T. WATKINS LIGON, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

179

CHAPTER 155.

AN ACT relating to the punishment of persons under ,
the age of fifteen and over twelve years who may be
convicted of offences punishable in adults by confine-
ment in the penitentiary.

Passed
Mar. 10, 1854.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Maryland, That all infants over twelve and under
the age of fifteen years, who may be convicted of may-
hem, murder in the second degree, manslaughter, as-
sault with intent to commit murder or mayhem or of
setting fire to any building tenement or property, the
selling fire to which is punishable by confinement in
the penitentiary in the case of adults, shall be sentenced
to the penitentiary for the said crimes in the same man-
ner as if they were of full age.

Punishment.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of every court having criminal jurisdiction, to ex-
amine into the character of all infants convicted of of-
fences other than those recited in the first section of this
act, and punishable by confinement in the penitentiary
and to exercise a sound discretion in determining,
whether the said prisoner or traverser so convicted should
be bound out in accordance with existing or future laws,
or should be sentenced to the penitentiary in the same
manner with adults convicted of like crimes, and to
bind out, or sentence the said traverser or prisoner ac-
cordingly.

Duty of court.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That any court in this
State having criminal jurisdiction may bind out to the
managers of any house of refuge or other institutions
under police regulations, within the limits of the said
State, all infants over twelve and under the age of fif-
teen years, until they shall arrive at an age nut less
than eighteen nor more than twenty-one years, who
shall be convicted of any offence punishable in adults
by confinement in the penitentiary, other than those
specified in the first section of this act.

Courts may
bind out.