1048                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 452

in his discretion, so as best to subserve the interest of the State, and
shall grant discharge to said parties and their sureties upon the
payment into the treasury of the amount required by him to be
paid in settlement as aforesaid; the Comptroller shall be satisfied
after thorough examination into the claims that the same could not
be collected by the State by legal process [and further, that the
Governor and Treasurer for the time being shall each approve in
writing any such abatement before the same shall be effective and
provided further that no discharge or quittance under this section
shall be effective unless the party or parties to be benefited shall
first pay the attorneys who shall have the case in hand the legal
fees and fees of clerks and sheriffs]. Whenever any claim of the
State shall be compromised or settled by the Comptroller, without
payment in full, after determination that the same could not be
collected by legal process, he shall make and keep among the records
of his office a statement of the evidence or facts upon which such
settlement was made.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1967.

Approved April 21, 1967.

CHAPTER 452
(Senate Bill 242)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 154 of
Article 48A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1964 Replace-
ment Volume), title "Insurance", subtitle "Rehabilitation and
Liquidation", to clarify the exemption of the Commissioner from
the payment of fees to public officers.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 154 of Article 48A of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1964 Replacement Volume), title "Insurance", subtitle "Re-
habilitation and Liquidation", be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

154.

The Commissioner shall not be required to pay any fee to any
public officer in this State for filing, recording, issuing a transcript
or certificate or authenticating any paper or instrument pertaining
to the exercise by the Commissioner of any of the powers or duties
conferred upon him under this subtitle, whether or not such paper
or instrument be executed by the Commissioner or his deputies, em-
ployees or attorneys of record and whether or not it is connected
with the commencement of any action or proceeding by or against
the Commissioner, or with the subsequent conduct of such action or
proceeding.

Nothing herein contained, however, shall be taken to relieve the
Commissioner or his deputy, acting as receiver, ancillary receiver,
conservator, etc. pursuant to the terms of this subtitle, from the