ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 1135

'' Insurance business'', or business of insurance'', means and
embraces, among other things, the making, negotiating or
soliciting of any contract of insurance or reinsurance, includ-
ing the guaranty or insurance of the title to real or personal
property, and the principal or interest secured by any mort-
gage; the issuing of any bond insuring the fidelity, of any
person, the performance of any contract, act, trust or thing;
and any obligation or undertaking of any kind or nature what-
soever insuring against or undertaking to indemnify any person
for loss resulting from any contingency, hazard or casualty;
"State" includes the District of Columbia, the territories and
dependencies of the United States of America, the provinces
of the Dominion of Canada and all foreign countries;

"Domestic Company" means an insurance company incor-
porated under the general laws of the State of Maryland, or
by special act of the Maryland Legislature;
"Foreign Company" means an insurance company incor-
porated, formed or organized elsewhere or under laws other
than the laws of the State of Maryland;

"Commisioner" or "Insurance Commissioner" means the
State Insurance Commissioner of Maryland.

"Department" or "Insurance Department" means State
Insurance Department of Maryland.

"Person'7 includes individuals, corporations, associations and
partnerships;

Personal pronouns embrace all genders;

The singular number includes the plural, and the plural in-
cludes the singular.

INSURANCE DEPARTMENT

SEC. 3. Title and Jurisdiction. There shall be a Depart-
ment, to be known as the State Insurance Department of Mary-
land, which shall be assigned to the Division of Financial Re-
view and Control, and which shall be charged, subject to the
supervision and direction of the Comptroller, with the execu-
tion of the laws of this State in relation to insurance. The
principal office of said Department shall be located in the City
of Baltimore.

SEC. 4. Insurance Commissioner; Appointment and Term.
The chief officer of said Department shall be appointed by
the Governor for a term of four years beginning on the first
Monday of May succeeding his appointment, except that the
Insurance Commissioner first appointed under this Act, shall