in addition thereto, make oath or affirmation that he is the agent or attorney of the assignee; and said oaths or affirmations shall be recorded with the assignment.

XI.

A Bill entitled, An Act to amend article 50 of the Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, title, "Joint Obligations and Joint Tenancy," by adding thereto a new section to be known as section 14.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Maryland, That article 50 of the Code of Public General Laws of the State of Maryland, title, "Joint Obligations and Joint Tenancy," be, and the same is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to be known as section 14, and to read as follows:

14. Whenever money or other personal property is deposited with any banking, safe deposit or trust company, subject to the order of two or more persons, or either of them, and the survivors or survivor of them, such deposit shall be deemed and construed to create in such persons joint ownership of said money or other personal property, which said joint ownership shall have all the incidents of an estate in joint tenancy at common law, unless a contrary intention shall appear from the instrument.

SECTION 2. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect from the date of its passage.

XII.

A Bill entitled, An Act to provide for making the State a party to any suit at law or in equity, and to any proceeding in any Orphans' Court, and to any condemnation proceeding whenever it shall appear that the State has or may have an interest in, or its rights may be or might be affected by,

such suit at law or in equity or such proceeding before the Orphans' Court, or such condemnation proceeding; and for giving notice thereof to the State's attorney for the county or city in which such suit or proceeding is pending.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Maryland, That whenever it shall appear in any suit at law or in equity or in any proceeding before any Orphans' Court in this State that the State has or may have any interest in the subject matter of the litigation or proceeding, or that the State's rights may be or might be affected by any judgment, decree or order that might be passed in relation thereto, it shall be the duty of the court before which such suit or proceeding is pending to order that the State be made a party, either plaintiff or defendant as the State's interest may appear to require, to such suit or proceeding; and the clerk of the court in which such suit is pending, and of the register of wills in the case of any such proceeding before any such Orphans' Court, shall cause a copy of such order of the court, together with a copy of the titling of the cause, to be served on the State's attorney for the county or city in which such suit or proceeding is pending.

SECTION 2. And be it further enacted, that upon the return of any inquisition in any condemnation proceeding, if it shall appear that the State has or may have any interest therein, or that its rights or interests are or may be affected thereby, it shall be the duty of the court to which such return is made to pass an order directing that the State be made a party to such proceeding, either plaintiff or defendant as the court may direct; and the clerk of the court in which such suit or proceeding is pending shall cause a copy of such order together with a copy of the titling of the cause to be served on the State's attorney for such county or city.

XIII.

A Bill entitled, An Act to amend article 26 of the Code of Public General Laws, title, "Courts," by adding a new sub-title thereto, entitled "Claims Against the State," to follow section 39 of said article, and the sub-title, “Circuit Courts for the Counties," providing for the hearing and determination of claims against the State of Maryland by the circuit courts for the several counties, and the Superior Court of Baltimore City.

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Maryland, That article 26 of the Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, title, "Courts," be amended by adding a new sub-title thereto to be entitled "Claims Against the State," to follow section 39 of said article, and the sub-title, "Circuit Courts for the Counties," and to read as follows:

CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE.

39-A. The circuit courts of the several counties of this State and the Superior Court of Baltimore City, in addition to the jurisdiction which they already have, shall have to hear and determine all cases arising from the payment of private claims against the State in accordance with the provisions of this sub-title.

39-B. Suits against the State on private claims of any character shall be commenced by petition verifying in the manner provided by law and filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county in which the claimant is a bona fide resident, or in the Superior Court of Baltimore City in case the claimant be a bona fide resident of Baltimore City. One extra copy of such petition in typewriting shall be filed with said clerk at the time of the filing of such petition, and such clerk shall forthwith cause a copy to be forwarded to the attorney-general. Such petition must set forth:

(1) The title of the action with the full Christian and surname of all the claimants.

(2) A plain, concise statement of the facts giving venue and date free from argumentive, irrelevant and imperti

nent matter.

(3) The claimant must state distinctly the amount for which he demands judgment or the relief for which he prays.

(4) If the claim be founded upon an act of the general assembly of Maryland, the act at the session thereof upon which the claimant relies must be specified.

(5) If the claim be founded upon an express contract with the State of Maryland, or any officer thereof authorized to make such a contract in its name, the substance of such contract must be set forth in the petition, and if it be in writing the original or a copy must be annexed thereto. If it be founded upon an unidentified contract the fact upon which the claimant relies to prove a contract must be specified. If it consists of several matters or items, each must be separately stated.

39-C. If it appear on the face of a petition that the claim first accrued more than three years before the petition was filed, the claimant must aver therein the existence and period of duration of some disability recognized by law which prevented his filing his petition within that time, or aver other facts or circumstances recognized by law which would prevent the operation of the statute of limitations in force in this State from being effective against said claim. In default of which said averment or averments it will be considered that no such disability or defense existed, and the petition shall be dismissed on motion. If upon the face of the petition it does not appear when the claim first accrued, the court may require the claimant to make the petition definite and certain in that regard, and in default whereof, may dismiss the suit. Averments in regard to the time. when a claim first accrued or in regard to an alleged dis

ability of the claimant or existence of facts constituting a defense against the statute of limitations as aforesaid, will be held to be put in issue by the defendant's general traverse.

39-D. After the filing of any such petition any person granting to be directly or indirectly interested in any question involved in such case, may appear as a party therein by filing his petition upon setting forth specifically and concisely how he claims to be interested, submitting the questions raised to the decision of the court and obtaining an order of court authorizing him to become a party to such proceedings.

39-E. All the proceedings in any such case may be amended from time to time in the same manner and to the same extent as other proceedings in said courts.

39-F. If the claimant be an executor, administrator. guardian, trustee or other representative appointed by a judicial tribunal, a duly authenticated copy of the record of the appointment must be filed with the petition.

39-G. If the claimant dies pending a suit, his death may be suggested on the record and his proper representative on filing a duly authenticated copy of the record of his appointment as executor or administrator may be admitted to prosecute said suit.

39-H. Where a suit is prosecuted in the name of the widow of a deceased claimant, it must be shown by evidence that the claimant is such widow of the deceased; and where it is prosecuted in the name of the heirs or next in kin of the deceased, it must be shown that they are heirs or next of kin. In all such cases such facts shall be held to be put in issue by the defendant's general traverse.

39-I. Demurrers and pleas must be filed within 60 days after the filing of the petition unless the court extends the time.

39-J. Unless the attorney-general shall within 60 days after the service of the petition upon him appear and defend on behalf of the State by filing a plea, answer or demurrer,