Case Information
*1 ,... . . . . .
-” *’ “..:
0; _ : ‘...: ..,:... 2 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY G ERAL OF TEXAS w AUSTIN GROVER SELLERS
A.TTO”NLI GENERAL
Eenorable R. A. &rton
Oounty Attorney
calhoun County
tort Lavaca, Texas Opinion lo. o-6817
mar Sirr c\
mlnrlon for th
Ye have r*c or our opinion an the hemlnabove-captioned
follou8:
ltylr property. t your Department ha8 ty Council ha8 roque8ted a ruling t before the propored repair8 am turr 18 authorized out of the Sea- hat qUO8tiOll MY be Sad. clear to the the Doparhent, I UI ncloring rkotch rhov- Lug- lmatlon of the proporad repaim.
%a. tventy year8 ago, the City l xtondrd thm north end of the rxi8ting reavall by the ConrtNctim of a 14 foot bulkhead out to the mouth of L~zrn’r Bayou-- the outer 8urfaar va8 faoed vlth limortona riprap.
Behind thi8 fourtoon foot vrll, the city, vith the *2 gonorablo R. A. Barton, pago 2
aid of Podoral Fuado, dndgod out a rtom harbor a8 a tozmlnuo tho Intorcoaotal Canal. Tbo harbor lo ovnbd tlnlr br Cltr.
%urlng rocont storm, tho ratrr naohod a hoaht of over 15) foot, parring completely ovor 14 foot oavall and into tho basin. The action tho vator, aad 8tom too8rd ships and vrooolu@, l r odod partly o r o o o tho oavall and undomlnod the rotalnlag vall or bulkhead on tho baok old*.
"Uhllo tho rotalnlng vail lr oa tho inoido of tho Hualaipal Xarbor, our City nglaoor otatoo it 18 noco8oar~ to replace , Fall., ad rtroagthon~tho in8ido bulkhead8 in ardor to support tho outrids ooa- Wll.
"Under this fact rltuatbon, vi11 it bo legal for the City to ~80 Soavall hIBd8 derived fraa a tax romlo8loa for purpo80 of ropalrlng, ra18ingi and rtrongthoning tho imldo rootlon of tho oavall, ovoa though tho 8&o al80 con8tltutoo the l~oldo bulk- hoad the Jtunlclpal Harbor?”
Sootlon 7, Artiolo 11, of tho ?oxrr CoB8t1tutioB Had8 88 fOllOV8:
'All counXloo ,and oltlor bordering OB thr cob8t of thr Gulf of Ilrrico are horebr uthorlrod upon a vote of tvo third8 of the taxpayoro thornin (to bo 8cortaiBod as may bo provided by lav) to 1s~~ and aolloot ouch ta% oonotruotlon of 8oa vallo, bmkvatoro, or ranitary purporvo a8 may bo authorlrod br lav, md may oroato debt ouoh vorkr and l8ouo bonds la vldenco thoroof. But no dobt for w purporo rh~ll l vo r be incurrod in any mannor by anr olty oouat~ \mlo~rr provltim lo mad@ at tbo tlmo of croatlng~tho~ruo, for lovylng and collOoting a 8UffiObllt tu to J=r tho intOrO8t thoroon and provldo at loaot too per oont as a olnk- lng fund; and tha oondouutlen of th right var for tho rnctlon of ruoh vorko rhall k hrlly pro- vided for,’
bootion 8, Artlolo 11, of the Toxao COMtitUtiOB road8 a8 fOllOV8:
'Th8 OOuntio8 and OftiOo 011 th0 @Ulf COa8t bfng 8ubjoot ala81tOu8 OVorf1oV8, and a vrrr largo *3 ~~onblr 11. A. lhton, pass 3
p~OpOrtlm of the graoral rovoauo blng dorlvod from these Othwvl80 preoperouo lOOallti88~ Tbo kglola- two opeolall~ uth~rlrod to aid b7 Aozwtlen f ouch portlen the public domain as mar k dorod p r o p o r, and in l uoh mode as may k pnvldod b r lav, the oon8tlvotion f 8ea vallo, or bnakvatoro, ouch aid bo prepertloned the xtont u&A value of thr vork8 arootruotod, or to bo oonotruotod, la any locallt~.o
Hours Bill 10. 7, Chapter 485, page 780, Acts of the ?ortp @#v#nt~ kglolaturo, Regular aeoolon, 1941, roads as fOllOV8¶
‘aoetion 1. It i8 found and doolarod that the Cltr tort Lavaoa lo oltr situated oa the Qulf Coast of 8ktO Of ToxbO and $0 8Ubjoet to Oslm- itooo ovorflovo a vary large proportion thr Amoral ~vonuoo of the btato IO Aorlvrd fro8 thlr othorrloo prooporeuo locality.
