2950 ARTICLE 93.

and commission one as chief judge of his respective court, and all acts
of the governor in designating one of said judges as chief judge, and in
commissioning him as such, and all commissions heretofore issued by the
governor to said judges so designated and commissioned as the chief judge
of his respective court are hereby ratified and confirmed to all intents and
purposes as if this section had been in full force when such designations
were made and commissions issued, and full power and authority are
hereby vested in each of said judges so designated and commissioned as
chief judge to act as such chief judge, and all writs and other process
tested in the names of said chief judges respectively are hereby declared
valid to all intents and purposes, as if this section had been in force when
the same were issued.

An. Code, sec. 233. 1904, sec. 232. 1888, sec. 228. 1798, ch. 101, sub-ch. 15, sec. 8.

241. The orphans' court, unless a different time is prescribed by the
local law, shall be held in each county and the city of Baltimore, at the
usual place of holding the court of said county or city, on the second
Tuesday in every month of February, April, June, August, October and
December, and oftener if need be, according to its own adjournment; and
any one of the judges of the said court, in the absence of the others shall
have power to hold the said court at a stated time of adjournment only for
the purpose of adjourning; any two of them shall have full power to do
any act which the said court is or shall be authorized by law to perform,
and any two of them shall have power to hold the court on any day not
named in an adjournment, on the application of any person having press-
ing business in the said court; provided, notice thereof be given to all,
and in such case the register shall record that such notice hath been given.

An. Code, sec. 234. 1904, sec. 233. 1888, sec. 229. 1795, ch. 55. 1831, ch. 315, sec. 14.

242. A recess of the orphans' court shall be deemed and taken to be
not only such days as they may not hold a court, but also such parts or
portions of a day as they may not be in actual session; if the orphans'
court shall not meet on a day fixed for its meeting, the register shall
adjourn the court from day to day until a meeting shall be had according
to law.

An. Code, sec. 235. 1904, sec. 234. 18'88, sec. 230. 1798, ch. 101, sub-ch. 15, sec. 1.
1896, ch. 246. 1908, ch. 125.

243. The court shall have full power to take probate of wills, grant
letters testamentary and of administration, direct the conduct and account-
ing of executors and administrators, superintend the distribution of es-
tates of intestates, secure the rights of orphans and legatees and adminis-
ter justice in all matters relating to the affairs of deceased persons, also
of persons supposed to be dead, under the following conditions: (a) When-
ever letters testamentary or of administration are applied for on the estate
of any person supposed to be dead on account of uninterrupted absence for
above seven years from the place of last domicile within the State and
having been for such time unheard of, the court, if satisfied that the per-