HOWARD COUNTY. 897

from the time of payment; but such sale shall not be set aside
if the provisions of the law appear to have been substantially
complied with, and the burden of proof shall be on the
exceptant to show the same to be invalid; and for the purpose
of making a just distribution of the proceeds of any sale rati-
fied and confirmed, the said Court may pass all such orders as
may be just and equitable, and shall have as full and complete
jurisdiction as though it were sitting as a Court of Equity.

7lB. Whenever real estate shall be sold by the registrar the
owner thereof prior to the sale may redeem the same by paying
into the said Court, to be paid to the purchaser thereof within
the period of twelve calendar months from the date of such
sale, the amount of the purphase money, all subsequent taxes
paid by the purchaser and all court costs, with interest thereon
at the rate of fifteen per centum, from the date of sale, and the
date of the payment of such taxes and costs respectively. After
the expiration of said period of twelve calendar months, pro-
vided the property has not been redeemed and the sale finally
ratified and confirmed by the Court, the registrar then in office
shall at the expense of the purchaser, by a good and sufficient
deed executed and acknowledged according to law, convey to
the purchaser or purchasers the parcels of land sold to them
respectively, and the deed of the successor in office of the
registrar who made the sale shall be valid in law as though it
had been executed and delivered by the said last-named regis-
trar.

71c. The Mayor and City Council of Ellicott City may pur-
chase in their discretion any property for gale for the payment
of taxes; provided they shall not fix a sum greater approxi-
mately than the taxes in arrears on said property and the inter-
est and expenses of sale and costs; and may sell and convey or
lease the same, as in their judgment and discretion shall be
deemed best for the interests of the city.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 11, 1910.

CHAPTER 340.

AN ACT to authorize the Mayor and City Council of Ellicott
City to issue and sell bonds for the purpose of constructing,
erecting and maintaining water works for supplying said
city with water; to condemn such land and property as may
be necessary for the building of said water works; to levy