604 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

of whose statement is so published by him; and provided also,
that any corporation, association, partnership or individual
doing a life insurance business in this State on the co-operative
or mortality assessment plan, shall not be subject to the provis-
ions of sub-Sections second, third, fourth, fifth and eighth of
Sectipn 160 and of Section 186 of this Article, nor to any
other provisions of this Article not applicable to the co-operative
plan, but shall in all other respects comply with the provisions
of this Article and any amendments thereto.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
from and after the date of its passage.

Approved April 10th, 1914.

CHAPTER 377.

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 261
of Article 16 of the Code of Public Civil Laws of Maryland,
title '' Chancery,'' and to add two additional Sections to said
Article to follow Section 261, and to be known as Sections
261-A and 261-B.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 261 of Article 16 of the Code of Public Civil
Laws of Maryland, title '' Chancery,'' be and the same is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, and two additional
Sections are hereby added to said Article 16 to follow Section
261, and to be known as Sections 261-A and 261-B, said
amended Section and new Sections to read as follows:

SEC. 261. The Court shall, on application of a party in in-
terest, or may, of its own motion, order that instead of the
mode of taking testimony as provided in the aforegoing Sec-
tions, the testimony shall be taken orally in open Court before
the judge or judges thereof in the same manner and under the
same rules as testimony is now taken in actions at law, as to
all or any of the facts or matters relevant in the cause or pro-
ceeding; and the evidence so taken shall be written down as
delivered by the witnesses by such person and in such manner
as the Court may have by order or general rule directed, and
when so written down shall, with such documentary proof as
shall have been with it offered and admitted, be filed as part of
the proceedings.