HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 51

dred dollars, in the discretion of the court; and provided
further that any minister or other person so performing such
marriage ceremony who shall fail to return within the period
of five days from the date of such marriage to the Clerk of
the Court issuing said license one of the certificates of mar-
riage mentioned in Section 4 of this Article shall on convic-
tion thereof be fined not less than ten dollars.

In case no such certificate is returned within a period of
thirty days from the date of issuance of the marriage license
to which it was affixed, the Clerk of the Court issuing said
license shall take such steps as may be necessary to ascertain
whether or not a marriage ceremony has been performed, and
if so, the name of the minister or other official performing said
ceremony.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1945.

Approved February 9, 1945.

CHAPTER 68.
(Senate Bill 56)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 41
of Article 21 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939
Edition), title "Conveyancing", sub-title "Mortgages", re-
lating to the time which Clerks of Courts. shall be required
to keep mortgages with releases thereon.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 41 of Article 21 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Conveyancing", sub-title
"Mortgages", be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

41. When the mortgage, with the release thereon, is filed
for the purpose of recording the release, the clerk shall retain
such mortgage in his office and not permit the same to be
again withdrawn for a period of twenty-five (25) years, after
which time he may destroy it; provided, however, that if the
release is partial in its character, after the recording of the
same, the clerk may permit the mortgage to be withdrawn.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1945.

Approved February 9, 1945.