190

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 96

312—O. Power of vestrymen to sue and be sued, etc.;
seal.

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 singular 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. Dividing or uniting parishes.

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 subheading 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. Severability.

If any provision, phrase, or clause of this
subheading or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not
affect other provisions, phrases, clauses or applications
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.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act
shall take effect July 1, 1976.

Approved April 1, 1976.

CHAPTER 97
(House Bill 968)