WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 141

ity to grade, construct, reconstruct, pave or otherwise improve
any street, sidewalk, alley, curb, curb and gutter and public
highway, or parts thereof, at such time and to such extent
and of such materials and in such manner as shall be pro-
vided by ordinance and to lay water mains and sewers in said
town and to pay the costs of all such work and assess said
cost, or any part thereof, against the abutting property as
hereinafter provided in this section.

Whenever a petition in writing, duly signed by the owners
of at least twenty per cent of the front footage of all the
property abutting upon any such proposed public im-
provement, shall be filed with the Council praying for the
construction of any public improvement herein mentioned,
the Council shall, after having given the notice prescribed
in the next following section, hold a public hearing upon the
matter of such petition, and shall as soon thereafter as may
be convenient, render its decision thereon granting or deny-
ing the said application, as in its judgment the public health,
safety or comfort may require; provided, however, that in
case the Council shall grant such petition, it shall thereupon
proceed in all respects in the manner and in the form herein-
after provided in this section.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency measure and necessary for the.
immediate preservation of the public health and safety and
having been passed by a yea and nay vote, supported by three-
fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses of
the General Assembly of Maryland, the same shall take effect;
from the date of its passage.

Approved June 1, 1948.

CHAPTER 67

(House Bill 45)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sections
495 and 690 of Article 4 of the Code of Public Local Laws
of Maryland and Baltimore City Charter (1938 Edition),
title "Baltimore City", sub-titles "Criers, Bailiffs, Watch-
men and Stenographers" and "Jurors", as said sections were
amended by Chapter 668 of the Acts of 1945, increasing the
compensation of the Court Stenographers for the several
Courts of Baltimore City and the stenographer assigned to.
the Grand Jury of said city.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sections 495 and 690 of Article 4 of the Code of