Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE All’ORNEY OENERAL OF TEXh8 AUSTIN ~.
ma. ~l.bort J. Butrat
Ceua$y At torlmy ¶vwity ceurrty
Ch*rrtoa, ?exoe
Hoa. Albert I. Huteon, P8gr 1
Ho. 730, pam8ed by the 44th Laglir&ture,
hgular ~ermio5?"
Seotlon la, Art1010 21001-14 nmd8 in part &I follonr 'In hmvin& Y ~ogulutlon of aat rountiO0
lemo than thlrtmmn and thoummlrd, mix h&h04 thirty-•roen (13,637) aad not Rare than thlr- thoumud, mix hundrad anA forty (lS,UOJ tea tbr l~mt prmaedlag aamordlng ?mdmnl :ma- mm, thm CouSty 301~68 Of TrartO.8 My M~S mumh provlmlonm mm they aemmi rtmommmrr~ for and fravellng xpmxbmmm of the County offiom O? Tub110 fnmtruotion) ~iqmrlnfmndmnt provided for 0fri0S th ut ^ h8 mmount o? l uoh mtpmndltunm aad travellqg erpnmam &hall not erosed
,um of 31~ Huadnd Dollarm ($600) par aan-. allowod mhall br paid %n the The aaunt sawor In aooorbanoe with 5m existing lmwm govero- crud ing tb ndt0nan00 the orrio or the county 0f Su~riotradont;*...~
38eot1oa 1 of BOUM nl.11 ??o. 730, r;mtu oi the Uth b&mlatun, 1938, ZMgular SOSalon, la part reads aa rollowms
l Section 1. Thnwt in oath oounty of this Stok with a Foprxlatlon of 1088 than thir- toan thousand mix hun6re6 (13,600) and not saorm tton thlrtrmn thoummnd, lx hundnd fitty (15,6SO),.....am shown by the Fmdenl Ceasua preoedlng auoh action, the count7 9oard last of ~rustsmm is hors87 authorlrmd to mot rrlde tros the arallablm mdhool fund of thm oouty, in acoordazwm with thm 9rorlmlo~ ot the gmaerml thm armrsenent ror the support law goveralng the county Supmrlnarldeat*m (~11 0fri00, amount not ?SJ xooad Sir 1!uodred Dollmrm ($600) to dotray rrpmamrm of tha Couatr Suprrln- tsadent and thm County Fooard of T'rumtmem la the admlnfmtratlen o? oholamtlo affuirr of the county.”
Hon. Albmrt J. Hotson, Pmgm 3
Am above mtotmd, aooordlng to thr last pmoord- lng Fedora1 Conmum, Trinity Countr ham l p ulution of thirtsmn thoumaad air hundred thirty-meton "p lS,SSt) ln- habitants, *.hu8 falling with tha pro~l~lon~ of the sborm amatlonmd mtmtutmfj, naiuoly, "having a Population of not lass than thirteen thoumand 8ix hundred thirty-soran (lS,6S7) an6 S~%%I than thlrtoan thousand mix hundrad forty (13,640) aoaordlng to the la8t preoedlng Federal C8aaum,* and Vhat l aoh oounty ttl8 state with a pop- latlon of ant lmse than thirtron thcuaend air hundred (13,600) and not nora than thlrteoa thousand mix hundred fifty (lS,SSO)."
Trinity County la the only county in tha State vhioh, woordlng to tha hat Fadoral Cenaun, had a popu- lation within th4 llmlt.8 mproiflmd in prorlmlonm of tha l ta$utasabova maatlonad.