%0t1oB 2. lo r l parled of tvontt (LO) pars, comonoing on Soptodw 1, 1941, follovlng tba pao- rags of this Aot, thrro lo honby doaatod granted bl the Stats of Toxao Cltq tort Lavaoa, Cal- houn County, Texas, all of the not ramant of all 8tato ad valbrom tax.8 1rvloA aaA oollrotod far atats general purp~ooo, on all proportr, nal and perooaal, IneluA- lag tha rolling #took belong te nilroad eapanIoo (vhioh shall ba oarrWaed an apportioanrd as BOV pnvldrd by lav) In Calhouu Coamty. 8ald 8onot vhon reoelvod br the Cit.7 tort Lavaoa elm11 be used by ouah C1t.r m apaoy f the atate of texao, la tho manner prrvlded 0 this Act, the oonotruotIon, xw- pair, anA lmprovmunt of am vallo, bnahratoro, and harbor8 .
‘boctloa 3. At Bd oaoh month, the Ao- l o o o o r and Collootor Taxes of Calhoun County oh11 make aa ital8.A report ador oath Comptroller Of Pub110 AOOOUntO Of th0 8ktO l f tOXa0, 011 fOl'88 be furnlrhod br thr Caeptrollor, 8hOviag tho amount of all aA valora ?&x08 oell@at@A by hk for Stats gmoral purpoooo upon real aad pwooakal property v1thl.n Countr of Calhoun, inaludIng rollIa~ #took of nIlrOad ownpanlor as horolaabovo prOVlAOAJ and ho oball oaam- pug same vlth an itomirod statemoat shoving fill *4 iorablo 1. A. Barton, page
dlopo8ltloa of all ruch tuor ooll~~toA. The said Ar- l o o o o r a&d CollOOtOr Of ?UO8 8&11 frrvhrd his report to the Coaptrollor, and shall make like report to the Cltr tnarurer of th0 City l f tort kvaoa, and ho shall pa7 over to tho City Tnaouror f the City of tort Lavau all of the roaoyo oollootod by him from ad valomm tax08 levied goaoral purpoooo btate Aurlq said month, looo ruoh uounto as are alloved bt lav fo r l 8oeoolng and colleoting l a80. On th e o o- caolon of oaoh uoh roalttaBoo the Cltf Tnaouror rhll xoouto a roaolpt In dupllobto hoviBA the amount f roper thus reoolvod, forvarding one OXO- outqd orpy H tho Tu Aoooo8or and Collector of Cal- hoti:Qouat~ other oxooutod cop7 the Comp- troller of Pub110 Aooounto of the Stats Texar.
