MISCELLANEOUS BILLS. 379

sealed, or any electric meter which shall not have been in-
spected, approved, stamped or marked by an inspector of the
Commission. Every gas and electric corporation shall provide
land keep in and upon its premises a suitable and proper appa-
ratus, to be approved and stamped or marked by the Com-
mission, for testing and proving the accuracy of gas and elec-
tric meters furnished by it for use, and by which apparatus
every meter may and shall be tested, on the written request
of the consumer to whom the same shall be furnished, and in
his presence if he desires it.

SEC. 32. And be it further enacted, That if any consumer
to whom a meter has been furnished shall request the Commis-
sion to' inspect such meter, the Commission shall have the same
inspected and tested; if the same, on being tested, shall be
found to be four per cent., if an electric meter, or two per cent.,
if a gas meter, defective or incorrect, to the prejudice of the
consumer, the inspector, shall order the gas or electrical cor-
poration forthwith to remove the same and to place instead
thereof a correct meter, and the expense of such inspection
and test shall be borne by th^ corporation, if the "same, on be-
ing so tested, shall be found to be correct, the expense of such
inspection and test shall be borne by the consumer. A uni-
form reasonable charge shall be fixed by the Commission for
this service.

SEC. 33. And be it further enacted, That no gas corporation
or electrical corporation incorporated under the laws of this
or any other State shall begin construction or exercise any
right or privilege under any franchise hereafter granted or
under any franchise heretofore granted but not heretofore
actually exercised, without first having obtained the permission
and approval of the Commission. Before such certificate shall
be issued a certified copy of the charter of such corporation
shall be filed in the office of the Commission, together with a
verified statement of the president and secretary of the corpo-
ration, showing that it has received the required consent of
the proper municipal authorities. No municipality, except
the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, shall build, main-
tain and operate for other than municipal purposes any works
or systems for the manufacture and supplying of gas or elec-
tricity for lighting purposes without a certificate of authority
granted by the Commission. If the certificate of authority is
refused, no further proceedings shall be taken before the Com-
mission, but a new application may be made therefor after one
year from the date of refusal.