J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR 211

(1957 Edition), title "Corporations—Municipal", sub-title "Home
Rule", amending the laws concerning the exercise of home rule
power by municipal corporations, subject to Article HE of the
Constitution, in order to provide for the eventuality of municipal
corporations adopting substantially but not entirely the provi-
sions of Article 23B of the Code as a municipal charter.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 13, 15, 23 and 27 of Article 23A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Corporations—Municipal",
sub-title "Home Rule", be and they are hereby repealed and re-en-
acted, with amendments, to read as follows:

13. Initiation by legislative body.

The legislative body of the municipal corporation, by whatever
name known, may initiate a proposed amendment or amendments to
the municipal charter, by a resolution ordained or passed as in the
usual course of considering resolutions in the government of the
municipal corporation, by a majority of all the persons elected to
the legislative body. The resolution shall contain the complete and
exact wording of the proposed amendment or amendments. The
mayor or other chief executive officer of the municipal corporation,
by whatever name known, shall give notice by posting and publica-
tion of any resolution which proposes an amendment or amend-
ments to the municipal charter. A complete and exact copy of the
resolution containing the proposed amendment or amendments shall
be posted at the town hall or other main municipal building or public
place for a period of at least forty days following its adoption, or the
posted notice shall state that, if the proposed amendment is adopted,
the municipal corporation then shall be governed under and accord-
ing to the municipal corporation charter contained in Article 23B
of the Annotated Code of Maryland, title "Municipal Corporation
Charter". Or, if the municipal corporation has adopted substan-
tially the provisions of said Article 23B, the posted notice shall so de-
clare and shall also include a fair summary of the provisions in the
charter which differ from those in Article 23B. A fair summary of
the proposed amendment or amendments shall be published in a
newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation not
less than four times, at weekly intervals within a period of at least
forty days after the adoption of the resolution containing the pro-
posed amendment or amendments. The amendment or amendments
so proposed by the legislative body of the municipal corporation
shall become and be considered a part of the municipal charter, ac-
cording to the terms of the amendment or amendments, in all re-
spects to be effective and observed as such, upon the fiftieth day after
being so ordained or passed, unless on or before the fortieth day
after being so ordained or passed there shall be presented to the
legislative body of the municipal corporation, or mailed to it by reg-
istered mail, a petition meeting the requirements of this section.
The petition shall be signed by twenty per centum or more of the
persons who are qualified to vote in municipal general elections of
the particular municipal corporation and shall request that the pro-
posed amendment or amendments be submitted on referendum to
the voters of the municipal corporation. Each person signing the
petition shall indicate thereon both his name and residence address.