THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                     641

is being actively asserted or not, and when no action at law or any
proceeding in equity is pending to enforce or test the validity of such
title, lien or encumbrance, or other adverse claim, maintain a suit in
equity in the Circuit Court of the county in which said land lies, or
in either of the Circuit Courts of Baltimore City if said land should
lie therein, to quiet, or remove any such cloud from said title,
or determine any such adverse claim; and such proceeding shall
be deemed to be a proceeding in rem or quasi in rem so that if the
adverse claimant or claimants, or the person or persons who,
it is claimed, has or have some hostile outstanding right, be a
non-resident or non-residents, the provisions of Article 16, Section
148, of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951 Edition) shall apply
to such proceedings; provided, however, that the only relief sought in
said proceedings be a decree that the plaintiff has absolute ownership,
and the right of disposition, of said lands, and an injunction against
the assertion by the persons named as parties defendant of their
said claim by any action at law, or otherwise; and it is further pro-
vided, that any person who appears of record, or claim or is claimed
to have any such hostile outstanding right, shall be made a defendant
in said proceedings; and that it is further provided, that the pro-
visions of Article 16, Section 155, of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1951 Edition), shall apply as to such defendants.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if any provision of this
section or the applicability thereof to any person or circumstance
shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction,
such unconstitutionally shall not affect the validity of the remaining
provisions of this section and the applicability thereof and of such
provision to other persons or circumstances.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1955.

Approved April 11, 1955.

CHAPTER 377
(House Bill 510)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Subsection (f) of
Section 40 of Article 10 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951
Edition and 1954 Supplement), title "Attorneys at Law and At-
torneys in fact", sub-title "State's Attorney", relating to the cleri-
cal expenses of the State's Attorney of St. Mary's County.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Subsection (f) of Section 40 of Article 10 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1951 Edition and 1954 Supplement), title "Attor-

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