568

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

with the Comptroller and clerk of the Superior

Court of Baltimore city.

32. Any person, body politic or corporate, part

nership or association, who shall make, negotiate or

Subject to

solicit within this State any contract of insurance,

fines.

or shall effect an insurance or insurances, or pretend

to effect an insurance or insurances, or receive and

transmit any offer or offers of insurance or insuran-

ces, or receive or deliver a policy or policies of in-

surance, or connect any other pei son or persons with

them in any policy they may at the time hold, or

shall do any business of insurance of any kind, or

make any guaranty, contract or pledge, for the pay-

ment of annuities or endowments, or money, whether

the amount thereof be fixed or contingent to the

families or representatives of any policy or certificate
holder or the like, or shall advertise or circulate any

card, circular, notice, or open or teep any office for

the transaction of said business, except as an insur-

ance broker duly licensed, without fully complying

with all the provisions of this act, shall be subject to

the fines imposed by section thirty-six of this article.

And the term insurance company as used in this

article shall be taken to embrace every corporation,

association, partnership or individual engaging in any

such business ; and every such corporation, associa-

How constin-

tion, partnership or individual, making any engage-

ed.

ment for the payment of any money or other benefits

in the event of the death of any member, policy or

certificate holder or the like, or entering into any

contract or agreements in which the chances or proba-
bilities of the duration of life, or the rate of mortality

are in any way involved as an element or condition

of such contracts or agreements, shall be deemed and

taken to be a life insurance company within the

meaning of this article, and shall be subject to all

the requirements of law applicable to life insurance

companies ; provided that nothing herein contained

shall be construed as applying to the granting of re-

lief or benefits to members or their families, by any

societies of a purely and exclusively religious, chari-

table or benevolent description, and orders or asso-

ciations, having ritualistic work and ceremonies in

their lodges, councils or societies.