“6iatlw.I 4, The Cltr of Port kvroa, ctlas by md thmugh its govoming bodr ocoaplloh ouch Stats p~rp0008, oh11 have authorIt and 18 horoby uthorltod to looue lto nogotiablo bonds ooourod by a pledge of the tax aono~o damted md granted by the Stats Toxar aBd raid govorni~g bod in it8 dlooro- tlon may ~@CUN 8uch bonds addltlonal I y by a pledge of it8 om tax- povor, and thr procood8 of ralo of 8uoh bond8 may bo urod for the purport ooaotruct- ing, repairing, improving au vallr, broakuator8, and h+rbOr8 protoot raid looalit~
OVWfiOV8J provided BO BOV
provomont rbrll bo made or oontraoted for in the bay on art olAo of the proront 8#a vail u~1ooo un- til all privately ovnod laBdo, 10a808, and roo8oBt8 botvoeB rbld prOpO8Od 8tNCtUN aBd the ~rOOOBt 8W vall shall have boon ooourod by the Cltr of tort LB- vaca br purcba80, gift, coBdomnatloB, thorvloe.
%*atlon 5. Bond8 lrruod by the Cltr Port La- vaca under authority of this Act rhall bo govomod by the General Lava of the Stats Toxsr applicable to bond8 i8ouod br citior and toVn0, including the provl- 8lon8 of Tit108 22 md of thr R8v1886 CiVil 8tatut.o of 1925 ma AmoaQonto- thoroto, ad If the bonds are be oocurod by a plodgo of the taxing povor of tha Cltr tort Lwaaitho proposition rutoittod ia lOCtiOB l88uanoo of raid bonds 8hall Oontaia a nforoBoo tho faot that l uoh tax 18 uthwlrod. The bond8 *5 Irrombl. R. A. tbrtoa, w&o 5
$o~uoA by the Cltr ouah pur p o o o o shall not l xoooA m Mouat or amounts vhloh oould bo l orv$ooA both as to prinalpal urd intoroot vlth ooah donated tueo bwd #a thm &tbot l p p rwod l 080080d value l f prop-
l &f, lnaludiry V~~UO Of rolling etaok l pportlmod to 8uOh COuatJ, in tilhoUn COUtf, at th0 ti8. ruoh prepoooo loouo said bonds, and krrd on the city . von&o tax rat0 lovloA br Stab Texas for 00nonl F~BA purp0800 Aurias ton (10) roan pn- aod$ng the rear in vhloh raid bond8 a~ to bo looued.
After bond8 8ball h8vo boon voted or$g$B~l~~.unArr thi8 Aot 8UbOOqWBt 188uo8 M)' k voted as nquirod.
&ndr of UI iroue may bo Aollvorod bt one tf88 or to tl8e as and vhon the onar lo nredrd for from tin 8uCh pUl7.808. The money nooivod by the Cltr from 8uoh donated tauro rhall bo uooA to p&r tho pr$ncl- pal -6 lntoroot of raid bonds and 8hall net bo dl- vortad to &ny othor purpeoo. ‘Seation 6. To xtont ronor may bo o-
oumulrtod in the riBkin& fund fru 8UOh Wats donated tuoo in xco88 of ourront roqulromonto principal uid intoroot uid to provide 8Uah r o8o rv. l 8 UT be pro8orlbod in tho ordinsnoo or ordinmoo8 authorizing thr l88uanoo of raid bends, it nry bo lBvr8toA in o- oorAe~co vlth the Oononl kv rp llcrblo to oltlo8.
