HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. §£7

87. The County Commissioners of the several Counties,
the Mayor and Council of Hagerstown and the Mayor and City
Council of Baltimore City, the latter acting through its Comp-
troller, may bid at any sale of real estate for State and county
taxes due thereon, and may purchase any of such real estate
offered at such sale; and in case any of such real estate shall be
purchased by them at said sale, on the final ratification there-
of the deed for the property so purchased shall be made to said
County Commissioners, the Mayor and Council of Hagerstown
or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore by the Collector
and the property be held for the use of the county or city, as
the case may be.

88. At any time after any county, the Mayor and Council
of Hagerstown, or the Mayor and City Council of Balti-
more shall have acquired property by conveyance from the
Collector, the County Commissioners, the Mayor and Council
of Hagerstown or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore,
the latter acting through its Comptroller with the consent of
the Board of Finance Commissioners of Baltimore City; may in
their discretion either sell the said real estate at a private sale
to the next preceding former owner or other person having
previously had an interest in the property either by way of
absolute conveyance or mortgage including former reversion-
ers at and for the sales price equal to the amount paid by said
County Commissioners, the Mayor and Council of Hagerstown
or the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for said property,
together with all subsequent taxes or public liens charged
against said property and interest on said total sum at, the
rate of six per cent per annum accounting from the date on
which the purchase money was paid by said County Commis-
sioners, the Mayor and Council of Hagerstown or the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore to said Collector, or in the; al-
ternative to such a private sale to the former owner or other
parties in interest as above defined, shall after giving public. no-
tice by advertisement inserted once for three successive weeks
in some newspaper published in the County, City of Hagers-
town and in Baltimore City for three successive weeks in two
newspapers published in said City, offer the said real estate f or
sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, provided no
public sale shall be for a less sum than the amount of the tax£$,
together with all costs, charges and interest due and charge-
able thereon; and if for any real estate offered at public sale
there shall be. no bid which seems adequate to the County
Commissioners, the Mayor and Council of Hagerstown or the
Comptroller of Baltimore City, the same shall be withdrawn
from sale and thereafter, at any time without any further
notice, the County Commissioners, the Mayor and Council of