1502 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 599

85G. (Consent.) Every petition for adoption shall be ac-
companied by written statements of consent, subscribed and
sworn to before a person authorized by law to administer an
oath, as specified in this section, except that the Court may in
its discretion permit any petition to be filed without a neces-
sary consent if such consent is added to the petition before the
time set for hearings; but in no event shall an interlocutory or
final decree of adoption be made without having the consents
required by this section unless for reasons satisfactory to the
Court, it shall appear proper to dispense Therewith.

Consent to any proposed adoption shall be obtained from:

(a) the person to be adopted, if he is ten years of age or
over; and also,

(b) both the natural parents, if married, if they are alive
and have not lost their parental rights through court action or
voluntary relinquishment or abandonment; or

(c) one natural parent, if the other is not alive or has lost
his parental rights as mentioned in (b) above; or

(d) the mother of a child born out of wedlock, except that
if the child has been legitimated according to the laws of any
jurisdiction, the consent of the father shall then also be re-
quired, if he is alive and has not subsequently lost his parental
rights through court action or voluntary relinquishment or
abandonment; or

(e) the mother of a child born in wedlock, if the illegitimacy
of the child has been established to the satisfaction of the
Court, and notice, as is provided by Section 85H of this sub-
title, has been given to the husband of the mother of the child;
or

(f) the legal guardian of the person to be adopted, if
parental rights have been transferred by court action to such
guardian; or

(g) the executive head of any public or private child care or
child placement institution or agency which through court
action or voluntary relinquishment has been given the care,
custody and control of the person to be adopted, including the
right to consent to such an adoption; or

(h) the State Department of Public Welfare or its local
unit within the jurisdiction of the Court, in any condition of
fact not hereinbefore covered.

Any consent obtained under the provisions of this section
may be revoked and cancelled at any time during the adoption
proceedings prior to the entry of an interlocutory decree of