94

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

Effective

SEC. 3. Be it enacted, That this act shall take

effect from the date of its passage.

Approved March 19, 1880.

AN ACT to authorize the Nursery and Child's Hos-

pital of Baltimore city to bind out and control the

destitute children under its care.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted ly the General Assem-

bly of Maryland, That the Nursery and Child's

Hospital of Baltimore city, a corporation duly in-

Authorized

corporated under the laws of this State, be and it is

to receive.

hereby authorized and empowered to receive into its

care, custody and control, all such foundlings, or-

phans and other destitute children under the age of

four years, as shall be committed by instrument of

writing under the hand of the party so committing

to its keeping, by the father, mother, guardian or

others having the right of disposition, or by any or-

phans' court or justice of the peace of this State if

of the class of children whom such court or justice

could lawfully bind oat as apprentices, which com-

mitment to the said Nursery and Child's Hospital of

Baltimore city such orphans' courts and justices of

the peace are hereby empowered to make, and the

said N ursery and Child's Hospital of Baltimore city

is further authorized to retain under its care, charge

Retain until

and restraint, each of such foundlings and infant

fourteen.

children so committed to its keeping until he or she

shall have attained the full age of fourteen years, or

for any shorter period, and at or before the said

age to bind out any and every one of the said found-

lings and infants for a term of time not exceeding

the age of twenty-one years, if the child be a fe-

male, as an apprentice to learn any trade or busi-

ness suitable to the sex of such child, or to learn to

be useful in housewifery, or to place them out for

adoption or as inmates with any families or persons,