186 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 117

fication, to the voters of Hagerstown at a special election
before the next succeeding general election or at the next
succeeding general election, provided that such Charter
amendment, Charter revision or new Charter shall be sub-
mitted to the Council at least sixty days before any gen-
eral election at which such amendment, revision or new
Charter is to be submitted to the voters. A Charter amend-
ment, Charter revision, or new Charter, so proposed, when
approved by a majority of the voters voting thereon, shall
have the force of law, subject to the Constitution and
General Laws of the State of Maryland.

111. If any section or part of section of this Charter
shall be held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction,
such holding shall not affect the remainder of this Charter
nor the context in which such section or part of section
so held invalid may appear, except to the extent that an
entire section or part of section may be inseparably con-
nected in meaning and effect with the section or part of
section to which such holding shall directly apply.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That before this Act
shall become effective, the question shall be submitted to
the qualified voters of the city of Hagerstown at the regular
municipal general election to be held in said city on the
fourth Tuesday in March, 1949. There shall be placed on
the official ballots the words "For New Charter" and the
words "Against New Charter, " with a square or box to the
right of and opposite each such set of words so that the
said voters shall be able to* designate by a cross-mark in
the proper square or box their decision for or against this
question. If a majority of the qualified votes cast on said
question shall be cast "For New Charter, " this Act shall
become effective immediately. If a majority of the quali-
fied votes cast on said question shall be cast "Against New
Charter, " this Act shall not become effective and shall be
wholly null and void.

SEC. 3. 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, the same shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved March 31, 1949.