shall any county judge, special county judge, surrogate, or special surrogate appear or act as counsel for a defendant in any criminal case or proceeding pending in his own county or in any adjacent county.

§ 20. It shall be the duty of the Legislature and the courts to promote the speedy trial of all criminal and civil cases and the prompt disposition of all questions submitted to the courts for decision. In order that the State may avail itself of the services of former judges of long judicial experience, who are still competent to perform substantial judicial services, the offices of State referee and local referee are hereby created. The qualifications, appointment, powers, duties and compensation of such referees, who must have served as judges in the courts of the State for at least ten years, shall be regulated by law.

State referees may be empowered to perform their duties in any county; but local referees shall not be empowered to exercise any duties beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the local court in which they shall have last served. The Legislature may provide that the respective Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court may assign a State referee to hold any term of the Supreme Court.

The former judges of the Court of Appeals and former justices of the Supreme Court who have heretofore been appointed and are now serving as referees or official referees under existing provisions of law shall hereafter be known and serve as State referees, and all other official referees now serving shall hereafter be known and serve as local referees. Until otherwise provided by law, said referees shall perform the duties and receive the compensation now provided by law.

No State or local referee shall appear as an attorney or counselor in any court in this State while serving as such referee, and any such referee whether heretofore or hereafter appointed shall be removable as may be provided by the Legislature by general

law.

21. The testimony in equity cases shall be taken in like manner as in cases at law; and, except as herein otherwise provided, the Legislature shall have the same power to alter and regulate the jurisdiction and proceedings in law and in equity that it has heretofore exercised. The Legislature, however, shall not amend the civil practice acts or alter civil procedure in courts of record unless the Governor shall certify to it that the proposed amendment or alteration is in his judgment immediately advisable or necessary, with his reasons therefor; but, without such certification, the Legislature may amend or alter the civil practice acts or the civil procedure in said courts, provided that any such proposed amendment or alteration be first proposed by one Legis

lature and then referred to the Legislature to be chosen at the next general election of members of the Assembly and published in the official publication of the session laws under the title of "Proposed Civil Practice Amendment or Amendments," as the case ay be, whereupon the Legislature as so next constituted shall have power to pass any such proposed amendment or alteration, subject to the same conditions as apply to other general legislation under article III of this Constitution.

§ 22. The clerks of the several counties shall be clerks of the Supreme Court, with such powers and duties as shall be prescribed by law. The clerk of the Court of Appeals shall keep his office at the seat of government. The clerk of the Court of Appeals and the clerks of the Appellate Divisions shall receive such compensation as may be established by law which shall be paid out of the State treasury.

§ 23. The Legislature shall provide for the speedy publication of all statutes and all civil or criminal practice acts and rules, and for the collection, compilation and publication annually of the civil and criminal judicial statistics of the State. It shall further provide for the creation of a State law reporting bureau, which shall be under the direction and control of an official State reporter, who shall be appointed and be removable by the Court of Appeals, and who shall be charged with the duty, as may be provided by law and directed by said court, of publishing official reports of the opinions or decisions of all the courts of the State. But all laws and judicial opinions or decisions shall nevertheless be free for publication by any person.

The

24. The commissioners of jurors now in office shall hold their offices until the expiration of their respective terms. Legislature may provide for the appointment of a commissioner of jurors in any county; but in a county in the first and second judicial districts, such appointment, if authorized, shall be made by the respective Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court embracing those districts, and, in any other county by the county judge and surrogate thereof and the justice or justices of the Supreme Court resident therein, if any. The Legislature shall define the duties of commissioners of jurors and fix their terms of office and compensation, which shall be a county charge.

$25. Nothing in this article contained shall abridge the authority of the Legislature to create or abolish any board or court with jurisdiction to hear and audit or determine claims against the State, and any such tribunal existing when this article shall take effect shall be continued with the powers then vested in it until otherwise provided by law.

§ 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendments be referred to the Legislature to be chosen at the next general election of Senators, and in conformity with section one of article fourteen of the Constitution be published for three months previous to the time of such election.

Also, Senate bill (No. 539, Int. No. 505) entitled as follows: Concurrent resolution of the Senate and Assembly proposing an amendment to article eight of the Constitution, in relation to limitation of indebtedness of cities and counties.

