1460                               Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 681

known as "Lincoln's Birthday"; the third Monday in February,

known as "Washington's Birthday"; the 25th day of March, known
as "Maryland Day"; "Good Friday"; the first Monday in September,
commonly called "Labor Day"; the last Monday in May, commonly
called "Memorial Day"; the 4th day of July, called "Independence
Day"; the 12th day of September, known as "Defenders' Day"; the
second Monday in October, known as "Columbus Day"; the fourth
Monday in October, known as "Veterans' Day"; the fourth Thurs-
day in November, known as "Thanksgiving Day"; the 25th day of
December, called "Christmas Day"; and all days of general and con-
gressional elections throughout the State and all special days that
may be appointed or recommended by the State and all special
days that may be appointed or recommended by the Governor
of this State, or the President of the United States, as days of
thanksgiving or fasting and prayer, or other religious observance
or for the general cessation of business, shall be regarded as legal
holidays, and shall be duly observed as such, and shall for all
purposes whatsoever as regards the presenting for payment or ac-
ceptance and of the protesting and giving notice of dishonor of bills
of exchange, bank checks, drafts and promissory notes, to be treated
and considered as the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday,
and all such bills, drafts, checks, and notes presented for payment or
acceptance on these said days, shall be deemed to be presented for
acceptance or payment on the secular or business day next succeeding
such holiday. THE THIRD SUNDAY IN JANUARY OF EACH
AND EVERY YEAR SHALL BE KNOWN AS "MARTIN LUTHER
KING DAY" AND SHALL BE A DAY OF PRAYER IN HONOR
OF MARTIN LUTHER KING. The Governor of this State shall have
the power by proclamation to appoint a day or days for the general
cessation of business in any one or more of the political subdivisions
of the State, in case of emergency from fire, flood or otherwise, with
the same legal consequences as hereinabove provided. In case of emer-
gency from fire, flood, storm, snow or other cause in any part of the
State, the Governor shall have the further power by proclamation to
appoint a day or days during which banking institutions (as defined
in Article 11 of the Annotated Code of Maryland) within the area
or areas designated in the proclamation may remain closed, in which
case the appointed day or days shall be treated and considered as
the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, with the same
legal consequences as hereinabove provided.

11.

Whenever the 1st day of January, the 15th day of January, the
12th day of February, the 25th day of March, the 4th day of July,
the 12th day of September, or the 25th day of December shall [either
of them] occur on Sunday, the Monday next following shall be
deemed and treated as a public holiday for all or any of the purposes
aforesaid; provided, however, that in such case all bills of exchange,
bank checks, drafts and promissory notes which would otherwise be
presentable for acceptance or for payment on either of the Mondays
so observed as a holiday, shall be deemed to be presentable for accept-
ance or for payment on the secular or business day next succeeding
such Monday, and such Mondays, so observed for all purposes what-
ever as regards the presenting for payment and acceptance and of the
protesting and giving notice of the dishonor of bills of exchange, bank
checks, drafts and promissory notes be also treated and considered
as is the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday.