THEODORE R. MCKELDIN. GOVERNOR 717

missioners who shall be elected by the inhabitants of said town
qualified and registered to vote for delegates to the General As-
sembly. The said Commissioners shall be persons eligible to
vote at said election, at least twenty-five years of age and
payers of taxes in said town on assessed valuation of at least
One Thousand Dollars ($1, 000. 00) of property^ including prop-
erty held as tenants by the entireties. This Act shall not
shorten the terms of present Commissioners but the term
of A. Russum Orme is hereby extended until June 30,
1951, as a holdover. Each Commissioner during the whole term
for which he is elected shall be possessed of all qualifications
rendering him eligible to be elected, and if any Commissioner,
during the time for which he was elected, shall fail to retain
all the qualifications necessary to render him eligible to elec-
tion or shall neglect or refuse to attend meetings of the Com-
missioners for the space of three months, he shall forfeit such
office, and such forfeiture shall be declared by a majority of
the remaining Commissioners, and the vacancy caused thereby
shall be immediately filled as other vacancies; and if said
Commissioners shall neglect or refuse to declare such vacancy
and to fill the same, then any taxpaying inhabitant of said
municipality being a legal voter therein, may file a petition
in the Circuit Court for Caroline County against such officer,
and the Court, or the judge thereof if in vacation, shall pass an
order requiring such officer to show cause why his office should
not be vacated and the vacancy filled as provided, and such
order shall be made returnable on the first Monday of the
month next succeeding its passage, and a copy thereof shall be
served on such officer; and if he shall fail to answer the same
the said Court or the judge thereof if in vacation, shall hear
and determine such matter ex parte; and if such officer shall
answer the same, then the said Court, or the judge thereof if
in vacation, shall hear at once and determine the issue raised
by such petition and answer and shall declare the office of the
said respondent vacant and order the filling of the vacancy or
shall dismiss the petition, as the proof may justify, and may
award costs as may appear equitable and right.

(b) An election shall be held on the fourth Monday of May,
1951, and of each year thereafter, between the hours of 12
o'clock noon and 6 o'clock P. M., at such place, in said Town,
as shall be designated by the Commissioners, at which one
Commissioner shall be elected for a term of five years from the
1st day of July next after election and until his successor is
elected and qualified, one Commissioner shall be elected for a
term of four years and one Commissioner shall be elected for
a term of three years, thereafter Commissioners shall be
elected for terms of five years each, to hold office until their
successors are elected and qualified. At said election in 1951