The use uad AlvoroloB of aono~o R onin granted for an7 purpooo othor than tho papant intonot anA 00 the bonds voted honundor or invo8tod principal in booord&~oo vlth pplioable lava is horob pro- hibited anA the vlo&tioB of this OOOtiOB 8hr11 oon- bllo moner and the peroon 8titUtO 8loapplleatlon porooao so offonding rhal bo pullhod co provldod F for in Artlolr 86 of the Pon~l Code of tha Iltato of Toxar ,
%octlon 7. The fret that this Act lo doolgard t0 prOteat a 1Oulit~ rituated @a th0 half cOb8t from oah8$tw8 vorfbVo, aad th0 fact that voq tiPgO proportlen the gononl rovonue of the Skto do- rived from ouch &horvloo prorp@rouo loaalltr oreate an morgonoy $mpontivo pub110 BOoo88it~ that Con8tltutlwl Rule nqulria# bLll8 to bo road in oroh ~#u## on thr.8 l .parat# day8 k #U8pOtrbO& Ud 8aid Rule $8 horobr u8pondod, 4nd that thir Aot booera of- foctlvo $mmod$atoly fro8 and aftor its paoragr, it 18 80 naotod.’ *6 ~onblo R. A. Barton, pip 6 O-4117, rddreoo8A to ro\t, vo hold
In our oplBloB IO. j follovo 8 'Wo are, thorofon, of the opiala~ t&t Houoo Bill 7, 8Upti, vhb r oln it l uko to remit taboo to eon- 8truot ooavallo broakvatoro 18 nO~'vlolrtlvo of the Conotltutlon Foxas, but that it lo uacoaotitutioaal inrofar it ooko to nmlt tax00 to coaotruot hrkm.
Ye lurthor hold that tho striking of the .vorA 'harbon from the bill door aot lavall&rto the balaaoo thoroof.~
fB ocu8plia~oo 7, vlth the 9l’OV101Oli8 Of Heu80 Bill Ho. the Clt7 of tort kvbaa 180uad Cit of tort ZAvau 8wvall 8.ad in 1941, anA the E Bpoakvator Bonds itf cOQi8Oion 8a@ the fol- order , BOtiOO ~o‘etton, and loving rtatonoat in the lootlon 8fldinm08 uthorl8$Bg the $8oua~oo of buuiot ‘For tho 9ur9000 OOBOtN6tiB& repairing, md lmprov 8tiVall0 aad brOahratOr8 t0 p~#t#Ot the Oltr of art kvaca from tho continuing ~BA ro- ocourr$Bg calamlteuo ovorfl8vo, vhioh $mprovoaento an, In the p$nl8B of tho City Cormloolo~~, 88on- tlbl to adequate protootloa of oity.
In the oa80 of the Flrrt flatloos &~k tort Arthur v. City of tort Arthur t al, 35 S. Ye (26) 258, thr Beaumont Court civil A99oalo raid'
'Cou~ool 89p011080, in their brlof, 8all our attOBtiOB t0 b lImbor Of gOnO= TU100 Of OOB8tNOti~ pertaining ho thoro conotitutional proVi8iOM.
~108 lo that roforrod b our Su romo Court in Valkor 225, 2 66 8. U. 399. Tho gonoral v. No~oro, 114 fox.
rule there referrod to lo %hat oontaqtorano8uo md practlaal o8nrtruotlon of oon8tltutioBal provioloBo by tho Loglolaturo $n the n8atmont of law8 should have groat voight 8nA give rlu to 8 natural pntumptlon tho log$8latlvo conrtruotlolb, rightly $Btorproto moan- 9l’OV1810& In OWUlOOtiOB vlth this goaonl ~10, oowlrol 9polloo $n tholr brlof direct to the 8ovoral Ot8 at d$fforont our ttontlon times of k~lolatur8 SMting aid t0 blf CU8t Oiti.8 thb Texas under ootlon 8, art1818 11, of the Conotltutlon. One Of th.80 thr l Ot grarM.ng aid Oltr Of Oalvoo- ton rhortly after dO8tNOtiVO gulf hurricane in 1900.
~orablo 2. A. Barton, page
Another 18 the l ot granting aid to the oltr of Corpus Cbl'iOtiJ another $0 tha sot sraat~ aid the oitr of IrroopwtJ mother lo l ot granting aid to Olty of RookportJ another lo tho act granting aid to thb OltJ Of ?Ort tiVa0aJ another 18 act grU&ing aid to tho oitr Aranoao ta88. IB this OOIUibOtiOB o~uaool.oonto~A, aad uadortako to ruotain thr oon- ia -oh iB8tQC.O tentlOB, that !d($i#~tul'e above 8tatbA garb a broad urd llborrl oonotruotloa 88OtlOIi 8 Of art1010 11 Of th0 COB8tltUtlOB md that the Loglolaturo in there ln8tanooo did not oonotmo l ootion limit stat0 aid to @Ulf curt oitior the oonotruotlon 8oa vallo and brOakVator8, that 10, to thora hrolaal tl'UOtUl'O8 thOm8OlVO8, but aoartruod ootion 1s la a broad r)y so as to give aid to those @ulf cO4Ot OitiO8 in the OOB8tNOtiOn Of vork8 not aotuallJ a part a 8oa vail or broakvator.
