ART. 16.] CHANCERY—DIVORCES. 143

State, render a marriage null and void ab initio; thirdly, for
adultery; fourthly, when the court shall be satisfied by competent
testimony that the party complained against has abandoned the
party complaining, and that such abandonment has continued
uninterruptedly for at leas't three years, and is deliberate and
final, and the separation of the parties beyond any reasonable
expectation of reconciliation; fifthly, when the woman before
marriage has been guilty of illicit carnal intercourse with another
man, the same being unknown to the husband at the time of the
marriage, and when such carnal connection shall be proved to the
satisfaction of the court.

Fornshill v. Murray, 1 Bl. 499. Campbell's Case, 2 Bl. 235. Helms v. Fran-
ciscus, 2 Bl. 564. Brown v. Brown, 2 Md. Ch. 324. Tayman v. Tayman, 2
Md. Ch. 400. Brown v. Brown, 5 Gill, 252. Wright v. Wright's Lessee, 2 Md.
455. Feigley v. Feigley, 7 Md. 560. Schindel v. Schindel, 12 Md. 108. Lever-
ing v. Levering, 16 Md. 213. Lynch v. Lynch, 33 Md. 328 J. G. v. H. G., 33
Md. 401. Hoshall v. Hoshall, 51 Md 72. Kremelberg v. Kremelberg, 52 Md.
553. Le Brun p. Le Brun, 55 Md. 460.

P. G. L., (1860,) art. 16, sec. 26. 1841, ch. 262, sec. 3. 1872, ch. 272.

37. Divorces a mensa et thoro may be decreed for the follow-
ing causes, to wit: first, cruelty of treatment; secondly, excessively

vicious conduct; thirdly, abandonment and desertion; and the

court may decree such divorces forever, or for a limited time; and
in all cases where divorce a mensa et thoro is decreed, it may be
revoked at any time thereafter by the court granting the same,
upon the joint application of the parties to be discharged from the
operation of the decree; and the court may decree a divorce a
mensa et thoro in cases where a divorce a vinculo matrimonii is
prayed, if the causes proved be sufficient to entitle the party
to the same; and in all cases where a divorce is decreed, the court
passing the same shall have full power to award to the wife such
property or estate as she had when married, or the value of the
same, or of such part thereof as may have been sold or converted
by the husband, having regard to the circumstances of the husband
at the time of the divorce, or such part of any such property as the
court may deem reasonable; and shall also have power to order and
direct who shall have the guardianship and custody of the children,
and be charged with their support and maintenance, and may at