364 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 388

provided, however, that such person, or anyone in his
behalf, may make a request in writing to said Superin-
tendent, chief officer, or physician for the discharge of
such person and such request shall be complied with unless
said Superintendent, chief officer, or physician shall be of the
opinion that the mental condition of such person requires
his further detention, in which event said Superintendent,
chief officer, or physician shall retain the custody of such
person and shall forthwith file a petition, in accordance
with Section 22 of this Article, for the purpose of having
the sanity of such person determined, and if the Court
shall commit such person to that or some other suitable
institution, as provided by said section, he shall be con-
fined thereafter until he shall have recovered, or shall be
discharged in due course of law. The provisions of this
Article relating to the discharge of recovered patients
and to the payment of the expenses of maintaining persons
in State institutions shall be applicable to persons enter-
ing such institutions under the provisions hereof.

Court costs incident to a proceeding under the provisions
of this Section, including the fees of the jury, court stenog-
rapher and bailiffs, shall be paid by the alleged insane per-
son in whose behalf the proceeding is instituted. If such
person has no property or estate the costs shall be paid
(a) by the County or Baltimore City, as the case may be,
which pays or is responsible for the payment for the main-
tenance of said person at such institution, or (b) if neither
a county nor Baltimore City pays or is responsible for the
payment for the maintenance of such person, the court
costs shall be paid by the county or Baltimore City in which
such person had his residence prior to his confinement.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is
hereby declared to be an emergency law and necessary for
the immediate preservation of the public health and safety,
and being passed upon a yea and nay vote, supported by
three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two
houses of the General Assembly, the same shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved March 29, 1945.

CHAPTER 388.
(Senate Bill 257)

AN ACT to exempt men in the Armed Forces of the
United States, the United States Maritime Service and