MO 8h11 BOt Avoll U9Oli this 8~08tiOa Of COuII801, though vo ro $mpro8ood vlth the foroo of this ouggo8- tlon aad tha argument in connootlon. Other goaoral ~leo Of intOrpPOtbtiOB and OOB8tXUOtiOB mar bo raid to bo tho follovLagr
'1. The intontlon of the maker8 of the conrtl- tutlon vi11 be’arcortalnod, and vhon that intontlon I8 80 ocortalnod, vhathor xproo8od in pbb laaguago not, uoh $ntont koono8 as much part of the lav if It had boon 0~~08006 ln plain and uaoquivoaal tomo. This' vao mrlo naouaood br our Su roa18 COUllt~, 90 # COUPt in ml18 bUILtJ~V. -pIa OX. 606, 40 s. Y. 403.
‘2. Loglolatlon, orgaalo rtatutory, must bo roaronably cOB#truOd uid in b aaBnOr not FOP-t t0 CmOB 8OBOO. This rule lo annouaood $B 8uOOn fn81w &II60 Co.. v. State, 86 Tax. 250, 24 8. Y. 397, 22 L.R.A.
483, and. Q Bt. Lou18 fS. U. Railway Co. of Toxar v.
ToA, Tax. 632, 64 8. U. 778,
‘3. A public groat a pub110 dvankgo rhould be llborall~ oonrtruod in a~ ndoavor to acoamplloh tho purporo.of the (gnd. This rulo vao announced In Ar- anoao County v. Coleman-9ulton tarturo CO., 108 TOX.
'216, 191 8. Y. 553.
'4. In aonotrulng a lav It vi11 bo prooumod tho croatoro of amo an fulllar vlth the candltlono bo rollevod galnot and ooBditlon rf the count7 to vhloh the ot lo pplloablo. Vlnona L St. 9. R. CO.
V. RUBO~, 113 0.8. 625, 5 a. ct. 606, 28 L. Ed. 1109.
~onblo E. A. Sarton, page 8
'5. If pooolble, oon8truotlon vi11 bo adopted vhlah vi11 prroto tho pub110 lntonrto in uoord vlth 8ouaA conala 90110~. Fhlr rule vao nforrod to ln atat0 V. r&kO8, 72 TOX, 242, 11 8. we iowe
‘6. In tho oon8tructlon of Conotltutlonr, ~011 ‘6. In tho oon8tructlon of Conotltutlonr, as ~011 as l tatutoo,tho povoro noooorary tho xoraloo of as l tatutoo,tho povoro noooo8ar~ to tho l xo ralo o povor oloarly granted vi11 bo lmpllod. This rmlo vao povor oloarly grmtod vi11 bo lmpllod. This rmlo vao roforrod to in Texas cent. 8. Co. vr Bovnun, 97 Tax. roforrod to in Texas cent. 8. Co. vr Bovnun, 97 Tax.
417, 79 s. u, 295. 417, 79 s. u, 295.
