Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable lf. L. %lwards

County Attorney

Victoria County

viotoria, Texlw

near Sir?

Ret Should This ia lx4 reply

which YQ quoter

d Senate Bill the Luve of vlthln six e of the Act. It 0 eisliler lavs aspect to other 9a, b, u, d and e.

al years there has been v e bove brand has been tendered to the County C erk of Victoria County for re-recording under the new law, with substantially the follow- ing notations

"'The above brand is to be wed either alone, or with a bar above, below, to the left, 6~ t0 right. '

Honorable k’. L. Edwards, Page 2

"The County Clerk refuses to reoord the brand so tendered in thla vise, takiag the

position that the notation vith reapeat to the use of the bar constitutes (~1 effort to reoord in the name one person five separate and brands, and that the use by one per- diBtinCt son of more than one brand is prohibited under Article 6890, It. 9. 1925.

"For your Information, I may add that the brand has heretofore been carried in the name of Mr. O'Connor on the Brand Records sketched five dlfferent~veys. 8~ follows:

BO 8~ to indicate the intended use of the bar.

TUB brand hae been oerried m Mr. O*Connor ln this vise in this and edjolning oountles in order to prevent any one bent on aattle theft ,~_ z;rn lpaking a very elmple altemtlon vlth a

. Se aftered a 10s~ b7 theft aeverel yeeis ago in euch manner, a bar being placed on one side o? the main brand bJ the thief.

"As you oan readily Imagine, there is no ceee law on the aubjeot, Article 6890, in the regard above mentioned, never having been eon- etrued by the oourta. I have rdvlred the Qoun- tg Clerk that the proper prooedure la tor him to acoept the brand and pleee the ame of re- cord a8 tendered with the notation with respect to the Intended uee of the~ber therewith. Will you kindly give UB the benefit of your beat judgment ELII to vhether or not he Is oomec$ in deolluing to reaord the brand ee tendered.

Upon a careful oonslderetion of Hr. O'Connor's 'main brand” end the four verletlons thereof, as subfitted by you, we are forced to the ooncluslon that they constitute five different ~;~~;,,,eaoh separate and d$sttiot from all the other foup. A

es used in the stock-protection statutes, is a dlstlnc- tive figure or device placed upon an animal by burning with a hot Iron, or other artificial means.. Pollock va. Ee~~ees City

Kanses); 123 P. 985; Churchill vs. Oeorgla Rr. & BankIng Co. ffa.), 33 s. E. 972. That each of the variations of this brand 1s a distinctive device In Itself seems to be proved by the fact *3 (I oou by reason of thy chauge that Hr. S’COIUWF haa nlmadj lo& deacrlbed by you. 803 would I&G fact thnt t&e differertce be- tween the fireHbmad8 LB jfolntod out merely by a II&O under the record of t&a main brad aske tha proposed recorblr&g any learn one of five different brands.

Senatr B!.ll So. &=$i, 47th LeSlcle~ture, Ee&ar §eomlton, to vhlch 73~ rolar, provider aa Z'ollovrt

‘%Ss Act &all apply to VLctor1.e Colnntp In raid County each ovner of any llro- =U. stock @ezat$oned fn Chnptor 1 of Pftle 121, QS the Re*fmd Clrll stetuter of Texan, 0~9 1925, shall vlthln rlx (6) month8 nftor this Act

tskas effGat , hwa hf4 msk an6 brand Sor

auoh stock reaorded in tha offLee of the Coior- tf Clerk of said County. Such owaern e&all

80 TGOQFO such mnrks and bmnds vbethoc the heretofare moor&d 5x3 amt.

raw have ken right

ma3 orme rhell hevr to have his mrk aud brsnd noordhd in bir mmq u&e, ao- oorbing to the prorent vecerds of said Geuaty, m- the 8amo la the Couutyt 03 La r13Bt Gvent it GsJn POt be n~ce3tailud I308 the w- co* vbo tire 3GGo35e5 ram0 Ia tim coraq,

tbenttmps~cnvhohfi8bmnue~suahmmk

mdbrandt&e~esf shallhavetihotighttc hnvo the enmo rrootdsd in hfa noma. Mtor the upiretion ec rir (6) montha rmly the roewas

made efte& thl8 Aat taker &feat shall be ex- aalaed o* t5n4156re5 in reco3dbg m&8 em3

brenh in ar2.d Couuty. lmediately upon tho effeot this AoC, the County Clerk taking of oatd Cauaty aball have thir Act publlehod

