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mother or other person in charge of such child, for the main-
tenance and support thereof out of the father's estate as may
appear to the Court to be just and proper. In no case, however,
shall the mother or other person in charge of said child receive
more than $500 or more than one-half the amount that each of
his legitimate children, if any, would receive, or more than
one-half the amount the descendants, if any, of a deceased legit-
imate child would receive as a class, if the father had died
intestate. All money paid or ordered to be paid under this
section shall be charged as a debt or debts against'the estate
of the said deceased father, upon payment of the sum or sums
ordered to be paid by the Court under this section, the bond
given under section 5 shall be cancelled and the sureties thereon
discharged.

SEC. 11. And be it enacted, That prosecutions under this
act may be commenced within two years from the delivery of
the mother of the bastard child, except that where the person
accused has made payments for the maintenance and support
of the said child it shall be sufficient if the prosecution be
started within two years from the last payment by the accused
for the maintenance and support of the said bastard child.

SEC. 12. And be it enacted, That whenever any principal,
surety or other person in interest, upon competent testimony,
makes it appear to the satisfaction of any Court in which a
bond in any bastardy case is entered upon, that by reason of
the death of the child or by reason of the payment of all dues
arising under said bond, or for any other reason, the bond
should be discharged, the Court may make such order of dis-
charge, annullment or cancellation of the bond, or such other
order as may be deemed appropriate by the Court to discharge
the obligors on the bond.

SEC. 13. And be it enacted, That Article 12 of the Code
of Public General Laws of Maryland of the year 1904 shall
continue in full force and effect so far as the same is applicable
to cases heretofore commenced or hereafter commenced where
the bastary child was born or begotten prior to the passage of
this act.

SEC. 14. And be it enacted, That the unconstitutionality
of any part or of any section of this act shall not affect the
validity of any other part or section thereof.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved April 4, 1912.