J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                            543

title "Clerks of Courts", sub-title "General Duties of Clerks", and
to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 293 of Article
93 of the said Code, title "Testamentary Law", sub-title "Register
of Wills", and to add new Section 203A to the Code of Public Local
Laws of Washington County (1957 Edition, being Article 22 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Washington
County", sub-title "County Commissioners", to follow immediately
after Section 203 thereof, relating to the hours and days of work-
ing in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Register
of Wills in Washington County and in county offices in the county.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 8 of Article 17 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1960 Supplement), title "Clerks of Courts", sub-title "General
Duties of Clerks", be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

8.

Every clerk shall attend at his office for the transaction of the
business thereof every day except Sundays and legal holidays either
in person or by deputy, unless prevented by sickness, accident or
necessity, except that the circuit courts of Allegany, Caroline, Dor-
chester, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's, Washington, Wi-
comico, Worcester, and Somerset counties, respectively, may at the
discretion of any such court direct that the office of the clerk of court
of such county shall be closed for the transaction of business on Sat-
urdays. In Baltimore City, the Supreme Bench may at its discretion
direct that all offices of such clerks shall be closed for the transaction
of business on Saturdays.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That Section 293 of Article 93
of the said Code, title "Testamentary Law", sub-title "Register of
Wills", be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amend-
ments, to read as follows:

293.

He shall attend his office daily in person or by deputy unless pre-
vented by sickness, accident or necessity for the dispatch of office
business; provided, that the offices of the register of wills for Alle-
gany, Caroline, Dorchester, Frederick, Montgomery, Washington,
Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties may, at the discretion
of the register of wills in each such county, be closed on Saturdays;
he shall lodge every original paper and record made up by him in
some repository of the courthouse of the county or city, or in such
other place of safety as the said court may appoint; and the county-
commissioners of the county and mayor and city council of Balti-
more shall provide and keep in repair the said repository at the
charge of the county or city. During his term of office any register
of wills absent in the military service of the United States govern-
ment during time of war shall be considered on leave of absence
without pay while in such military service and for ninety days there-
after. For the period of such absence the duly appointed and quali-
fied deputy register of wills shall, after giving bond as prescribed
in Section 288 of this sub-title, perform all the duties of the office of
register of wills and receive the salary provided by law for that
office.