*1 OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

BQnoruhle GOO. Ii. sh%p?ard

CozptrolltTr af' Public Aocomts

Almtln, Texas

0 The Legislature may grant ald to l.ni&&i &ibisabledConfed%rata soldiars and eallors under euch regulatione and litita- tione as r;lay be ae%md by the Legislature as expt-dient, nnri to their *-idow in indigoat oirc~taPoeo lml%r suoh regulationa arKI l@dt8- tions as my be deerued by the Legislature as BI- pedientg to indigent OR3 dlsablail soMieso who, unaer special laws OS the state of T-s, aumg the War botveen the Statea, served in orgerdra- tiona Sor the protection of the frontier againet Intuan r&a8 or biadcku aurBua%rs* and to idi- gent and tieabled soldiora of the millLti0 uho wure in act&y% sewioo during the War between %ates, Cuvz to the ridorra of such soldiera rrboyein~gentc~~tar~eee,a~vho~e

or my be eugihic to rmeive aid unaaf 6ucrh regnlacions and lImitationa as may be dewed aJ the LegialatoFe as m-eat; a S‘lBO f&l%& for the estahlfehrttautand~ntemame of the horn for aaid ooldie~e and aaklors, their sires andridous andrwaenrho a&.&din theConfsbemioy, under such regulstions and lia?itatlone aa may bo prtiati for by htv~ pmiatu tie Legielature may provide for husband and rife to rfzaxain to- gether in the home. There is hereby levied- addition ta all other taxes berrotofore permitted by the Conetirutlon of Texas, a state ad wklorem tax on pfopartg of mvtm (Q.07) cants on the 0110 hundmd ($190 &O) dOllPrB la~USt%On fO& t&O pI1F- pose OS or0ati~ a speaial fund for the pnyxmnt -of ,7t3n~ions for raorvicoe in the Conf%derate m

and Wavy, frontier organizations and the.milit3a OS tb% State of TeSCas, aud for the WidOWa Of Crumb ecildiors serving in said am&es, mtiw, orG&za- tions or tilitiqj proo2hd that the Legislatur% skiby rti%co tbt3 tax rata horekn levied. . . , *a

The tax wthoriacd by this S%otl.on of the Coneti- tutiun is specificallp for t.b% purpose *of oreatinr: a speotal fund for the3 paymnt US pWonare A pension is a pe~H.Mc allos;mcc of money grant%& by a govwm?ent for s%rvle~o row dcr&, in particular to a soldier or sailor in conntmtion with war or rd'itary opQrations. mrse 0. lPoberteon, 9 Raw. lu5, 169; Stat% ex ral Raridep VI Kiamel, 288 IliO. 611, 168 8. w. NT& Y%clf0ra V* WhifO, l@$ Color 43s, lo6 mu. United State8 T Iiall tMl U 5 343 * . . * . ,

480, 474; # t *3 HonoraUle 0~0. ii. ti%ppa&siZ - page 3

Ed. lsoj Webeterc6 Rear Int%mational Dictionary, 2a edition.

Tbe language of the Oonstitution is presumetl to have been chosen with nmre care than that of any other legis~atlon. Alenrander Y. State, 84 Grim. Rep. 75, 204 s. isi'. 644; cox Y. Robinson, 105 TQ. 420, 150 8. w. 1149. Plain ;lhi definite \oOrds of tbe Constitution, therefore, are to be taken in their ordinary meaning. Keller f. State, 87 So t. 669, 1.~. R. A. (liS)489. Tbe language selected by framers of the Constitution,~wben its meaning is clear, controls tbe court in interpreting it. Ex parte hi%yer,84 Crita. Rep. 288, 2~7 S. P. l00. phere rot-as used in a constitution are plain and unambiguous, there is no occasion for construction.

rho Confederate Pension Fund authorized to be areated by Article 3, Section 61, of the Constitution, is a oonstitutlonal special fund which may be applied only to the purposes for which, udi%r the constitutionsl provisiun, the fund is oreat&, to-sit; sTbo payment of peMions.* Tbe appliaati,on ti suah fund to any othe& pur- pose than that authorized hy the constitutional prwision is enpressly~probihited hy Article 8, Section 7, of our Constitution, whiti prwidoat

*The Legislature shall not have power to borrow, or in any mum?& dive&t frem its pur- pose, any special fund that nay, or ought to, come into the treasury; . . . . .

Of this section of the Constitution, the late cm-of Justice Cureton t4aiat

*The&e arc various special funds namti ia the ~onstitutlon, such as the School Fund, et cetera, and the purpose of Ss%fion 7, Article 8, WOB to prevent their diversion. These special funds, of course, can not be tivertad,

* Draeott River ~cnsertation 6 Recl;rern-

h.&'Di.(strict P. EoCr;m (Tax.) $1 8. W. (2) 660. See, also, Carroll f. Oillirrnx, 109 Tex.

156, 202 6. W. 504~ Lsmon v. tioker (Civ.Apps.) 220 s. w= 260. cf the Btate imolvet? in establishing Expcnrlftures

3rd n~int..ainS~: the Confederate Boz~es do not constitute *the payment of p%nsions.* Since expendlturw Prom the Uenneral wuttd for these purposes were not Blade for tbe purpose for Which tho Confederate Pension Fund was created and suthortstnl *4 to be @xpendeii by the Cmntltution, reimbursam~t oE the tieneral FumI Worn tha Confederrrte lens&on Funa for SU& expesxUtures is probibito& by BFt.icl~ 8, section 7, ai- l&c hlstltution.

*erg truly yaure