1849.

LAWS OP MARYLAND.

CHAP. 222.

amount of their respective shares, as provided for in
section sixteen of this act; hut in respect to the re-
demption of dividend certificates as aforesaid, no di-
vidend certificates of a subsequent year, shall be re-
deemed until those of a preceding year shall have
been provided for; and it shall be lawful for said com-
pany to withhold or postpone, at any time, the re-
demption, in whole or in part, of said certificates, in
the event of any loss happening, which, in the opin-
ion of the board, would render it desirable; and should
an extension of the business of the company, as here-
inafter provided for, make it proper in the opinion of
the board, for the greater security of its dealers, to in-
crease its capital to five hundred thousand dollars, by
a continued annual application of its earnings, in
whole or in part, to that object, it shall be lawful for
the company to do so, and to issue, redeem, or post-
pone the redemption of dividend certificates with that
view, and to that end.

Responsibility
of members.

SEC. 19. Be it enacted, That in case any certificates
or policy holders shall be indebted to the company,
for sums in part due and unpaid, the company may,
at its option, withhold the payment of the sum, de-
duct such sums from the amount thereof, or reduce or
cancel the same; and for any debt due by any holder
of certificates to said company, the said company shall
have a lien on all the interest of said debtors in said
company and its profits, but persons insuring in said
company, or entitled to certificates or dividends, shall
not be liable or answerable by reason thereof, or of
any thing contained herein, except for the payment of
their premiums, stock, or rates given in advance, as
hereinbefore provided for.

Members com-
petent as wit-
nesses.

SEC. 20. Be it enacted, That in suits by or against
said company, no member of the corporation shall,
on that account, if he be not in his dividend capaci-
ty a party to such suit, be incompetent as a witness.

In force.

SEC. 21. Be it enacted, That this act shall endure
for thirty years from the day of its passage, and should
it not be renewed or extended at the expiration of the
time, then the amount of capital of the company, af-
ter all its risks shall have expired, and all claims
against it discharged, after refunding to the stock-
holders the amount of their respective shares, shall be
divided, pro rata, amongst those persons who may
then have its stock, or who have taken the policies of
the company during the continuance of this charter,
and who being legally entitled thereto, shall then ex-