J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                          1163

Maryland Tax Court

224. An administrative body designated as the Maryland Tax
Court is hereby created with the powers and duties in this Article
specified. The Court shall consist of five judges, to be appointed
by the Governor, one of whom he shall designate as Chief Judge,

and the judge so designated shall retain such status for his term

of office. One of said judges shall be a resident of the Eastern Shore
of Maryland, one a resident of the counties of the Western Shore of
Maryland, and one a resident of Baltimore City. The other two
judges shall be residents of the State at large. Not more than three
of such judges shall be of the same political party, and each of
them shall be a taxpayer and qualified voter of this State. At least
one TWO of such judges shall be a member MEMBERS of the bar
of the State of Maryland, ONE OF WHOM THE GOVERNOR
SHALL DESIGNATE AS CHIEF JUDGE, WHO SHALL RETAIN
SUCH STATUS FOR HIS TERM OF OFFICE. Each of such judges,
before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take the oath
prescribed by the Constitution, to be administered by the Clerk
of the Circuit Court of the County or the Superior Court of Balti-
more City, according to the residence of each judge, and to the
Clerk of which Court, the Governor shall forward a commission
to such judge. The term of office of the Judges of said Court shall
be six years, commencing on the first Monday in June next ensuing
their respective appointments and said judges shall hold office until
their respective successors are appointed and qualified. The term
of office of each of the members of the State Tax Commission now
serving and the member of said Commission now holding the desig-
nation of chairman, shall terminate and end upon July 1, 1959, and
each member shall be appointed as a judge of the Maryland Tax
Court hereby created, to serve, however, only for such period of time
as is equal to the unexpired balance of the term for which they,
respectively, were appointed as members of said State Tax Commis-
sion. In addition, the Governor shall appoint one judge for a term
expiring on the first Monday of June in 1960 and one judge for a
term expiring on the first Monday of June in 1962. In case of any
vacancy, the Governor shall appoint a successor for the unexpired
term, subject to the limitations and qualifications contained herein.
The Chief Judge of said Court shall receive a salary of Twelve Thou-
sand Dollars ($12,000) per annum, and each of the two other judges
shall receive a salary of Eight Thousand Dollars ($8,000), said
salaries to be payable out of the Treasury of the State and be subject
to Article 3, Section 85 of the Constitution.

225. (a) The Court shall have a clerk to be appointed by it, who
shall maintain a full and true record of all proceedings in the Court
in dockets and shall maintain files of all pleadings and exhibits in
proceedings in the courts, all of which shall be public records, and
the clerk shall be responsible to the Court for the suitable preserva-
tion and custody of all such dockets and files. Under the direction of
the court, the Clerk shall perform such duties as the court may pre-
scribe.

(b) The Court may, from time to time, appoint one or more deputy
clerks who shall perform such duties as the Court may prescribe.
The Clerk, and such deputy or deputies as may be appointed by the
Court, shall have power and authority to administer oaths in all