excepting the Public Service Commission, whose counsel is appointed
by the Governor. The Attorney General or his assistants represent
, the State in all litigation, including criminal appeals, before the
Court of Appeals. The Law Department acts as counsel to all Balti-
more City officials appointed by the Governor, and to the Clerks of
Courts, the Registers of Wills, the Sheriffs, State's Attorneys, and
the Trial Magistrates of the several counties and of the City of
Baltimore, as well as to certain other county officials. The Depart-
ment does not represent the Boards of County Commissioners, the
Boards of Education, the Boards of Supervisors of Elections, or such
other boards or officials of the counties which have the power to
employ and appoint their own counsel. The Attorney General may
render an opinion on any legal subject or matter upon the request
of the Governor, of the General Assembly, or either House thereof,
or of any department or agency of the State (Code 1951, Art. 32A;
1957 supp. Art. 82A, sec. 6).

The administrative rules and regulations promulgated by any
State officer or agency must be submitted to the Attorney General
for review before they may become effective (Code 1951, Art. 41, sec.
9). The Department is responsible for the enforcemnt of the Sub-
versive Activities Act (Code 1951, Art. 85A, secs. 1-19).

Appropriations 1957 1958

General Funds . .. $113,219 $138,005
Staff: 20 (of which 12 are paid from this appropriation).

DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE
Carl N. Everstine, Director
City Hall, Baltimore 2 Telephone: Plaza 2-2000

The Department of Legislative Reference was originally created
in 1906 to serve the City of Baltimore; in 1916 the scope of the
Department was enlarged to serve the State as well. The Depart-
ment collects, compiles, and indexes information on all questions of
proposed legislation. It investigates and reports on the laws of
Maryland and other states at the request of the Governor, any com-
mittee or member of the General Assembly, or any State agency.
At the request of a member of the General Assembly, the Depart-
ment prepares or aids in the drafting of any law or resolution. Dur-
ing sessions of the General Assembly, the Department maintains
offices in the State House at Annapolis. Each department of the
State Government is required to transmit to the Department of
Legislative Reference at least two copies of each of its reports,
which are used for exchange and reference purposes. The Depart-
ment keeps a complete index and a complete file on all bills intro-
duced in the General Assembly from 1908 to the present. It also
keeps copies of the codes and laws of other states, and it maintains
a library of books, pamphlets, reports, periodicals, and clippings on
matters of current public and political interest. The Department
also has supervision of the Archives of Baltimore (Code 1951, Art.
41, secs. 117-21).

Appropriations 1957 1958

General Funds .. $28,764 $23,964
Staff: 4.