J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      253

it is hereby added to Article 64A of the said Code (1964 Replacement
Volume), title "Merit System," to follow immediately after Section
8 thereof, and to read as follows:

8A.

On and after July 1, 1965, the Assistant Secretary of State shall
be included in the classified service of the State. The present Assist-
ant Secretary of State shall hold his position without examination.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1965.

Approved April 8, 1965.

CHAPTER 235
(House Bill 327)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 140 of
Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Supplement),
title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "False Pretenses, Bad
Chocks, etc.," including Caroline County in the special provision
giving the People's Courts of certain counties concurrent jurisdic-

tion of cases where the amount involved is $300.00 or less in this

section concerning the obtaining by any false pretense of certain
chattels, monies or valuable securities. CHECKS, ETC.," TO GIVE
THE TRIAL MAGISTRATES OF CAROLINE COUNTY AND
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY CONCURRENT JURISDICTION
WITH THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE COUNTY TO TRY SOME
CASES INVOLVING VIOLATIONS OF THE FALSE PRE-
TENSES AND BAD CHECK LAWS.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 140 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
1964 Supplement), title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "False
Pretenses, Bad Checks, etc.," be and it is hereby repealed and re-
enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

140.

Any person who shall by any false pretense obtain from any other
person any chattel, money or valuable security, with intent to defraud
any person of the same, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and being
convicted thereof shall be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be
punished by fine and imprisonment, or by confinement in the peniten-
tiary for not less than two years nor more than ten years, as the court
shall award; provided always, that if upon the trial of any person
charged with such misdemeanor it shall be proved that he obtained
the property in question in any such manner as to amount in law to
larceny or robbery, he shall not by reason thereof be entitled to be
acquitted of such misdemeanor; and no person tried upon such mis-
demeanor shall be afterwards liable to be prosecuted for larceny or
robbery upon the same facts; and provided also, that a mere promise