Ln som4 nevrpsper of genmel 61rculntfQn ln the cnunt~ for n perlad of thl.rty (TO) dnyII, vhzch publication r&&.l be paId for by the Countp out *f th4 Oeneral fhunty FuoS.” 6890, Revlkad Clvl?. StdtUt4?$, l!$?T, In a8 fd- Article

love: WfGFy person vho ha0 Ciltth, hsg8, 5heep or goats she12 have en ear atark sad bmmd dV- serlllg froop thG enr mark tlad brand of hlr xlqb- bore, vh!cb GM? a~.& and brana rharll bc FMW'ded by the count clerk of thy crou.uty V&X'@ vuoh 112, pacaoa &all Us6 EtaPe than tlULf=~lB cSh41 ba. I OIM brand, but my resorcI hla bmwi ln a# w

aouatleo as ho Ueoms nec*su*.‘* in Qr145tMh~ bFbIJdh(j ‘phs U(lb Of HS1y thPn a bnnd 1484, Penal Code at 1 ,51 ~&dtls la pro&ibltd w Artiale 1;3 ?ihO~~r hi Origbailf bMIidi#Ig Of MIWk- tng crrttle ~8.8 mom one mark or brand thaa slur11 be fined aot leee tspe twnty-fir* nor aom thaa oae huadmcl dellus tar ee& urtul so bremied or mtmk.8."

Th4 Texas oourts haw held that an ovner of llwetook 8ay for ~~UBQB hU Ibl?rad. VS. 8hmk'r ~1~8, good CAU~O. tleChW& 4 8. W. 552; Dtqat vs. Zltrte, 14% 3. Y. 709. Yet ve bell#e tbat ths above etatuter alurly prdblblt the veeordirrg a& uee,of NOW thanoaabrmabthesameoovratfa~tharamettae.

It l6 uwMson auroPwontbat~aaua?lya&rkws aormat la mfurlag the brawl Sa the mum- mquertod to noord by NF. 0’ceawr. the hat shat ma 0amte 0 1 to your atteatioa We call

lo. 4x39 18 a 1oee.l lav (beg* applieabla to Yiatorla County 0nLr 3 bmnds, snd lb thereiom governed by the guwirroas of mplat Article 1 , 8eatLon 2s. CanetftutUn of Ihue, v&i& ie ae follovrt T

"ma Lyi8ldxLw may pars low rer ah. mptlatiloa of live ete& ud the pmtbotlon of Mill%Jl&t &WrtLOll Of sW?k lU~SeZ’,lro ia tha St& fmm the ope;nrfwa or th e Etete, ea a l xamglt mueh lavs other porw3a8, uatians, or fwmwl*r; aaa dell b&.ve gover to paer Mlea4 e$eoirl ol crl tie, rboak end law for the t- tncmatim hide6 cad ior the &-q&l&ion braad provldal, thfit w io~ti zsv thus parad ~rhau. b* rubaitt0a to the fawholdsm of fihe restioa to be tireate themby, raod &~pZ'OVOd w thM, b&OrU i% Sh'll ^[60] slat0 eff sat. *

This Act dOea not pmvido for its subsllasioa t6 t&e freeholderr of coutttg POF tliew approval; in facet, It attmg7tr to ovw- Ylctorib ride *be above coaatitutloaril provSsNn, &x14 attempts to a)u law efteetive iron en4 aftor its pareego vft!aeut be* fimt mtl- tiea by tb fmeblaers or viw3ria County. lfa am ttwe0m of the optatoa that safd 8en&e Bill Ib. 479 la unacrn6tltut~oael and *5 *a. Traylor, 33 8. w. 4401 state themtom void. See A-t ,vs. Cartldwry, P5% 8. W. 2~ l -3

Youre very truly