252                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 234

published within the County, and by personal notices addressed to
any one or more persons whose names are signed to said petition.
After due hearing as aforesaid, the Commission shall decide upon
the reasonableness of the objections stated in the petition; and shall
dispose of the same by written order concurred in by a majority of
the Commissioners, which order shall be published in the same
manner as notices are herein required to be published and a copy of
which shall be mailed to any one or more of the petitioners. If the
petitioners are not satisfied with the Commission's decision, they
shall have the right to take and enter, within ten days after the
last publication of said order as aforesaid, an appeal to the County
Commissioners of Howard County, who shall review the Commis-
sion's decision and decide as to the necessity and propriety of the
improvement contemplated and whether the district can stand the
cost of the same; and the decision of the County Commissioners
shall be final.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1965.

Approved April 8, 1965.

CHAPTER 234
(House Bill 307)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 89 of
Article 41 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition),
title "Governor—Executive and Administrative Departments," sub-
title "1. The Executive Department," subheading "Secretary of
State," and to add a new Section 8A to Article 64A of the said
Code (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Merit System," to follow
immediately after Section 8 thereof, to provide for the permanent
office of Assistant Secretary of State under the merit system.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 89 of Article 41 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title "Governor—Executive and Administrative De-
partments," subtitle "1. The Executive Department," subheading
"Secretary of State," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

89.

The Governor is authorized and empowered [, in case of the
sickness or absence of the Secretary of State,] to appoint [, tem-
porarily,] an assistant to the Secretary of State, who shall be em-
powered to discharge all the duties imposed by law upon said
Secretary during his illness or absence from the seat of government
[; and the Governor is authorized to pay, out of the Executive Contin-
gent Fund, for such services, a salary not exceeding one hundred
and fifty dollars per month].

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That a new Section 8A be and