236 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 117]

CHAPTER 117.

AN ACT to add a new article to the Code of Public General
Laws of 1904 of the State of Maryland, to be known as Arti-
cle 33A, "Eminent Domain—Regulating the Procedure for
the Acquisition of Property for Public Use by Condemna-
tion," and providing that the proceedings therefor shall be
before a jury in court instead of before a sheriff's jury.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That there is hereby added a new article to the Code of
Public General Laws of 1904 of the State of Maryland, to be
known as Article 33A, ''Eminent Domain—Regulating the Pro-
cedure for the Acquisition of Property for Public Use by Con-
demnation," and providing that the proceedings therefor shall
be before a jury in court, instead of before a sheriff's jury, and
to read as follows:

ARTICLE XXXIII A,

Eminent Domain—Regulating the Procedure for the Acquisi-
tion of Property for Public Use by Condemnation.

1. The proceedings for the acquisition of private property
for public use shall be as follows:

2. The proceedings shall be begun by the filing'of a petition
in the Circuit Court for the county in which the property sought
to be condemned is situated, on the law side thereof, or'in one of
the law courts of Baltimore City, if such property is situated in
Baltimore City, by the State, municipal or other corporation,
commission board, body or person seeking to have the property
condemned, and against the owner or owners thereof, and the
husbands and wives of married owners.

In case any owner or owners is or are not known, he or they
may be described in such petition as the unknown owner or own-
ers or the unknown heir or heirs of a deceased owner. The peti-
tion shall set forth a description of the property sought to be
acquired, sufficient for identification; a statement of the pur-
pose for which the same is sought to be condemned, and that the
petitioner is unable to agree with the owner or owners thereof;
or that one or more of said owners is or are under some legal
disability to contract, unknown or non-resident, whichever may
be the fact or facts; and the said petition shall contain a prayer
that the said property may be condemned.