Seotlon 56, utlolo 3 of the State Conatltution reads in Part em tollorm:
Thm I.e~lmlmturm shall not, l xoopt am othanlmr provided in this Constitution, pass any looal or mpsolal laws, uthcrlrFag.... regulating the affaira of oountlem, oltlom, towam, warda mohool dlmtrlotm;....mnd Ln all other oammm ulmro a genaral law oan ba Eeds applicable, no looal or nPoola1 law shall be naotad; pmrldad, that nothing heroin oon- tained shall ba conmtrued to prohibit tha fags- latura fro6 passing mPaola1 lawr ror the pm- aanatlon o? qarzm and flab of thlm State in oartaln looalltlar.*
The oamm of 8alth ~8. Stats, 49 SW 2d 159, hold8 ln rfaot If ubmtantlal Zbamon tor olammlrying ~unl- OiPalitiaS by population ppoarm, Such olamaifloatlon and ~agimlatlcui applloahlm to muoh olamalfioatlon la generally sultalnmd. Howawr, tho oonmtltutlonal prohibition a(gainst mPmaial law8 oanoot be m~~dmd by rrklng laws pplloabla to *4 Eon. Albert J. Fiutwa, Fag0 4
a protandad olaaa, and a Statute olaaal*lng munl- oIpalitlea by populatIoo 18 -apeoia1* the populs tion li a r8ir be818 ror oiaaalrloat~aa; ii the a0ea net arfGrd atatuta cwal7 daalgnatea a inple runloi~llty under thS cyiaa of ohbaaitying by popuhtion; aDd that a valid alaaalfloatlan 0r manlolpalItIa8 by population must not xoluda other u.alolpalItlaa from rntering *<oh elasai- ri0tition on attaining the 8p~0irid poguiatIon.
60 quote Sroa thla oaae as tolloarr *In thla State lt la tha rule thet thm toglalature oannct aredo the prohibition of the Constitution as to apeolal laws by saklng a i~~ar applloablr to a prateadad class, rhloh la, in tact, no clsaa. Ciark VS. Finley, l up ra . The oourt In other jurla4Iotloaa hate given itedt to the aaco prlnoipla. CGi?.. 1.
Patton, 88 Fee. 258; !?oard of .%ma~aalonera ot cwezl county, et al 7. Sranglar, at al, 159 Tnd. 575, 65 HE 945. In Clark T. ?Inle~, aupra, the Suprwca Court ot our Otate said:
wlIn 8~ tar as the eGurt8 rhloh undartaka to doiina the basis upoh auat rest rhloh olaasltloatlon hold th6t Zsglalaturo cannot, by a pratendad olaulrlortlGn, wade a oonatltutlGnal r*atrIotlon, wa fully oonour rlth thaa. But it they hold that a Ola88liIOatloa rhloh doer not manliest a purpow to arc&a the CGO- StitUtiOII 18 GGt SUrtiOiSnt t0 SUP- port a atatuto as a general law riwa- 1~ b~uauaa, la the ocurt'a opinion, the olaaaIiIoatloa la unraaaonable, wo ara prewrrd to oonour, TG what 01688 or olaaaaa of parsons or should apply la, as a (~mn- thlwa oral rub a 1oglalutIrr qu*atlon.
imer tba ntent 0r the imgialature i la oioar, tha polloy of tha la la a m&tar whioh dGO8 not OoMSrS wurta. '
*It the olaaaitlaatlon ot oitioa oountiaa *5 BGn. Albort J. DutWn, Pagm s
ia baaed on population, wbatbor aa sot is m:ardmd as l pmclal and 8betkor its op*m- Is unltorrr throu&hout tho Stats, da- tion pond ipon whether popalatlon l rrorda a rair boa18 for the claa8lrloatlGn wltt rorrrecc4 tG the !zattera to whloh it relatoa, and
w&other the result l ceoQpllahma la in upon baala, taot the nal olaaaItlsatlco 0r S *In&8 city or Snd not a daal~tlon to which alono it shall apply’, Ufd4r oounty tto ~ulam at l uoh alaatltIoatIon. iarkor- .” ~raabinqton County T. Kansas City, 73 Kan. (use sob tho oaaaa of dx
722, 85 P. 781.' Fart. Slarmora, 0 SW M 134, and F.:.andGl:h v. Stats, 38 9% M 484).
