that was calculated to clear away legal cobwebs. On the pretext that the
reforms proposed were covered by the Bar Association bills, or that the
measures were duplicated by other bills, or that they were loosely
drawn, on any pretext, in fact, the Senate Committee recommended that
fifty-two of the sixty-five measures be withdrawn. And they were
withdrawn. Of the thirteen remaining, seven stuck in the Committee, died
there; five, just before the session closed, were referred back to the
Senate with the recommendation that they do not pass. They didn't. Of
the sixty-five bills, the Senate Committee gave only one favorable
recommendation. This lone recipient of Committee approval got back to
the Senate on March 5th. It died on the files.

Such was the fate of the measures prepared under the direction of the
Commonwealth Club for reform of the methods of indictment, trial and
appeal in criminal cases. The Bar Association bills received somewhat
better treatment.

Of the nine so-called Bar Association bills, eight passed the Senate;
the other died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Of the eight which got
through the Senate, two were defeated in the Assembly, while six passed
that body and went to the Governor.

Four of the six Bar Association bills which passed dealt with the repeal
of those sections of the code which provide for bills of exceptions in
criminal cases and substituted the plan, described in considering the
Commonwealth Club bills, of providing the higher Court with complete
record of the testimony and the proceedings in the trial Court.

One of the two remaining measures requires sentence to be imposed upon a
convicted felon in not less than two nor more than five days after the