J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                       1331

(b) The widow of every Chief Judge who dies in active service
shall be paid one-half of the pension to which such Chief Judge
would have been entitled on the date of his retirement. Such pay-
ment will not be made until the date the deceased Judge would have
attained the age of seventy (70). The widow of every such Chief
Judge who dies after retiring shall be paid one-half of the pension
which such Chief Judge was receiving or eligible to receive at the date
of his death. In order to be entitled to the pension provided by this
section, a widow of a Chief Judge who dies during active service or
after retirement shall have been married to him for a period of not
less than ten THREE years before his retirement or death. A widow
who is entitled to a pension under the provisions of this section shall
be paid for the period of her life unless she remarries in which event
the pension is to cease and terminate.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the jurisdiction, powers,
duties, responsibility and authority conferred upon the trial magis-
trates of Wicomico County as now provided by law shall continue
in effect until May 1, 1967, and from and after that date, upon ap-
pointment of the Judges of the People's Court as provided herein,
and their qualification, the Judges of the People's Court shall assume
their duties and jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of
this Act, and the said trial magistrates shall forthwith transfer and
deliver all dockets, books of account and other records of every
kind kept in their official capacity to the Chief Judge of the People's
Court. From and after May 1, 1967, the offices, positions, and salaries
of the trial magistrates of Wicomico County and the offices, positions
and salaries of all clerks, constables, and other personnel thereto-
fore appointed or employed by or on account of the said trial magis-
trates shall stand abolished.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the County Council is
authorized to provide out of the general funds of the county or any
general fund surplus, such amounts as may be necessary to the
proper administration of this Act prior to the adoption of the next
annual county budget.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all laws or parts of laws
public general or public local, inconsistent with provisions of this Act,
are hereby repealed to the extent of any such inconsistency.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That if any provision of this Act
or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held
invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions or any
other application of this Act which can be given effect without the
invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of
this Act are declared to be severable.

Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1966.

Approved May 6, 1966.