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C H A P.
LXIX.
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whatever, new entitled to vote at any election, for the feven years next enfuing :
The refpective branches of the common-council fhall choofe their own officers,
and fettle their rules of proceeding, fhall be judges of the elections, returns and
qualifications, of their members, and poffefs all powers requifite to inveftigate
and determine on all queftions refpecting the fame: Each branch fhall have an
equal right to originate any ordinance, refolution or vote, or propofe amendments
to any ordinance, refolution or vote, or to negative thofe fent from the other
branch: Two thirds of each branch fhall conftitute a quorum to do bufinefs,
but a fmaller number may adjourn from day to day: Neither branch, during the
feffion, fhall, without the confent of the other, adjourn for more than three days,
nor to any other place than that in which the two branches fhall be fitting :
Each branch may compel the attendance of abfent members, in fuch manner and
under fuch penalties as each may provide, may punifh its members for diforderly
behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member: Every
ordinance, refolution or vote, paffed or affented to by both branches, (except on
a queftion of adjournment,) fhall, before it becomes a law, be fent to the mayor ;
if he approve, he fhall fign it, but if not, he fhall return it, with his objections,
to that branch in which it originated, who fhall enter the objections at large on
their journal, and proceed to reconfider it; if, after fuch reconfideration, two
thirds of the whole number of members compofing that branch fhall agree to
pafs the ordinance, refolution or vote, it fhall be fent, together with the objec-
tions, to the other branch, by which it fhall likewife be reconfidered, and if ap-
proved by two thirds of the whole number of members of that branch, it fhall
become a law, but in all fuch cafes the votes of both branches fhall be de-
termined by yeas and nays, and the names of the perfons voting entered on the
journal of each branch reflectively; if any ordinance, refolution or vote, fhall
not be returned by the mayor within five days (Sunday excepted,) after it fhall
have been prefented to him, the fame fhall be a law, in like manner as if he
had figned it, unlefs the common-council, by their adjournment, prevent its
return, in which cafe it fhall not be a law: The common-council fhall meet
once every year, but the mayor may fummon them to meet whenever it ap-
pears to him that the public good of the city requires their deliberations ;
and in cafe of difagreement between them with refpect, to the time of adjourn-
ment, he may adjourn them to fuch time as he may think proper: Every mem-
ber of the common-council, mayor, recorder or elector, who fhall lofe his re-
fidency, or be incapacitated by indifpofition, fhall be confidered as having va-
cated his office or appointment; whereupon his place fhall be filled by a new
election; and the common-council fhall declare, by law, what abfence or in-
difpofition conftitutes forfeiture of office, and the mode of determining the
fame: The common-council fhall have power to pafs all ordinances neceffary
to the good order and police of the city; to preferve the health of the city, pre-
vent and remove nuifances, and prevent the introduction of contagious difeafes ;
to eftablifh nightwatches or patroles, and erect lamps; to regulate the mode for
the recovery of debts not exceeding twenty dollars; to eftablifh new ftreets, lanes
and alleys, with the confent of the proprietors of the ground, and to alter and
ftreighten ftreets, lanes or alleys, with the confent of the proprietors of the lots
or houfes adjoining fuch ftreets, lanes or alleys; to provide for a general furvey of
the city; to afcertain, if neceffary, the boundaries and location of the ftreets,
lots, lanes and alleys thereof; to provide for the prefervation of the navigation of
the bafon, and Patapfco river within the limits of the city and precincts, for
cleaning and deepening the bafon and docks, fixing the rates of wharfage, and
regulating the ftation, anchoring and mooring, of veffels; but no tax fhall be
laid on the city or precincts for cleaning and deepening the bafon and docks; to
provide for apprenticing all children who are likely to become a burthen and in-
jury to fociety, by being left unapprenticed, and all others with the confent of
their parents or guardians, but no male fhall be bound beyond the age of twenty-
one, nor female beyond the age of fixteen years; to provide for licenfing and re-
gulating auctions after the firft day of January, in the year one thoufand feven
hundred and ninety-nine, licenfing and regulating brokers, licenfing hackney-
coaches, or other carriages, and fedan chairs, kept for hire within the bounds of
the corporation, watermen, draymen, carters, waggoners and porters, to fix their
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