394 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

make further oath or affirmation that he has personal knowl-
edge of the matters therein stated; and the said affirmation or
affidavit may be made before any of the persons who may take
an affidavit or affirmation to authorize the issuing of a foreign
attachment, and may be certified in the same manner..

314. When any judgment by default shall be entered under
any of the preceding sections, the court may assess the damages
on proof thereof without empanelling a jury to do so, unless
the defendant shall have filed a motion in writing before the
entry of such default for a jury trial, and shall have stated in
such motion how much of the plaintiff's demand is disputed,
and how much thereof, if any, is admitted by said defendant to
be due, and in such case the plaintiff may forthwith have judg-
ment entered up for the amount so admitted, as provided in the
preceding section.

315. If the defendant shall dispute the whole or any part
of the plaintiff's demand in any action brought under the pro-
visions of the three foregoing sections, and upon trial of the
case the plaintiff shall recover a judgment for any portion of
his demand so disputed, then the plaintiff shall be allowed in
addition to the costs of the suit, reasonable counsel fees, to be
fixed by the court, said fees not to be less than twenty-five dol-
lars nor more than one hundred dollars.

316. Bills of exception may be signed in any cause pending
in any of said courts at any time within thirty days from the
rendition of the verdict of the jury or the findings of the court
upon the issues of fact in said cause, but not thereafter, unless
the time for signing said bill of exception shall have been previ-
ously extended by order of court or by consent of parties; but
nothing herein shall prevent either party from requiring the
bills of exception to be signed before verdict.

317. Any action taken or order passed by any of said courts
in relation to any judgment rendered by it, if taken or passed
within thirty days after the entry of such judgment, or upon a
motion or application made to it within said thirty days, shall
have the same effect and force as it would have had under the