320 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 163]

after commenced where the bastard child was born or begotten
prior to the passage of this act, and the said article be and the
same is hereby re-enacted, with amendments, so as to read a&
follows:

SEC. 1. And be it enacted, That any justice of the peace
in any of the counties of the State or any justice of the peace
in Baltimore City, having criminal jurisdiction, shall, upon
written information given him under oath, of any woman being
pregnant with or having been delivered of a bastard child, by
his warrant, cause such woman to be brought before him, and
shall cause said woman upon failure to disclose the father of
said infant as prescribed by section 2 of this act, to give bond
to the State of Maryland, with good and sufficient securities
in the penalty of an amount not exceeding five hundred dollars,
conditioned that she will indemnify the county or city, as the
case may be, for any charge that may accrue for maintenance
and support of said child and upon neglect or refusal to give
such bond, the justice of the peace may commit her to jail or
any other institution, for a term not exceeding one year, or
until such bond be given, provided, however, that the justice
of the peace may suspend sentence and parole the said woman
for the term of two years.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That whenever any woman who
has been delivered of or who is pregnant with a bastard child,
shall in writing under oath, accuse any person before a justice
of the peace, having criminal jurisdiction, of being the father
of the said bastard child, such justice of the peace shall by his
warrant cause such person to be brought before him, and if
the said accused person is not to be found in the county or
City of Baltimore, as the case may be, then said justice of
the peace shall transmit a warrant to the sheriff of the county
or City of Baltimore, as the case may be, in which said accused
person is to be found, who shall cause the arrest of the said
accused person and deliver him into custody of an officer of
the county or City of Baltimore, as the case may be, from
which the said warrant issued, to be taken before said justice
of the peace.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted,, That upon the appearance of
said accused person, the justice of the peace shall pass an order
requiring said accused person to give bond to the State of Mary-
land in a penalty not exceeding $500, with good and sufficient
securities, conditioned that he will appear at the next term of
the Circuit Court of the county from which said warrant issued,
or the Criminal Court of the City of Baltimore, as the case
may be, or to any later term of such Court, after the birth of