314 oaam or Emxar County v. fynan, l t al, 97 33 f&d 4bT, baldi In 0rt40t tb8t the L~o~Ialatur4 ray an a proper rnd roarclnablm slaaaItIoatlon onaot a gonmral law which, at the tlxo ot its l mctxent, Is l pplloablo only CEO aounty, Frtnidmd tko l pplloatIon la nc3t so it aver bmaoaIn6 l pplioablm Isfi?mxfbly tixod as to prevent to ether counties and tht tha Leqlalaturo uy olaaalty counties on baa18 et population ror ~urpoaoa ot tfxlng Qt 8CUllt~ aad FZ-4ClSOt Ct'lC4r8, but 8~ob CCEFOXlSCt$Oll claaaItIc~tIon autt 50 hased on real dlrtlgotion and mat net bm an l rbltrazy dovloo to glrr what
la la l ubatanom a, local or apmofal law, tho for?. cf l cenrral law. rind the aasm tarthor holds that tbo ocurta ln dotenrlning, whether a &w la publlo, gmnaral, apeolal 1.~41, will lock tc the l ubatanoo a36 Fractloal oporatlco ratha than to it8 tltlo, rem, ~hr884010~~, lnem othemlam a prohlbltloa Gr *be tundaEaota1 law l ~~ainat pmolal logIalatlcn would bm nugatory; and to juatitr plaofng one county in a vary lI=Itmd and restrIoted olaarltlcatIon by tha le~Ialature, rrlatlon botwoan Chr situ- there mat be ouo reawaabla tiOn ot tho octmtlma olaaaItImd aad purpoama and ob!mota to ba ttaimd, and olaaaIiIcotlon oamct bo adcrts4 arbl- trarlly on a ground which hoe 80 icundrtlon In dlitorenoo Gf oltuatlon or olroueatanoaa or oountlma plaomd In dif- aalarlaa ot ottlomra In f*rmnt alaaaoa. The ot r4duoltq GQntIma or over twc hundrod and nlnmty thcuaand and loaa thrmm bundrmd &nd thourand Fopulation was iimfd un- t&n ten *6 Ecn. Albert J. Hutaon, fag0 6
raaaonab~a acd arbitrary In its olaaalfIoatIon and ~014 as a l poolal lav.
14 quote tram thb ah014 amntlonmd opinion as
roll0vat a alaaaIflaatlon oaa-
Wim rule Ia that not b4 adoftod arbitrarily upon a wd whiah has no tounbatlon ln 4Iti8rrlrc4'or tba ruaiolpall- or oIrouaatanoaa aituatior time plaood in tho difforont 0188~48. ?haro curt be soya naaoaablm relation betworn tha situation or mnIoipalitl4a olaaalrI4d la th4 ;,ur)oaa and the object to br attained. There lcuat be samthing . . . . whloh in aom rmawn- l bla drgmo l cowntr tcr the dlrltioa Into 0iaaaaa.*
Article 2700, Varnon*a Clrll mnotatod Etrtutaa, qenoral l tttute, rm~arding l alarIaa, mrpmaama ror 888fStSnt8, l XFOnditUr48 iOr 0fri00 a36 tr8waling l XwnaSS ia oountlra harim a l obolaatlo of ccunty au~ilntcndonta 8s tbermin l tatsd, which 1rmlw?Qa l ii m@untiea, pOFtihtiOn reads In part as rollcvai vhm oonnty board truarorr may !zake. ouah turttor ~avlsion a6 it ao~ra.nrorarsry r0r GtrfCS end tn7olIag ax~osn4a tor tbm cocat,r at.q~rlntendant sad any l salstsnt ho l xp4nalturaa rcr or- my hare; puviama tfca and tratelln~ ?ixpenama shall not exceed thror buMdn4 dollars per MUIP, ~a4 tba oounty bO&?d Of tTUStS48 cay zak8 pTGviSion8 rOT the anployrmt of a ampotent aaaiatant for the county auperIntaadmat who shall, la ddItlGn to C?a ctbor Qutlma, not as ttmadarioo offi- crnr1 and said board la horob authorlto6 to riX the alrry oi aLo;i assistant and pay the 84% out ot tbm aamo funds fmc wnfeh salary and xpoosma of the county uporIn?en- dent at0 paid;....* ?%4 ato re mcntloned l rtlolo applioa all ooun- In so far as tho tI** ~Wardleaa of tboir populatIo0. *7 Ron. Ubert J. But800, lbm 9
