THEODORE R. MCKELDIN, GOVERNOR 217

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 158 of Article 75 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1951 Edition), title "Pleading, Prac-
tice and Process at Law", sub-title "Process", be and it is
hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

158. No person shall be sued out of the county in which
he resides until the sheriff or coroner of the county in
which he resides shall have returned a non est on a sum-
mons issued in such county; provided, that nothing herein
contained shall apply to any person who shall abscond from
justice in the county where he lives, but such person may
be sued in any county where he may be found; and pro-
vided further, that any person who resides in one county
but carries on any regular business, or habitually engages
in any avocation or employment in another county, may be
sued in either county, whether before a justice of the peace
or in a court of law or equity; this section not to apply to
ejectment, dower, replevin, scire facias on judgment or
decree, nor to heirs, devisees or terretenants, against whom
process may be issued to another county.

In any action ex delicto in which all the defendants are
not residents of, not carrying on regular business in, or
habitually engaged in any avocation or employment in one
county, the plaintiff may, at his election, sue all said de-
fendants in the county where the cause of action arose
or sue all of the said defendants in the county where any
one of the defendants reside. As used in this section the
term "county" includes "Baltimore City".

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted. That this Act shall
take effect June 1, 1954.

Approved March 12, 1954.

CHAPTER 61
(House Bill 153)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section
40 of Article 63 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1951 Edition), title "Mechanics' Lien", sub-title "Mer-
chandise", reducing the waiting period required for the
collection of liens upon certain articles of merchandise.

EXPLANATION : Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.