United States and engaged in the sale of gas in the District of Columbia, and its Maryland subsidiaries, Washington Gas Light Company of Maryland, Inc., and Prince George's Gas Corporation.
The subsidiaries asked the Commission to approve their plans of liquidation and the transfer of all their assets, franchises and other rights to the parent company. The parent company asked for authority (1) to exercise the rights and privileges, including the right to install and acquire extensions, under the franchises transferred to it by the subsidiaries, and (2) to transport, distribute and sell gas within Montgomery and Prince George's Counties and the following cities, towns and villages: Chevy Chase  Section 4, Chevy Chase Village, Gaithersburg, Garrett Park, Kensington, Rockville, Somerset, Takoma Park, Bladensburg, Boulevard Heights, Brentwood, Capitol Heights,Cheverly, College Park, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, District Heights, Edmonston, Fairmont Heights, Forest Heights, Hyattsville, Landover Hills, Mt. Rainier, North Brentwood, Riverdale, Seat Pleasant and University Park.
Montgomery County, Maryland, a body corporate and politic, intervening in the proceeding, requested the Commission to define the scope and extent of the franchises. But on December 1, 1952, the Commission, finding the plans of liquidation and transfers "lawful, reasonable and proper and in the public interest," gave the approval prayed for without making any determination of the scope and extent of the franchises. The *83 Commission gave the following explanation of its procedure:
"The published notice of the application and of the hearing to be held thereon made no reference to any request for a determination by the Commission of the scope