6X0-t whloh may be l x>8ndCd 8rd tnVrlia& for attic. crpen8rr cf th8 coxnty ruperlatandont, fixer the n~xlcur! at thrao hundrrd dollnrr par annum. Couatl.8 rlth a mllor cr 18rger population than lrinlt.7 Couaty are llnlted 113 tkrlr rpendltur0 for 8uch l xp*n8*8 to .~Sid 8uE. It 18, therMoN, 8rraNn' th&t the Lyl818- ture intended ttat 8ctr uador oonrlderrtlon 8hould 4pply en1y tc Trinity county. S-iOk Ct8 mre Sor thl8 6nd otker reaeca8 coadenraed by thr Supraao Court In eupra. iebr Co;iaty v. Tymn,
Article 2689, Vcroon*I Clvll Aanotat86 Ltctutor, in part a8 follow8: read8
"n?. CCuantJ Echcol Tr&8tocr shall hold nertln8,a once mroh quarter, cm the flr8t Yondry in nugu8t. Pebruan, L'ay, and lkmasber, as pnttlssbla, o r.a a l c oa ‘thareafter bnd ot other titc.8 when called by the rrerldrnt of the County Sohool ‘hurtCC8 st :ho inrt8nOe of l Y Sohool two (&) LW.bbr8 of tte County ?ru8toe8 8nd t3o County Supwrlntandrnt, the neetinq place t? be rt thb couatp soat and in the office of the County Cuperintondrnt. Sch.
Trustee chall be pa16 'Three lXlkr8 ($3) per day, but not tc exceed Yhlrty-81x trollrrr in my cm ymbr', for the tire pent in (24) SuCki !nntUtiZg8, Out Of ttze stat. 606 bSttbndb4 Couaty &vallaSla School Fund b: Warrant8 drawn on or:cr of tho County Supmrlntanteat and rlgn- the County Sohcol Trkw- d k7 FrCsUont teas, tttr approval of the ooount, propsrly RON to by ttr Tnrldeat ef the Zounty Sohool ~ust~zr....”
Thl8 statute prorid oom~rn88tioo for raid ft%star8, bet doer allow any traveling expanse8 for '.hm. T:ls stotuta 8p;lies Trlzltr Ccuaty.
T!x questlen of rhrthor, after th6 next Federal cenB.ti, other eruntlss will 00~9 uader the pr~vlrlc~8 of tb* above nrntlrned not8 tto act8 thea8alvo8 cr rtrther 8111 beoma lncprratlvr by mason of the feet tbt no Other oounty will hoe a po;tiatlon filling rlthlo bratket8 ortated in thsra @eta, 18 CO unourtuln a8 to mkr *8 900. hlbert J. P,UtSOIi, pp.8 8 Cf aoUr@e, 18 pOS#ib~b Spt~UlStiVO.
it alurll that a nuabor of oountibr ~111 have th ;Opuhtloa required, but it 18 highly Frobatl$ by r.RSCa Of tk. liPlit rithin thbt a 8143le ocunty will qualify under braoketr the ~~OViS~CIlS Of l Ot8. re have herb aa la8t8nob 0r 8rbltrary designa-
tion, Nthbr Lute8 ttseipt th8il btb88~fi8~tiOll. T&O &V8 Quot.6 Sk- roguhtb the affair8 oi 'klnltf County In a &wmor vlolativo of mtlCl@ S, &Otioa 56 Of the CcMtltutlon. Thorden, you are n#pWtfull~ adViSed that it la thr opinion Of thin dbJrrtmbnt th. yro~1810n8 th4t
Of r;rt 1018 x0. 930, liat8 Ot thb >3mu &ll& HOUS* Bill 44th Leglrlature,'%935, am they apply to Trinity County, unoon8tltutional and 8n 8pbCial 18~~. aa tbrrbioro, void..
Tnutlng that the formeolns fully umwere pour lagulry, wb rbuln
Very truly youn