whettier or

88ian in th0 p~oBa8f1 or h beon epprorrd by the Sate 01 was originally &ten tbe upplios used by eeob Depcartaent or the State Oovermmnt, h~aludhg t&e State end eaab l le8mo8ymiry incltitu- krlmn System, tiol:, ‘Romal eohool, Agrioultuml end geohan- ioal college, Vniverslty Twxaa, and each end ell other State School8 or Depert5UBfit8 of the State Oowmmant heretofore or bere- ettar ometad. Such 8Upp1i%S t0 in0lUde and r?xtureo, teohnieel inetru- furniture mente and bfmk8, end all other thin@ rO- qufrsd by dliferent depetitrwnta or in- sxoept 8tEiotly pcsriahable goOd8." 8tltutione, *2 mnorable George B. shep?ard, ?ego 2

Subsequent to ouch enaotment the 30th Legislature in 1923 enacted 4 Statute whloh ie now jrrtI4le 4042 Of the iievleed Civil .itrrtutes. In referring to the Gum, Fi8h end Oyster Colmni88iOnOr, Said artiule reRdi%, iI3 prt, a8 rOibW8:

** * * ad the COSaRIe8iOIier i8,authOr- ized to purchase boat8 and ird&Qemmte and esiploy labor to work wch pub114 oyrter reefs and bedo a8 Jm may thtnk OM be lm- proPad thereby, thf! 8xjnmes or which shell be peld on waftant ls8ued by the Comptrol- ler on the ewom 8tetem8nt e8 to the oor- reotnecra 0r such expen8e by the CO27Wd8BiOLWl’.” You have supplemented your letter of request with the eddltlonal information that the boat Is being pUmha8ed ror the uee ncntioned in the above etatute, that is, ror work- oyster rear8 end beds in aoastal ewe. lag public The orfi48 0r hae, Bi8h a136 Oyoter commla8ioner we8 eboliehed by th8 Legisleture Ill krtiole 9781 0r ~8I’IXOil*I Annotat- ed Civil ;itatut.,>s. SeatIOn 1 provlderr 88 rOum8; 1. The offi or Geips, FI8h and “&4. Coulmiasioner 0r the state Texa8 18

Oyeter hereby eboli8hed. There la hereby oreeted the Game, Fish oti Og8ter Coumlesion which ahell have the authority, ponema, duties and run4ti0nt3 herotorore reeted in the Gene, Pioh cad Oyster Comlesiofxer, except where In QOIZ- fllct with this riot.*

Under the authority or the above quoted article the r&me, Fish ad Oyster 001mi8eioa he8 the 8ai4e authority that the Gme, zlsh end Oyeter COI?ai?d88iOnor htid t0 pUrOba44 boat8 under dq-tIOlB 4048, aupre. Your attention ie dtreoted to the fact that titlole 4048 not only gave the Comnl88loner the au- thority to puroham boat8 'but also provided spe4IfIoally the aanner l,n whIoh the geymmto for the eme are to be made.

The Convnloeloner under said M%fole wee to make e sworn stat+ watt ae tG the oorrectnefm of the expense and f'uruiah the 8QoIlD to the Comptroller, and the Coiaptroller we8 to I88ue *weZr4flt 0r euuh expense. &!lowhere in eald Artiole ie it in paptent provided that such nocount mart be submItted to the State a0m-d or Control or that the Seta Board of Control should nake such purchase for the Co~~~Iafbl~n. On the other band , it

Honorable George 8. &e~pard, Pago S

Ie apeoifioally provided that thr Conmlerloner ie authorized to rake tha yurohass and the paysent 8hould be made by hi8 8Ubl?littillg n 8wom 8tetuPMt to the Coraptrollar en6 the Oomp- troller 8hould of ruoh expense. draw 4 warrant ior the payment

It Ie our opinion, thererore, that elnoe the Gene, Fish adl Oy8ter COiBRXiSSiOn or said 800oUnt even gaynmnt t&u&b the 8emo he8 not bnn sUbtitt4b he8 8tatomdlt boat thet wa8 purchared, you would b4 authoriz46 ^[88] provldrd io hrtiolr 40018, in oonn44t~on with th8 to JOU the 8WOTS to appron approved by the State Boerh of Control. Our oonolu8lon in thf8 reepect la in acoordwlththe edniini8tretIve aoo8truotion plaoed on the above 418cu88ed Artiolrs by the Genie, Fieh end Oyster Corrwiu8ion and the Comptroller of Puhlfo Aooouatm ti gaat ysare.

Your8 very truly Bytim+ Billy oolbberg A88i8tMt iK)toaw