426                           THE COUNTIES OF MARYLAND

fiding to them all powers necessary for the management of their public
local concerns." This apparently mandatory provision of the Consti-
tution does not appear to have been carried out as the election districts
still exist.

The Constitution of 1867, which is still in force, provided for the
erection of Wicomico County and repeated the general provision for the
organization of new counties., the localization and removal of county seats,
and the changing of county lines; vesting the power as before in the
General Assembly. The same provisions were also made to the effect
that no new county should contain less than 400 square miles and that no
existing county should have its territory reduced to less than the same
amount. This limiting clause practically forbids the General Assembly
to erect any new county in the State of Maryland without a readjustment
of several of the now existing counties. The largest counties at the
present time are Garrett (681 sq. m.), Frederick (660), Baltimore
(647), Dorchester (573), Montgomery (518), and Worcester (492).
The division of Garrett into two counties with the addition of a small
amount of Allegany is not possible since Allegany County has only 40
square miles to spare. Even if it in turn encroached upon Washington
County the total area of these three contiguous counties is not sufficient
to make an additional county of the size required without the reduction
of existing counties below the limit provided.

A new county might be organized out of a portion of Frederick
County but to do so it would be necessary to reduce Montgomery and
either Washington or Carroll counties.

The rapid increase in population in the vicinity of Baltimore and the
present large territory of Baltimore County might develop the necessity
for the organization of an additional county in this part of the State,
but according to the laws as they now exist this would be quite difficult
since if Carroll, Harford, and Anne Arundel counties gave up their sur-
plus, above the prescribed minimum, there would still be less area than
is required for a new county.

Dorchester County, with its 573 square miles extends over a much
wider territory on account of its estuaries and islands, yet from it no new