Passed Mar. 14, 1840.
An act to incorporate the Town of East New Market, in Dorchester County.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the citizens of the town of East New Market, in Dorchester county, shall be and they are hereby constituted and made a body corporate, by the name of the Commissioners of East New Market, with all the privileges of a body corporate, and to have a common seal and perpetual succession.
SECTION 2. And be it enacted, That the male white citizens of East New Market, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, and have resided in the said place for and during the space of six months preceding the election, may on the first Monday in May next, at the house occupied by James Lecompte, as a tavern, and on the first Monday in May, in each and every year hereafter, at such house as shall hereafter be designated by a majority of the citizens of said town, be authorized to elect five commissioners for said town, who shall have resided within the limits of the same six months next preceding the election.
SECTION 3. And be it enacted, That a justice of the peace for the time being, residing in the said town, shall appoint by writing under his hand and seal, one judge, to hold the first election, who shall keep the polls open from nine o'clock in the morning until two in the evening, and shall conduct the said election in the same manner in which the judges of elections are now by law directed to conduct an election for delegates to the General Assembly, as far as may be consistent with the provisions of this act, and the said judge shall make return under his hand and seal, of the persons elected, to the clerk of Dorchester county, to be by him kept.
SECTION 4. And be it enacted, That all future elections shall be held and conducted as shall be from time to time directed by the law of the corporation, the same not being inconsistent with the provisions of this act.
SECTION 5. And be it enacted, That the said commissioners elected according to the provisions of this act, shall on the first meeting after said election, choose some one of the said commissioners president of the board, whose duty it shall be to preside at the meetings of the said commissioners, and preserve order, and give such directions as may be deemed necessary by the said commissioners to carry into full effect the provisions of said.
SECTION 6. And be it enacted, That the commissioners aforesaid, or a majority of them, may meet together from time to time, as often as occasion may require, upon the business of said town, and not less than once in every three months; and if during the year for which they may be elected, any of the commissioners should die, resign, remove from said town, or be otherwise disqualified, an election to fill the vacancy, on ten days notice thereof being given by the commissioners, shall be held, at which all persons qualified, as is specified in the second section of this act, shall be entitled to vote.
SECTION 7. And be it enacted, That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have power to appoint a clerk, and assign his duties, and allow him such compensation for his services as they may think proper, and that all ordinances passed by the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall by their clerk be entered in a book to be kept by him for that purpose, and shall be opened at all times for the inspection of any person interested, and copies of all ordinances shall be put up in the most public places of said town, that the same may be generally made known.
SECTION 8. And be it enacted, That all fines and forfeitures under the ordinances of the said corporation, shall be recoverable before the president aforesaid, as small debts are recoverable out of court, or before any justice of the peace.
SECTION 9. And be it enacted, That the limits of said town shall extend to the distance of one half of a mile from the tavern aforesaid, each way ;and the property within said limits shall be subject to such taxes and charges as may be deemed necessary by the said commissioners, or a majority of them, to support and maintain the expenses which may at any time be incurred in the improvement of said town.
SECTION 10. And be it enacted, That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have free power to make all such by-laws, regulations and ordinances, not inconsistent with the laws and constitution of this State, as from time to time they may deem wise, equitable and expedient for the comfort, health, convenience and prosperity of the said town and its inhabitants, for the prevention and removal of nuisances, preservation of health, and suppression of vice and immorality within the limits of said town; and shall have power to lay an equal tax on the property within the said limits, to such amount as may from time to time be deemed necessary to accomplish the purposes aforesaid, which tax shall be collected and paid to the president and commissioners, by the collector by them appointed, who shall have the same power to distain therefore, as the collector of the public county assessment has to distain for the same, and that the said president and commissioners shall fix the term of office, responsibility and compensation of such collector.
SECTION 11. And be it enacted, That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have full power and authority, annually, to appoint a bailiff, whose duty it shall be to preserve the peace and good order of said town, and for this purpose he is hereby vested with the same power and authority as any constable may now have under the laws of this State.
SECTION 12. And be it enacted, That nothing
herein contained shall be so construed as to authorize the
corporation hereby created, to issue any device, token, note,
certificate or evidence of debt, to be used as currency; and the
legislature hereby expressly reserves the right to amend or repeal
this charter when the same shall be deemed desirable.