1232 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 596

' 88-G. All railroad companies, whose roads are worked by
steam, electric or other power, street and passenger railways,
steamship and steamboat companies, and all other common
carriers, telegraph, cable, telephone, express, transportation,
parlor car, sleeping car, and oil pipe companies, turnpike com-
panies, bridge companies, and sewage disposal companies, elec-
tric light, electric construction, heating, refrigerating, water
and gas companies, which by their charters are prohibited from
constructing, maintaining or operating their properties, lines or
works within the State, shall, for the purposes of Sections 88-B
to 88-F, inclusive, of this Article, be ordinary business corpo-
rations and are hereby so defined; provided, however, that noth-
ing in this section shall be taken or construed as classifying any
of the above-mentioned corporations as ordinary business cor-
porations, if such corporations construct, maintain or operate
properties, lines or works within the State.

88-H. Payments of any taxes or fees, payable to the State
Tax Commission under the provisions of this Article, shall be
made in cash or in such other form as shall be acceptable to
said State Tax Commission. Any payment of a bonus tax to
the said State Tax Commission, State Tax Commissioner or
Secretary of State, heretofore or hereafter made, shall, as far
as the corporation in respect of whose shares the same is paid
is concerned, be deemed and taken to be payment of said bonus
tax to the State Treasurer.

99-A. Any acknowledgment or affidavit required by this
Article may be made before any notary public or other officer
competent to take acknowledgments of deeds for land situated
anywhere in this State. If such acknowledgment or affidavit
be made before a justice of the peace, his official character
shall be certified to by the clerk of the Circuit or Superior
Court under his official seal.

99-B. No charter or other paper, which is not in conformity
with law, shall be received by the State Tax Commission for
record.

100-A. No corporation shall hereafter interpose the defense
of usury in any action.

SEC. 16. And be it further enacted, That Section 157 of
Article 81 of the Annotated Code of Maryland be and the same
is hereby repealed.

SEC. 17. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this
Act shall be construed to affect the existence of any corporation