5.21
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
GROVERSELLERS
A,TORNEY GENERAL
Xanorrbke Y. C. Ledbetter
CouRty *ttomey
coehroa couclty
3f&wtoR, Te%as
Xe have reae regent date requeet-
he 8bMe subJact
eTe1 0pQortuRitlea to
to oampletlan. ROW,
coEamleaionera' court
xaej hare Wm atathorlty to:'
iblto any one*, undar~ttis
ay op5nlo~ thet umlor the law, aa set
eforomntioned 8tatuta, 4478, the Cui-
rd. Court 6008 aot hare the authority to
loeoe ~fd County LW8gital. hnd in my O~&&ZI
the oourt doee not hbve the mathority to loasro
maid hospital under Artlo& 4494a. 4494b, 44940,
4494d. 449M. 4494tr 44946, 4494h aad 1494l. in
tier or the hot that thepoQulratioR of coahreri
county, Texsa, aooordfag~to the 1940 omw.zs wa8
3,735.
522
Bon.. M. C. Ledbetter, pa&s 2
*Thora haa been aame oontroveray in cochran
Chat-y over the lelaaing Of the County Hoepita&
aad tho Oaamisr~onera* Court hsa asked me to get
aa opinion from your oifiae on the matter$ thera-
iore, I would agpreaiate it if you wouid sand us
your opinion a5 e.0or.i a8 poeeible,m
Coah.ran i%?unty hall a population of 3,735 inhabitanta ao-
aordlag t0 tha 1940 Fedora1 Uanau8.
Thlr department has repeatably held that the Oamiseloner~a
Court is a aourt oi lImIted juriadlation MU has on4 au&h power6
66 arr aonierred upon it by ths Constitution an& statute6 of thlr
state either by expreea term or by neoeetaarf iPlplioatlon. soa-
,tion 18 ot'Mials B oi the Texas Constitution; Artialo 2351,
V. A. 0. 8.; Van Boeenberg t. Lotett, 173 8. PI.508, silllor v.
Brown, 2l6 9. WV. (2d) 479 Galveston IS, & 9. A. Ry. 00, v.
uvalflo countg, 167 9. w. t2dI 108&f ll kzas Juriaprudimae 564.
The Le&lelat~e hma attempteil to g.kve oertaln oountiea
tho power to lease oounty hospitals. BewArtialca &9l+a, &l&b,
444i;,op 4h&-4~gi 44941,494i3, fu 494hr wmxi*a mm-
a We do not pars upon the valiaity of
theme ittetutea, for ihat question ir not before us. Bren if
said 8tatutoe are vallb, coohraa County will not tell in any
or the aatogor%eaaet.bp the fomgoint$artialerr, einoe it bm
a populationof 3,735. In the abaenoe oi eueh oonstltutioneL
or Aatutory authority, Ooohran Oouuty has no euthorlty to
leano the aouaty hospital. YOU quaetfoa is thaxafom azmwared
in the negative.
Yours tory truly,
ATl!ORNXY GWEBALW -YS!US
BY (p. s”kL,j/jL
3. c. Davis, Jr.
A6ai8tUIt