ART. 23] FOREIGN CORPORATIONS. 589

shall, before transacting business in this State, either through
on individual agent or agents or through the agency of any
corporation organized under the laws of this State, or before
opening or continuing any office for the transaction of any
business in this State, first file in the office of the secretary of
State of Maryland, accompanied by a deposit fee of twenty-
five dollars, a duly certified copy of the charter, certificate or
act of incorporation under which it claims the power to trans-
act business as a corporation together with a sworn statement
from the president or other chief executive officer of such
corporation, under its official seal, setting forth the amount of
its capital stock authorized by law, and the amount actually
issued, the amount of its assets and liabilities, the character
of the business to be transacted in this State, designating
the place or places of its principal office or offices and the
name or names of its agent or agents to reside in this State,
with the place or places of their residence, upon whom legal
process issued out of any court of this State may at any time
be served in any action, at the suit of the State of Maryland,
or of any county or incorporated city or town of this State,
or of any citizen or citizens of this State, or of any corpora-
tion organized under the laws of this State, which said charter,
certificate or act of incorporation, and sworn statement as
aforesaid, when received by the secretary of State, shall be
recorded at length by him in a well-bound book to be kept for
that purpose, and a copy or copies thereof under the hand and
seal of the secretary of State shall be receivable in evidence
in any suit at law or in equity in any of the courts of this
State by or against such foreign corporations for the purpose
of proving the existence or act of incorporation of such for-
eign corporation as fully as its charter duly certified would do,
and also all other facts set forth therein.

1898, ch. 270, sec. 109 B.

138. At the time of receiving said, certified copy of said
charter, certificate or act of incorporation, together with the
sworn statement duly executed as required herein, together
with the deposit fee of twenty-five dollars, the secretary of
State shall issue to such corporation his certificate, under his
hand and the seal of his office, setting forth that said corpora-
tion has complied with the requirements of the preceding sec-
tion, that its business is such as may be lawfully carried on by
a corporation incorporated under the general laws of this State,