'7. When gmoral povor lo oonfornd, vorf iOr XOl'~iOO Of 8-0 18 POVOP BOOO88bry WA+tiOUhLr 8180 conferrod, vhothrr xpro88l~ ranted not. Thl8 lo tho rule laid dovn in Cooloyt8 8 onotltutlonal Llml- tatlonr (8th EA.) vol. 1, page 138,
"In addition to the l b ovo goneral ruler of lntor- protatlon, vo think that tho rule announced by our Su- promo court, through Chief Jurtico Phi1lip8, in baa888 County t al. v. Coleman-Fulton Pa8tw COu~panf, 108 fox. 216, 191 S. Y. 553, 554, whore roctlon 52 of ar- tic10 3 Of Our COIi8titUtiOn Yb8 under COB8tNCtiOn, the ~1s .of groatort application to tho fact8 in this ca.Io. It [48] fOllOV8l
“The plrlt, purpose and 8oopo of the particular provlrlon an all tQ bo oonoultod in tho offort to do- torrpino vlth OortairrtJ tho moaning of it8 torm8.t
'Applying that ~10 Fn thlr caoo, VI have a0 he8- ltanc~ ln aonoludlq that tho rpoBdlturo b7 tho olty Port Arthur of it8 bond aonoy abovr m@ntlOBod for tho vork dOno by tho Contnl Conotruotlon Coapanr in COn8tNoting the Stllvoll storm Drain va8 not pro- hibited and vould not bo in vlolatlen ooction 8, artlclo 11, of the cOB8titUtiOB. The plrlt aBd the purporo ctUato6 tho frw8oro of that artlalo van mainly tho pretootlon tho llvoo and proportJ oi poop10 ln OitiO8 ltUato6 OB th8 Gulf ba#t snd al- vap l xpo886 to danger and hasardr tho 8oar tro- tootlon thooo pooplo and tholr property, VI 8a), vao the ma5.n and oontrolllng thought, and la addltlon to that, and as incldontal that, va8 .tho bonoflt that vould redound and aooruo to the pop10 of th0 vholo rtato of Toxar br protooting uoh of it8 citicon8 *9 ~&able It. Ar Ilrrton, paso 9 la the l xp o o od oltloo.
as lfvr It vao knova that Mary Tra;ao oountloo and altloo VOW so oltuatod upon tho Oolf hart as to b0 aonrkrtl7 exposed to tho ravagoo gulf hurrlaanoo, arig tho purporo amI dootNotioa th4 framoro of tha art1010 vao to .of iv0 protoctlon, is far po8oiblo through huun ok;1 f anA agonor, to llvor and property our altiroBo rxpoo(d to 8uGh htardo .
%a think that trial oourt, uudor tho WI- donoo la this oboe, vbo oorreot la finding oar&- oludlng that Oa8tFUOtiOB of the 8tllvoll Stem Dr&in, as OO?itOmplrtOA,Va8 an 8888ntlAl end ~00088r27 mb oomponoat part of tho ooa vall pro cot at Port Ar- thur, UIA tht thoroforo tho btllvoll i tom Drain vhon aomplotod vi11 be a part of the sea vall in the 801100 in vhloh that tom 18 used ln ooctlon 8, artlolo 11, the Con~tltutlallr*
IB vlov tho holding la the above-oltod oboe, It lo ap- that tho an8vor to the quo8tlon rubmittod by you 18 dopendant wnnt upon tho dotomlnatlon a8 vhothor tho aontomplatod oonotructloa 88Olltir1, BOCO888~, and OOlUp8lIOnt pUt Of 8UVbll PPOjOCt. lox bB ~inOor~ fact. it 10 BOCO88bl'Y t0 I’OPlbOO. rbi80, bnd 6A.khoidr of tho rotaihg vail ~tr&thoB the-l~8lAo in-ardor our opinion, bared OB tho foro- rupport tho out8ldo 88bYbl1, it nolna uthorltloo. ruoh OonotNOtiOn VOUld OOB8titUto "Ui Oo- noaoriar). md oomponmt part tho roavall project” &iTal at Port Lavaca, hxa8, and tbat your quootion rhould bo aB8vorod la th e l fflmatlvo.
VOrr tNlr TOUl'O .tZphD&E ATTQRRRX OHRRRAL OF -S
ATTCRSEY GENERAL OF TFXAS
~88iitbBt JCD/JCt