1500 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 599

(1) the adoptive child, from unnecessary separation from his
natural parents and from adoption by persons unfit to have
such responsibility; (2) the natural parents, from hurried and
abrupt decisions to give up the child; and (3) the adopting
parents, by providing them information about the child and
his background, and protecting them from subsequent dis-
turbance of their relationships with the child by natural
parents.

85B. (Jurisdiction and Venue.) The Circuit Courts of the
several counties of this State, sitting in equity, and any court
'of Baltimore City having equity jurisdiction, shall have juris-
diction of all petitions for adoption under this sub-title. Any
such petition may be filed in the county, or in Baltimore City,
as the case may be, in which (1) the petitioner or petitioners
have their domicil; or (2) the person to be adopted is located;
or (3) any lawfully licensed child placement agency, having
legal or physical care, custody or control of the person to be
adopted is located. Provided, however, that no such petition
shall be filed unless either the person to be adopted or the cus-
todian of such person shall be physically within this State and
subject to the jurisdiction of the courts thereof.

85C. (Federal Reservations.) All persons residing on prop-
erty lying within the physical boundaries of any county of this
State or within the boundaries of the City of Baltimore, but
on property over which jurisdiction is exercised by the
Government of the United States by virtue of the 17th Clause,
Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution of the United States,
and of Sections 31 and 32 of Article 96 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1939 Edition), shall be considered as residents
of the State of Maryland and of the county or of the City of
Baltimore, as the case may be, in which the land is situate, for
the purposes of jurisdiction in the courts of equity of this
State in all petitions for adoption.

85D. (Who May Adopt.) Any person over twenty-one years
of age may petition the court to decree an adoption. If the
petitioner has a husband or wife living, competent to join in
the petition and not separated from the petitioner under cir-
cumstances which would give the petitioner a legal ground for
divorce or annulment, such husband or wife shall join in the
petition. If the marital status of the petitioner changes after
the time of filing the petition, and before the time of the entry
of a final decree of adoption in the case, the petition shall be
amended accordingly, it being the intent of this section that
married persons who are living together and competent may
adopt a person only upon the joint action of both. Provided,
however, that if either the husband or wife is a natural parent