Section 1. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That article eight of the Constitution be amended by inserting therein a new section, to be section ten-a, to read as follows:

10-a. The debt limitation of a city or county, or the limitation of the amount which the city or county is authorized to raise annually for city or county purposes, as prescribed by section ten of this article, shall not be affected by reason of a change in the system of taxation or in the definition of real estate or real property, whereby real estate then subject to taxation in such city or county shall be exempted from taxation or be taxed otherwise than on its assessment-rolls; but the valuation of such real estate as it last appeared on such assessment-rolls shall continue to be a part of the base on which the debt limitation, or on which the limitation on the amount which the city or county is authorized to raise annually for city or county purposes, shall be calculated. The Legislature in its discretion may confer appropriate jurisdiction on the Appellate Divisions in the several judicial departments for the purpose of determining the real estate in any city or village, which is so exempted or otherwise taxed, and the value thereof.

§ 2. Resolved (if the Assembly concur), That the foregoing amendment be referred to the Legislature to be chosen at the next general election of Senators and in conformity with section one of article fourteen of the Constitution be published for three months previous to the time of such election.

with a message that they have concurred in the passage of the

same.

Ordered, That the Clerk deliver said concurrent resolution to the Secretary of State.

The Assembly returned the concurrent resolution by Mr. Lusk extending the time of the special joint legislative committee on taxation.

Also, the concurrent resolution by Mr. Meyer, relative to an

additional appropriation for the special joint legislative committee to investigate the government of New York city.

Also, the concurrent resolution by Mr. Walton, extending the time of the special joint legislative committee to investigate the corporation laws.

The Assembly returned the concurrent resolution by Mr. Walton extending the time of the special joint legislative committee on the simplification of civil practice.

Also, the concurrent resolution by Mr. Davenport, relative to the printing of 4,000 copies of the 1922 report of the special joint legislative committee on taxation and retrenchment, with a message that they have concurred in the adoption of the same.

The Assembly returned the Assembly concurrent resolution by Mr. Yale, relative to the preparing and printing memorials, with a message that they have concurred in the amendment thereto.

Ordered, That the Clerk return said resolution to the Assembly. Mr. Lusk offered a resolution, in the words following:

Resolved, That a committee of two Senators be appointed to wait upon the Governor, and inform him that the Senate has completed its business and is ready to adjourn.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative.

The President appointed as such committee Messrs. Walton and Straus.

The above named committee returned to the Senate chamber. and reported that they had performed that duty.

Mr. Lusk offered a resolution, in the words following:

Resolved, That a committee of two Senators be appointed to wait upon the Assembly, and inform that body that the Senate has completed its business and is ready to adjourn.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to said resolution, and it was decided in the affirmative.

The President appointed as such committee Messrs. Burlingame and McGarry.

The above committee returned to the Senate chamber and reported that they had performed that duty.

Messrs. McGinnies and Taylor appeared in the Senate chamber

and inform the Senate that the Honorable, the Assembly, has completed its business and is ready to adjourn.

The journal of Friday, March 17, was read and approved.

Pursuant to the concurrent resolution heretofore adopted, the hour of twelve o'clock, noon, having arrived, Mr. Lusk moved that the Senate do now adjourn.

The President put the question whether the Senate would agree to said motion, and it was decided in the affirmative. Whereupon, the Senate adjourned sine die.

SPECIAL COMMITTEE APPOINTED ON THE PART OF THE SENATE.

The Temporary President announced the following appointment to fill vacancy:

Senator Cotillo as a member of the Special Joint Legislative Committee to investigate the subject of compensation of teachers and the system of education in place of former Senator Mackrell.

ERRATA

Page 127, after line 19, insert the following:

"Ordered, That the Clerk deliver said resolution to the Assembly and request their concurrence therein."

Page 157, last line, "Rec. No. 22" should read " Rec. No. 12". Page 163, before the motion to adjourn insert the following: "The Assembly returned the resolution introduced by Mr. Lowman extending the time of the special joint committee on motor vehicle laws."

Page 178, line 26, "Int. No. 95" should read "Int. No. 94 ". Page 194 (bottom), "Int. No. 175" should read "Int. No.

176"

Page 247, line 4, "Int. No. 112" should read " Int. No. 122".