HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 335

820. On the first Monday of March, 1941, and on the first
Monday of March of every two years thereafter, an election
shall be held for the purpose of electing officers of the said
corporation. All citizens of Williamsport 21 years of age,
or over, who shall have continuously resided within the corpo-
rate limits of said town for at least 6 months next preced-
ing the election and who have been residents of the State of
Maryland for at least one year shall be entitled to register
their names on the registration books of the town and to vote at
said election. All citizens of Williamsport twenty-one years of
age who are registered voters and who have, during the year im-
mediately preceding any election, been assessed and paid taxes
on real or personal property in said town, and who shall not be
in arrears for taxes to said corporation at the time of said
election, shall be eligible to hold any of the offices hereinafter
provided for. At the election to be held on the first Monday
in March, 1943, ana every four years thereafter, there shall be
elected three Councilmen, whose term of office shall be for
four years or until their successors are duly qualified, and at
the election to be held on the first Monday in March, 1941, and
every four years thereafter, there shall be elected a Mayor,
Assistant Mayor and two Councilmen, whose term of office
shall be for four years, or until their successors are duly quali-
fied. All elections shall be held at such hours and conducted
according to such regulations as shall from time to time be
prescribed by the by-laws and ordinances of the corporation
and not inconsistent with this charter, and all persons so
elected in pursuance of this section shall hold over in office
until their successors shall have qualified, which must be done
within ten days from the date of their election. Before enter-
ing their respective offices, the Mayor-elect shall qualify before
the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Washington County as to a
faithful discharge of duties, in accordance with the provisions
of this charter and ordinances made in pursuance thereof, and
shall then be authorized to qualify the remaining members-
elect and officers of the Council to the same effect.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency law and necessary for the imme-
diate preservation of the public health and safety and having
been passed upon by 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 March 24, 1945.