PHILLIPS LEE GOLDSBOROUGH, GOVERNOR. 591

the disposition of such child or children. And the said Court
shall have the power to designate one of its Judges to hear, de-
termine and dispose of all such cases, and to adopt such rules
and regulations for the trial and disposition of such cases as to
said Court, may seem reasonable and proper.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That any person of re-
spectable standing in his or her community, and being a resident
of said County, or the agent of any society incorporated under
the laws of this State for the care and protection of children,
may file with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Harford County
on the equity side thereof, a petition in writing, setting forth
that a certain child or children, naming the same, if the
name or names be known, and also naming the parent or par-
ents of such child, if there be parent or parents, or the name
of the custodian of such child or children, if there be such cus-
todian, and the place or places of residence of such child or
children, their parents or other custodian, is or are delinquent,
dependent or neglected, as defined in Section 1 of this Act, and
that it is for the interests of such child or children, and the State
of Maryland, that it or they be taken from its or their parent
or parents, guardian or custodian, and placed under the juris-
diction of the Equity Court for Harford County, together with
such other pertinent facts, if any, as the petitioner may think
proper to state. The Clerk of the Circuit Court for Harford
County shall file and preserve such petition and all papers re-
lating to such petition, and docket such case, wherein the peti-
tioner shall be named as plaintiff, and the child or children, its
or their parent or parents, guardian or custodian, when named,
shall be made defendants in such case. It shall be the duty
of the said Clerk to provide a suitable book or docket, to be
styled the "Juvenile Docket," which shall be carefully kept in
his office and in which shall be entered all such cases and the pro-
ceedings therein briefly as in the Equity Docket of his office.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the said Clerk shall
immediately upon the filing of the petition and making the
proper docket entries as provided in the preceding Section, call
the attention of the Court to the same, and it shall be the duty
of the Court, or in the event of the designation of one of the
Judges of said Court to investigate and pass on such cases, it
shall be the duty of such Judge to make an order requiring the
Sheriff of Harford County, or some constable of the County, or
the probation officer hereinafter named, to serve a summons
upon all parties named in said proceedings as defendants, to be