392 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 196

House of Correction all persons sentenced to the Maryland
Penitentiary.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 654 and Section 655 of Article 27 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland, title '' Crimes and Punishments,''
sub-title "III. Places of Reformation and Punishment," sub-
head "The State Board of Prison Control," as enacted by
Chapter 556 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 1916, be
and the same is hereby repealed and re-enacted with amend-
ments so as to read as follows:

654. When any person is convicted, before any Circuit
Court of any County, or the Criminal Court of Baltimore, of
any crime, committed after this Act takes effect, and punish-
able by any imprisonment whatsoever or by fine and imprison-
ment (other than imprisonment in default of fine), said Court
may, in its discretion, sentence such person to imprisonment
in jail or in the Maryland House of Correction or in the Mary-
land Penitentiary. The term of such-imprisonment in any of
said institutions shall be in the discretion of the Court, unless
a maximum term of imprisonment is prescribed by law, in
which event the imprisonment imposed shall not exceed the
maximum so fixed. Provided, however, that no sentence to the
Penitentiary or House of Correction shall be for less than three
months; except that any sentence under section 414 of Article
27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, title "Crimes and
Punishments", sub-title "Railroads—Obstructing" may be im-
posed in accordance with the provisions of said section 414.
Wherever the State Board of Prison Control shall determine
that prison discipline will be furthered by transferring from
the Maryland House of Correction to the Maryland Peni-
tentiary or from the Maryland Penitentiary to Maryland House
of Correction any person sentenced to either of said institu-
tions for a crime committed after this Act takes effect and shall
issue its warrant to the Wardens of said Institution directing
such transfer then the said sentence of the Court shall operate
to authorize such transfer by virtue hereof. All persons now
confined in the Maryland Penitentiary may be transferred to
the Maryland House of Correction by the State Board of Prison
Control upon the issuance of its warrant as above provided.

It is expressly provided, however, that nothing in this Sec-
tion shall be construed to add to, alter or change the class of
crimes, as they existed before this Act takes effect, with respect
to the right of challenge or with respect to the fees in criminal