398                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 182

(1965 Supplement, as amended by Chapter 3 of the Acts of 1966),
title "Notaries Public," be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted,
with amendments, to read as follows:

1.

The Governor on the approval of the application by the Senator
of the county or legislative district of Baltimore City in which the
applicant resides, shall appoint and commission in his discretion and
judgment any number of persons, male or female, at least eighteen
(18) years of age, of known good character, and integrity and
abilities, citizens of the United States, and who have resided in
this State for two (2) years previous to their appointments as
notaries public for the State of Maryland; provided that such resi-
dence requirement shall not be applicable to persons appointed as
an official court reporter by any court of Baltimore City; and the
residence requirement shall not be applicable to persons
appointed as an official court reporter or court stenographer by any
court of the First Judicial Circuit, comprising the Circuit Courts in
the counties of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Dorchester,
or of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, comprising the Circuit Courts in
the counties of Calvert, Charles, Prince George's and St. Mary's.
The term of office of notaries public shall be two years and shall
begin on the first day of July of the year 1965 and of each odd-
numbered year thereafter. In the case of a person who is holding a
notary's commission and wishes to renew it, a formal application
for renewal is not necessary; in such event a notification to the
Secretary of State of the name and address of the person, together
with the written approval of the Senator of the county or legislative
district, is a sufficient application for renewal, and the renewal
shall be issued subject to the other provisions of this article. Notifica-
tion of renewals of notary commissions shall be mailed to the no-
taries public in envelopes addressed by the office of the Secretary
of State when requested by the State Senator. When addressed
envelopes are not so requested, lists of notaries public receiving
renewed commissions shall be delivered to each State Senator.

No distinction shall be made between male and female applicants,
who shall take the oath of office before the clerk of the circuit court
for each of the counties in the State, and the clerk of the Superior
Court in Baltimore City, respectively, and shall receive a commis-
sion signed by the Governor and Secretary of State under the great
seal of the State. They shall pay the sum of five ($5) dollars for
each commission so issued, to the treasury of the State of Mary-
land, and the further sum of fifty cents (50¢) to the clerk for the
registration of the name and address of each of the said notaries
public.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is hereby de-
clared to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immedi-
ate preservation of the public health and safety, and having been
passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three-fifths of the mem-
bers elected to each of the two houses of the General Assembly, the
same shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 14, 1966.