378                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 258

changed during the period for which that council was elected. The
ordinance making any change in the salary paid to the several
Councilmen, either by way of increase or decrease, shall be finally
ordained prior to the municipal election for the members of the
next succeeding council and shall take effect only as to the members
of the next succeeding council.

8.    (Meetings of the Council.) The newly elected council shall
meet at 8.00 P. M. on the second Monday following its election for
the purpose of organization, after which the council shall meet
regularly at such times as may be prescribed by its rules but not
less frequently than once each month. Special meetings shall be
called by the clerk-treasurer upon the request of the mayor or a
majority of the members of the council. All meetings of the council
shall be open to the public, and the rules of the council shall pro-
vide that residents of the town shall have a reasonable opportunity
to be heard at any meeting in regard to any municipal question.

9.    (Council To Be Judge of Qualifications of its Members.) The
council shall be the judge of the election and qualification of its
members.

10.    (President of the Council.) The Mayor shall serve as pres-
ident of the council. The mayor may take part in all discussions, but
he shall have no vote. The council shall elect a vice-president of the
council from among its members who shall act as president of the
council in the absence of the president of the council.

11.    (Quorum.) A majority of the members of the council shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but no ordinance
shall be approved nor any other action taken without the favorable
votes of a majority of the whole number of members elected to the
council.

12.    (Procedure of Council.) The council shall determine its own
rules and order of business. It shall keep a journal of its proceed-
ings and enter therein the yeas and nays upon final action on any
question, resolution, or ordinance, or at any other time if required
by any one member. The journal shall be open to public inspection.

13.    (Vacancies in Council.) Vacancies in the council shall be
filled as provided in Section 41 of this charter.

14. (Ordinances.) No ordinance shall be passed at the meeting at
which it is introduced. At any regular or special meeting of the
council held not less than six nor more than sixty days after the
meeting at which an ordinance was introduced, it shall be passed,
or passed as amended, or rejected, or its consideration deferred to
some specified future date. In cases of emergency the above re-
quirement may be suspended by the affirmative votes of four mem-
bers of the council. Every ordinance, unless it be passed as an
emergency ordinance, shall become effective at the expiration of
twenty calendar days following approval by the mayor or passage
by the council over his veto. EACH ORDINANCE SHALL BE PUB-
LISHED AT LEAST TWICE IN A NEWSPAPER OR NEWS-
PAPERS HAVING GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE MUNICI-