and extent of the franchises of any of the petitioners, and it is, therefore, the opinion of the Commission that it would not be proper in this proceeding for the Commission to pass upon that question which was not included in the original prayers in the petition filed with the Commission as aforesaid on September 18, 1952, and assigned for hearing on October 20, 1952, by an order which in direct terms conditioned the assignment of the hearing on the publication by the applicants of a copy of the order in newspapers published in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland, showing the title of the proceeding and what it then involved, but making no reference to the question of determining the scope and extent of the franchises ofart. 78, secs. 16(d) and 74; Bosley v. Dorsey, 191 Md. 229, 233, 60 A.2d 691.
*84 Washington Gas Light Company and its two subsidiaries intervened in the case as defendants. These three corporations and the Commission demurred to the bill, alleging that the order did not grant a certificate of authority to the Washington Gas Light Company to operate in Montgomery County, but merely authorized it to exercise franchises transferred to it "within the scope of authority of such franchises." The Court passed an order on March 27, 1953 sustaining the demurrers.
The County then asked for leave to amend its bill for the purpose of presenting additional facts to establish that neither the Washington Gas Light Company nor either of its subsidiaries has the right to operate in