WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 1507

85E. (Eecords.) Records and papers in adoption proceed-
ings, from and after the filing of the petition shall be sealed
and opened to inspection only upon an order of the Court;
provided, that in any proceeding in which there has been
an entry of a final decree before June 1st, 1947, and in which
the records have not already been sealed, the records and
papers shall be sealed only on motion of one of the parties
to the proceeding. In either case said seals shall not be
broken, and said papers shall not be inspected by any per-
son, including the parties to the proceeding, except upon
order of the Court. The Clerks of the several courts shall
keep respectively separate dockets for adoption proceedings.

85S. (Interpretation.) This sub-title shall not affect any
adoption for which a final decree was entered before June
1, 1947, nor any adoption proceedings pending as of that
date, except as expressly stipulated herein. All laws incon-
sistent with the provisions of this sub-title are hereby re-
pealed to the extent of such inconsistency. If any provisions
of this sub-title, or the applicability thereof to any person
or set of circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of
this sub-title and the applicability thereof to other persons
and sets of circumstances shall not thereby be affected.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That a new section be
and it is hereby added to Article 93 of the Annotated Code
(1939 Edition), title ''Testamentary Law, sub-title "Distri-
bution", said new section to be known as Section 139A, to
follow immediately after Section 139 thereof, and to read as
follows:

139A. In the application of the provisions of this sub-
title there shall be no distinction between a legally adopted
child and a child by birth, to the end that such adopted
child shall take from, through and as a representative of
its adopting parent or parents and the lineal or collateral
kindred of such adopting parent or parents in the same
manner as a child by birth and to the end that upon the
death of an adopted child intestate without surviving des-
cendants, such child's property, exclusive of the share of
such child's surviving spouse, shall pass and be distributed
in the same manner as if such child had been born to such
adopting parent or parents in lawful wedlock.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall not
apply to Allegany, Washington, Garrett, Prince George's,
Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's Counties.