HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 29

CHAPTER 29.

AX ACT to add two new Sections to Article 23 of the Code of
Public Local Laws of Maryland, title "Wicomico County, "
sub-title "Circuit Court, " said new section to be known as
Sections ISA and 18B, and to follow immediately after Sec-
tion 18 of said Article, providing for the payment of certain
Clerk's and Sheriff's costs before docketing actions at law in
the Circuit Court for Wicomico County in certain cases, and
providing penalties for the violation thereof.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That two new sections be and they are hereby added to
Article 23 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland, title
"Wicomico County, " sub-title "Circuit Court, " said new sec-
tions to be known as Sections ISA and 18B and to follow im-
mediately after Section 18 of said Article and to read as fol-
lows:

ISA. The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County
shall not docket suit or issue process in any action-at-law
until the person or corporation seeking to docket said pro-
ceeding shall first pay to said Clerk Two Dollars and Fifty
Cents ($2. 50) to be credited on the Clerk's costs for the docket-
ing of said proceeding and Seventy-five Cents ($.75) additional
for each Defendant named in said proceeding to be paid to the
said Clerk for the services of the Sheriff in serving the Writ of
Summons on the Defendant or Defendants named therein.

If the Clerk of the Circuit Court shall docket any proceed-
ing on the law side thereof without first complying with the
provisions of this section, he shall forfeit and pay to said
Court the amount of costs due as a result of said failure upon
his part.

18B. Any person entitled to commence an action-at-law in
the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, may, upon the order
of said Court, commence said action without being required to
prepay the costs mentioned in Section ISA, upon filing in said
Court a statement under oath in writing, that because of his
poverty he is unable to pay the said costs, and that he believes
that he is entitled to the redress he seeks in such action-at-law,
and setting forth briefly the nature of his alleged cause of
action; provided, however, that any wilful false swearing in
any oath or affidavit under the provisions of this section shall
be punishable as perjury under the provisions of the criminal
law now or hereafter in force in Maryland.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1937.

Approved May IS, 1937.