1368                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 649

the same for record and indorse thereon the date and time of such re-
ceipt and promptly record the same, together with the indorsements
thereon. After the recording by it of such instrument, the [State
Tax Commission] Department shall transmit [a copy thereof duly
certified by] it to the clerk of the circuit or superior court [where the
church, society or congregation, or the greater part of the members
thereof reside in the case of a plan, agreement, regulation or articles
of amendment under secs. 263 or 264, or where the congregation
shall have or possess a place of worship in the case of a certificate of
incorporation or articles of amendment under secs. 271 or 273,]
of the county in which such corporation's principal place of worship
is located by whom the same shall be again recorded. One-quarter of
the recording fees collected shall be paid by the [State Tax Com-
mission] Department for recording such instrument to the clerk of
the circuit or superior court to whom a copy thereof is transmitted,
and for the balance it shall account quarterly to the Comptroller and
pay the same forthwith to the State Treasurer for the use of the
State.

(2)    Trustees or corporators not to become body corporate until
compliance with subsection (1) of this section.—When any such
plan, agreement, regulation or certificate of incorporation has
been so delivered for record to the [State Tax Commission]
Department with the recording fee for which provision is herein-
before made, and not before, the trustees under sec. [262] 263 or the
corporators under sec. 271, as the case may be, shall become and be a
body corporate by the name therein stated. When any such articles
of amendment have been so delivered for record to the [State Tax
Commission] Department with said recording fee, and not before,
the amendment or amendments made thereby shall take effect.

(3)    Recording as evidence of existence.—A duly certified copy
of any of the aforegoing instruments from the records of the [State
Tax Commission] Department or the clerk of the circuit or superior
court shall be evidence of the existence of the corporation and of
its right to exercise the powers therein mentioned, or of the amend-
ment or amendments provided therein, as the case may be. The
recording by the [State Tax Commission] Department of any such
instrument shall be conclusive evidence of the payment of the re-
cording fee required by law to be paid to it, except in a direct pro-
ceeding by the State.

270.    Amendment of charter by special acts prohibited.

In order to carry out the purpose and spirit of secs. 33 and 48 of
Article III of the Constitution of Maryland and in order to prevent
the enactment of special laws, amending the charters of religious
corporations heretofore incorporated by the special act, no bill shall
hereafter be introduced at the General Assembly of Maryland for the
purpose of amending the charter of any such religious corporation.
Every such corporation, desiring to amend or change its charter,
shall adopt articles of amendment and deliver the same for record to
the [State Tax Commission] Department in accordance with the
provisions of secs. 264 or 273, and 269 of this article.

271.    Incorporation of congregations.

In every congregation of the denomination of Christians known as
the "Roman Catholic Church," the ordinary and the vicar-general