62 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 31

ticular case may deem it proper for the Court to know; and
it shall be the duty of the Judge or Judges presiding in said
Court, regardless of the fact whether any protest or objection
shall or shall not have been filed as aforesaid, to refuse, to
grant or issue any license or to order the same to be issued,
upon any application unless the said Judge or Judges shall
be satisfied that the applicant or each of them, where the ap-
plication is made by more than one person, is a person of good
moral character and has never been convicted of any felony or
of any violation of the liquor laws of Baltimore County within
one year preceding the filing of such application, and to whom
the granting of the license applied for is, in the opinion of
said Judge or Judges, compatible with the peace, order, mo-
rality and good government of the County or the vicinity of
the place for which said license is to be granted; and for the
purpose of informing themselves upon the matters aforesaid
the said Judges or any of them are empowered to make such
inquiries and investigations or to cause the same to be made
by the State's attorney of Baltimore County for the informa-
tion of such Judge or Judges, and to summon by subpoena
any person or persons as witnesses from whom they may desire
to obtain any information or testimony, and, upon due notice
to the applicant or applicants for the license under considera-
tion and in the presence of such applicant or applicants, if they
desire to be present, to examine and take the depositions of
such witnesses in Court, under oath, to be administered by the
Court or the Clerk thereof. The Court, for any reason dis-
closed by proof, may refuse to grant the license applied for.
In any case where the applicant or applicants, after due dili-
gence, has been misled as to the qualification of a signer or
signers to his application, as such qualification has been de-
fined by this Act, the Court or the Judge hearing the protests
or having the application under consideration, as aforesaid,
shall have power to allow him to substitute other signers duly
qualified, in the place and stead of those disqualified, in case
the license would be otherwise granted.

8. The Clerk of the Court who receives said application,
certificates and affidavits, shall file and carefully preserve the
same, and shall keep in his office open to public inspection
complete dockets with full and detailed indexes containing the
names, recorded in an orderly and systematic way, of all appli-
cants and of all signers upon all applications together with
their respective addresses; and after giving the notices, herein-