184 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 117

sum not exceeding Five Hundred ($500. 00), to be recov-
ered as other fines in this State, one-half of which shall
go to the State, and the other half to the City of Hagers-
town, as now provided by law.

104. It is made the special duty of the judge or judges
of the courts having criminal jurisdiction in the City of
Hagerstown, to especially charge the grand juries of said
courts upon the execution of the three preceding sections;
and the police authorities of said City are especially
charged with the execution thereof, and to that end shall
direct nightly examinations by some of their officers, of
all such places.

XII

AMENDMENTS

105. Amendments to this Charter may be made by
proposal and approval within the City of Hagerstown as
hereinafter provided, and such amendments shall have the
same force of law as if they had been enacted by the Leg-
islature of the State of Maryland. The word "Amend-
ments", as used in this and the following sections, shall
include alterations and additions.

106. Amendments may be proposed by a majority vote
of all the members of the City Council. The Mayor shall not
have the power to veto an amendment ordinance. The
ordinance proposing an amendment shall provide for an
expression of the will of the qualified voters at a special
or the next succeeding general election. Special charter
amendment elections shall be administered as other elec-
tions. Charter amendments shall enact a new section or
sections, or they shall repeal a section or sections of the
Charter and re-enact the same as amended.

107. Amendments to the Charter may be proposed by
petition signed by a number of qualified voters of Hagers-
town equal to ten per cent of those voting for candidates
for the office of Mayor at the last preceding regular City
election. Such petition shall contain the street address of
each signer and shall be presented to the Mayor, who shall
authenticate its signers and make public announcement to
the effect that the signatures are authentic, or are not
authentic, within thirty days from the time of receiving
such petition. If the Mayor refuses to authenticate the
signatures on such petition, he shall make public his
specific reasons for so doing and he shall explain how the
defects in the petition can be remedied.