1270 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 521

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 40 of Article 16 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1947 Supplement), title "Chancery", sub-title
"Divorce", be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

40. Upon a hearing of any bill for a divorce, the court
may decree a divorce a vinculo matrimonii for the following
causes, to wit: first, the impotence of either party at the time
of the marriage; secondly, for any cause which by the laws
of this State, render a marriage null and void ab initio;
thirdly, for adultery; fourthly, when the court shall be satis-
fied by competent testimony that the party complained
against has abandoned the party complaining, and that such
abandonment has continued uninterruptedly for at least
eighteen months, and is deliberate and final, and the separa-
tion of the parties beyond any reasonable expectation of re-
conciliation; fifthly, when the husband and wife shall have
voluntarily lived separate and apart, without any cohabita-
tion for three consecutive years prior to the filing of the bill
of complaint, and such separation is beyond any reasonable
expectation of reconciliation; sixthly, when the party com-
plained against has been convicted of a felony under the
laws of this State or of any other State or the United States
and has been sentenced to serve at least three years in any
Penitentiary or Penal Institution, eighteen months of which
sentence has been served.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1949.

Approved April 29, 1949.

CHAPTER 521

(House Bill 133)

AN ACT to authorize and empower the Mayor and Council
of Salisbury to borrow upon the faith and credit of Salis-
bury a sum or sums of money, not exceeding Thirty-five
Thousand Dollars ($35, 000. 00), and to issue bonds for the
payment of same and to use the proceeds thereof for the
purpose of constructing storm water drainage facilities
within the corporate limits of Salisbury, and to levy upon
all assessable property in Salisbury and collect taxes thereon
in an amount sufficient to pay the principal and interest on
said bonds.