EMERSON C. HARRINGTON, GOVERNOR. 391

from the face of the returns to have received the highest num-
ber of votes for the various offices voted for, and shall issue cer-
tificates of election to said persons. In case any proposition
or question other than the election of an officer shall have been
submitted to the voters at said election, the Mayor and Com-
mon Council shall in like manner declare whether or not such
proposition has been carried or defeated.

In case the returns are not signed by all the Judges and
Clerks of Election, or in case the two sets of returns are not
identical, the Mayor and Common Council shall consider such
returns and the statements, if any are accompanying them,
signed by the Election Officials refusing to sign the returns,
and they shall upon these papers determine which parties, if
any, are elected to the various offices, and shall issue certifi-
cates according to their determination. They shall in like
manner, in case any proposition or question other than the
election of officials has been submitted to the voters at said
election, determine whether or not said proposition has been
carried or defeated,

Any defeated candidate at such election may contest the
same and the Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George's
County shall have jurisdiction to determine such contest, and
may adopt such modes of proceeding and adjudging costs' in
cases of contested election as to him may seem most satisfac-
tory. No such contest shall, however, be considered unless a
petition is filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George's
County within seven days, exclusive of Sundays and legal Holi-
days, after the decision of the Mayor and Common Council, of
Mount Rainier on said election shall be made.

Any legally qualified voter who has voted at any election in
said town on any question submitted to the voters shall have a
similar right of contesting the result of such election to be
exercised in a similar way.

Powers of Mayor.

Section 14. And be it further enacted, That the Mayor
elected hereunder shall qualify upon the next Monday night
succeeding his election by taking an oath before any officer of
the State of Maryland duly authorized to take an affidavit to
the effect that he will obey the constitution of the United State"
and the constitution and laws of the State of Maryland, and
will fairly and impartially administer the duties of his office.
The Mayor shall act as chairman of the Council during his