1306 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 534

by the public Service Commission Law, by any other law, by
any charter, franchise or ordinance, by any order of this Com-
mission or otherwise, it shall be the duty of said People's Coun-
sel, upon a prima facie case, or otherwise, to par-
ticipate in the preparation or reforming of the pleadings be-
fore the Commission, if need be, or investigating or further
investigating the facts or evidence upon which the application,
complaint or protest is based or may be based and to appear
before the Commission in respect to investigations or in sup-
port of applications or complaints by or on behalf of or in the
interest of the public or in defense of the public interests when
involved and the services of the experts employed by said Com-
mission as well as the records and other facilities of the Com-
mission shall be availed of by said People's Counsel in the per-
formance of these public duties; provided that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to prevent any party or interest
in any proceeding before said Commission from appearing in
person or from being represented by counsel.

All actions and proceedings under this sub-title, and
all actions and proceedings commenced and prosecuted by
order of the Commission, and all 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 States 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 application of the
People's Counsel to the Commission in any action or proceed-
ings in which the People's Counsel may be allowed to intervene.

The Attorney General shall be the legal adviser and repre-
sentative of the Public Service Commission, and he shall ad-
vise the Commission and each Commissioner, when so requested,
in regard to all matters in connection with the powers and dut-
ies of the Commission and of the members thereof, and perform
all duties and services as attorney and counsel to the Commis-
sion which the Commission may reasonably require of him. The
Attorney General is authorized to assign to his assistants, and
to each of them, the performance, subject to his direction and
control, of any of the duties required of him by this Section.

419. Every commissioner, the People's Counsel, the secre-
tary of the commission and every person employed or appoint-