282 ARTICLE 23.

actions and proceedings to which the commission may be a party and in
which any question arises under this sub-title, or under or concerning any
order or action of the commission, shall be preferred over all other civil
causes except election causes, in all the courts of the State of Maryland,
and shall be heard and determined in preference to all other civil business
pending therein, excepting election causes, irrespective of position on the
dockets of said courts. The same preference shall be granted upon applica-
tion of the general counsel to the commission, or the People's Counsel in
any action or proceedings in which the general counsel or the People's
Counsel may be allowed to intervene.

An. Code, 1924, sec 354. 1912 sec 419 1910, ch. 180, sec. 7 (p. 349).
1924, ch. 48, sect. 419 1927, ch. 201, sec. 7.

354, Every commissioner, the general counsel to the commission, the
People's Counsel, the secretary of the commission and every person em-
ployed or appointed to office under, in the service or in connection with the
said commission, is hereby forbidden and prohibited to solicit, suggest,
request or recommend, directly or indirectly, to any common carrier, rail-
road corporation, street railroad corporation, gas company, electric light

company, telephone company, telegraph company, water company and
refrigerating company, or any other company or corporation subject to this
sub-title, or to any of the provisions thereof, or to any officer, attorney,
agent or employee thereof, the appointment of any person to any office,
place, position or appointment. And every common carrier, railroad cor-
poration, street railroad corporation, gas corporation, electrical corporation,
telephone company, telegraph company, water company, and all other com-
panies or corporations subject to this sub-title or any of the provisions
thereof, and every officer, attorney, agent and employee thereof is hereby
forbidden and prohibited to offer to any commissioner, general counsel to
the commission, or the People's Counsel, to the secretary of the commis-
sion, or to any person employed by the commission, any office, place,
appointment or position, or to offer to give to any commissioner, to the
general counsel to the commission, to the People's Counsel, to the secretary
of the commission or to any officer employed or appointed to office, or to
any person employed in the service of the commission or in connection with
the work of said commission, any free pass or transportation or any reduc-
tion in fares, to which the public generally are not entitled, or any free
carriage for freight or property, or any present, gift or gratuity of any
kind. If any commissioner, general counsel to the commission, the People's
Counsel, the secretary of the commission, or any person employed or ap-
pointed to office or in the service of the commission shall violate any pro-
visions of this sub-title, the Governor shall remove him from the office held
by him. No commissioner and no employee or official engaged in the serv-
ice of or in any manner connected with the said commission shall hold any

office or position, or be engaged in any business or avocation, the duties of

which are incompatible with the duties of his office or employment as com-