248                               Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 195

And such lands, tenements and hereditaments, to rent or lease, in
such manner as it may deem most conducive to the best interests of
its respective Parish.

And also to take and receive any sum of money, and any kind of
goods and chattels, which may or shall be given, sold, or bequeathed
unto it by any person or bodies politic or corporate, capable to make
a gift, sale or bequest thereof, and to apply the same for the use of
its respective Parish;

Subject, however, with respect to all property so to be received,
to the operation of the general laws of this State with respect thereto.

(c)  Application to new Vestries—same powers as old Vestries—
election to incorporate separately—consent of those concerned.

Whenever a Parish of the Diocese shall be divided or united with
another Parish, the new Parish constituted by the Convention of the
Diocese, pursuant to the provisions of the Charter of the Diocese,
originally granted by the Act of 1870, Chapter 23, and any amend-
ment thereof, in praesenti or in futuro, shall have perpetual suc-
cession, and shall be incorporated, by the name of the Vestry of such
new Parish in the same manner, and to the same extent as an old
Vestry became incorporated;

And with the same powers as an old Vestry which became incor-
porated by virtue of the provisions of the Vestry Act of 1798, Chapter
24, Section XXVIII, now amended by this Section 288L;

Unless the Vestry of said new Parish shall elect to incorporate as
a separate congregation under the provisions of the law regulating the
formation of a religious corporation generally;

Provided always that before the Convention of the Diocese shall
divide a Parish or unite a Parish with another and thereby constitute
a new Parish, it shall be necessary for a majority of the members of
the Protestant Episcopal Church who shall be affected by such division
or union, and who are resident in the areas concerned, to consent
thereto.

(d)  Purchase of burial ground or building site.

Nothing contained in the exception at the end of Section 288L (b)
of this sub-heading shall be construed to prevent the Vestry of a
Parish from buying at any time land for a burial ground or as a site
for a church, parish house or rectory, or any other proper purpose.

(e)  Alienation of property generally—alienation of consecrated
property—execution of deed—affixing of seal—exception.

No vestry of a Parish shall sell, encumber or transfer property be-
longing to the Parish, or any property held by it in trust with or
without an express power of sale, without the previous consent of a
majority of the entire Vestry, wherein the Rector shall always be a
voting member.

And, irrespective of any general or diocesan canonical mandate to
the contrary, no further consent shall be necessary except (i) when
there is no Rector in the Parish, then, in addition to the consent of a
majority of the Vestry, it shall be necessary to obtain the consent of
the Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese; and except (it) when the
property proposed to be sold, encumbered or transferred is a con-