142 CHANCERY—DEEDS—DIVORCES. [ART. 16.

deed or bill of sale, pass an order directing the other parties
thereto to appear and answer the said petition, and may cause

notice to be given to such parties by summons or publication,
according to the practice of the said court, and may direct testi-
mony to be taken in relation to the matters in said petition, or in
said petition contained; and the said court may grant relief upon
said petition by directing the said parties, or any of them, to
acknowledge or to re-acknowledge the said deed or bill of sale,
as the case may require; and the order of the said court, passed
in the premises, directing the said acknowledgment to be made
as aforesaid, shall operate in the same manner and to the same

extent, from the date of the said order, as if the said party,
ordered as aforesaid to acknowledge or re-acknowledge the said

deed or bill of sale, had thereupon so done; provided, however,

that the rights of any person who shall not be a party to said
proceedings, as aforesaid, shall not be in any wise affected by

said order.

Divorces.

P. G. L., (1860,) art. 16, sec. 24. 1841, ch. 262, sec. 1. 1845, ch. 330, sec. 1.

35. The courts of equity of this State shall have jurisdiction

of all applications for divorce; and any person desiring a divorce
shall file his or her bill in the court, either where the party plain-
tiff or defendant resides; or if the party against whom the bill is
filed be a non-resident, then such bill may be filed in the court

where the plaintiff resides; and upon such bill the same process
by summons, notice or otherwise, shall be had to procure the
answer and appearance of a defendant, as is had in other cases in

chancery; and in all cases where, from the default of the defend-
ant, a bill for divorce may be taken pro confesso, the court shall
order testimony to be taken, and shall decide the case upon the
testimony so taken.

Wright v. Wright's Lessee, 2 Md 446. J. G. v. H. G , 33 Md. 401.

Ibid sec 25 1841, ch. 262, sec 2. 1844, ch. 306. 1846, ch. 340. 1849, ch. 245.
1872, ch. 272. 1888, ch. 486.

36. Upon the hearing of any bill for a divorce, the court may
decree a divorce a vinculo matrimonii for the following causes,
to wit: first, the impotence of either party at the time of the
marriage; secondly, for any cause which, by the laws of this