MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                        1255

312-O.

The vestry of every parish, and their successors, (by the name
aforesaid,) shall be forever hereafter able and capable in law to sue
and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto,
defend and be defended, in all or any courts of justice, and before
all or any judges, officers or other persons whatsoever, in all and singu-
lar actions, matters and demands whatsoever; and that it shall and
may be lawful for them, and their successors, forever hereafter, to
have a common seal for their use, and the same, at the will and
pleasure of them, and their successors, to change, alter, break and
make anew, from time to time, as they shall think best.

312P.

It shall be lawful for the convention of the Protestant Episcopal
Church in this State to divide or unite parishes, as occasion may
require, and to alter their bounds, and to constitute new parishes;
and vestrymen and churchwardens of such new parishes, shall be
chosen as hereinbefore provided, and shall have perpetual succession,
and be incorporated, by the name of the Vestry of such new parish,
and such vestry and churchwardens shall have all the powers hereby
granted in this act to other vestrymen and churchwardens; provided
always, that a majority of the vestry of any parish, any part of
which is proposed to be added to any new parish or parishes, or to be
constituted into a new parish, shall consent thereto.

312Q.

Chapter 24 of the Acts of 1798 and all acts amending said Chapter
24, are hereby amended to the extent that said Chapter 24 of said
Acts of 1798 and said amendments thereto shall hereafter be in-
applicable to parishes of the Protestant Episcopal Church—Diocese
of Washington, in Charles, St. Mary's, Prince George's and Mont-
gomery counties; provided, however, that nothing herein contained
shall affect the corporate existence of, or the validity of any proceed-
ings heretofore taken by, or the title to any real or personal property
belonging to, any corporation formed or organized or parish declared
to be a corporation or organized under the provisions of said Chapter
24 of the Acts of 1798, as amended.

312R. 312Q.

If any provision, phrase, or clause of this subheading or the appli-
cation thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such
invalidity shall not affect other provisions, phrases, clauses or appli-
cations of this subheading which can be given effect without the
invalid provision, phrase, clause or application, and to this end the
provisions, phrases, and clauses of this subheading are declared
severable.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1969.

Approved May 2, 1969.