54                                Laws of Maryland                         Ch. 50

paid out of the fund hereby created; provided, however, that the said
sworn report of the appraisers shall be deemed prima facie evidence
of the fairness of the award of damages in each instance; and pro-
vided, further, that the County Commissioners shall not change such
an award unless they shall have personal knowledge of its unfair-
ness, or shall receive competent testimony to the effect that the
award is in excess of a fair commercial valuation of the sheep,
poultry or livestock injured or destroyed by dogs. And if the owner
of the dog or dogs doing the damage be known, it shall be the duty
of the County Commissioners to notify such owner or owners to kill
said dog or dogs immediately. If such- dog or dogs be killed by the
owner, after notice as aforesaid, he shall be exempt from all further
liability, but in case the said owner or owners shall refuse or neglect
to kill said dog or dogs upon notice as aforesaid, the said owner or
owners shall be liable to the County Commissioners for said damages
to the same extent as he would be liable in case of negligence or
malicious destruction of property, and the said County Commission-
ers may in their discretion have the special officers or constables to
kill said dog or dogs. In Montgomery County, [however, the county
manager shall perform all powers, duties and responsibilities placed
within the jurisdiction and control of the County Council by this
section; and the county manager in lieu of notifying the owner or
owners to kill such dog or dogs may require such owner or owners
to execute and file with the county manager a bond in such amount
and upon such terms as he shall determine to indemnify the County
Council for any such damage as said dog or dogs shall have done,
but in case the said owner or owners should refuse or neglect to
execute and post such bond the said county manager may, in his
discretion, provide for the humane destruction of said dog or dogs.]
the County Council shall prescribe by law the manner in which the
powers, duties and responsibilities placed within its jurisdiction and
control by this section shall be exercised. In Washington County
no payments shall be made under this section unless the occurrence
is reported to the justice of the peace, in order to have appraisers
appointed, within 48 hours of the damage complained of, and unless
such appraisers file their report with the County Commissioners of
Washington County within 15 days after their appointment. In
Frederick County, the appraisers to be appointed as provided by
this section may also be appointed by the Sheriff, or any deputy
sheriff of said county.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That Section 1 of this Act shall
take effect on December 7, 1970, and Section 2 of this Act shall take
effect on July 1, 1970.

Approved April 1, 1970

CHAPTER 50
(House Bill 335)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 16-2
(b)(1) of Article 33 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969
Supplement), title "Elections," subtitle "Voting Machines," to