4064

VETOES

to conclude that the effect of the defective title is
merely to require elimination of the deletion of St.
Mary's County (line 120), then St. Mary's County would
remain within Section 25(j), but the three substantive
changes made to this section would then apply to St.
Mary's County. Such a result would again be
unconstitutional because the title precludes any
substantive changes as to St. Mary's County.
Accordingly, the entire amendment to Section 25(j) must
fall.

We believe, however, that the unconstitutionality of
one portion of House Bill 1621 does not affect the
validity of the remainder of the Act. An act may be in
part constitutional and in part unconstitutional.
Somerset County v. Pocomoke Bridge Company, 109 Md. 1
(1908); Painter v. Mattfeldt, supra; Buckheit v.
Buckheit, 10 Md. App. 526 (1970), cert. den. 261 Md. 723
(1971). The amendments to Section 25(j) which we have
indicated are unconstitutional because of the effort to
delete the reference to St. Mary's County are clearly
severable from the balance of the bill.

Very truly yours,
/s/ Francis B. Burch
Attorney General

House Bill No. 16 50 — Grace Period for Life Insurance

Policies

AN ACT concerning

Life Insurance

FOR the purpose of providing that certain life insurance
policies lapsing for a certain reason shall be
reinstated and of full force and effect.

May 15, 1975.
Honorable John Hanson Briscoe
Speaker of the House of Delegates
State House
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the
Maryland Constitution, I have today vetoed House Bill
1650.