644 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 252

tion), being Article 17 of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland, title "Prince George's County", said new section
to be known as Section 1287A, to be under the sub-title
"State's Attorney", to follow immediately after Section 1287
of said Article, and to read as follows:

State's Attorney

1281 A. (a) All the offenses committed within the limits of
Prince George's County, except treason, misprision of treason,
arson, burglary, larceny, manslaughter, mayhem, murder, rape,
robbery, sodomy and all other felonies may be prosecuted, upon
order of the Circuit Court for Prince George's County on in-
formation, on behalf of the State, filed by the State's Attorney
for said county in said county.

(b) The Clerk of said court shall, upon order of the State's
Attorney for said county, issue summons for witnesses to ap-
pear at the time and place to be designated in said order, and
the said court shall have the same power as provided by Sec-
tions 12 and 14 of Article 35 of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1939 Edition) to secure and compel the attendance and
testimony of said witnesses, and all witnesses so summoned
and appearing and talcing the oath hereinafter provided shall
receive the same compensation allowed to witnesses summoned
and attending before the grand inquest for said county.

(c) The State's Attorney shall investigate with all reason-
able dispatch and thoroughness all cases which may be referred
to him under this section and in all cases which, in his judg-
ment, should not proceed to trial shall promptly file in said
court an order dismissing any such case referred to him as
aforesaid, with a statement in writing of his reasons therefor,
and shall return to said court all papers and documents relat-
ing to said case in his possession, and such dismissal of a case
so referred to him shall be a final and conclusive termination
of the same; but the court may, for sufficient reason shown in
a reasonable time, strike out the said order and dismissal of a
case made by the State's Attorney and refer said case to the
grand jury.

(d) The same pleading and practice and all provisions of law
now applicable to indictments and governing the trial of issues
thereon shall be applicable, so far as practicable, to informa-
tion filed under this Act by the State's Attorney.

(e) The clerk of said court shall administer to every witness,
prior to his or her appearing before the State's Attorney, the
following oath, viz: "The evidence which you shall give before
the State's Attorney for Prince George's County in the matter
depending before him shall be the truth, the whole truth and