monday in May in every year, next succeed-
ing their respective elections, by taking the following oath, to
be administered by some justice of the peace: "I, , in the
presence of Almighty God, do solemnly promise and swear (or
affirm) that I will execute the office of Mayor, Councilmen,
clerk or bailiff, as the case may be, to the best of my ability,
without fear, favor, partiality or prejudice, " and at their annual
meeting, on the first Monday in May in each and every year,
the Mayor and Council, or a majority of them, shall have power
to appoint a treasurer and attorney, and to allow them such
compensation as they may deem necessary; and they shall also
have power to appoint policemen and such other officers as
they may deem necessary, and the said bailiff and policemen
shall serve warrants and make arrests for the violations of the
ordinances of said town, and for these purposes the bailiff and
policemen are hereby vested with the same power and authority
as constables of said county now have under the laws of this
State, and such policemen and other officer shall receive such
compensation as the said Mayor and Councilmen shall deem