Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

- OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS i AUSTIN ,__. __._ . . . . .,. .-- .~. ,. I- ‘. .. HonorableE. S. Kyle Dean, School ol' h@culturce A. & H. Coiloge collegeStatlan,Texas r’lettw of J6arch n of t?a Board of Texas, &ted F sea the purc~ Lavrence d John lomu of approx ll lmprovaaantsat hG56 OF autile ths fans at a se prloo to 50 paid in ion of the unexpendedbal- ur baqulrles ray be 6u- er the Board of Direotoreof A. 8:M. PJ authorityto purchaseChe farm. her the Board of Directors ol’ A. de X. tory authon3rity to pm?chaee~theequip- kmnt and toam Lo be wed on the fem. 3. k'hother the unexpendedbdancs In the Pure Peed Fund eo sgproprlatedto A. 3 X. COli.6&9 by th5 4.&h' Legisleturomy be used far 8f1.M p.wpoeeaa 4. k'hethor the proposedsollc~shwe a clear end suercbntable tXtle to the Seth fi~orln~ aid John Lair- Wm26 farm. .:; 532 J@n. 8. J. aJrre - Pbgb 2 .- You have left with us along vlth your opinioni rsqimsttha,abstracts to this farm, but it vlL1 take KIOIUO tlms to examinethe abstracts. Us will, therefore,limit this opinionto the first threa questionsmentlonodabove slidpass on YOU' abstractsin a title oplnlnn,whtch we vi11 vrlte at a later date. A8 Ve understandit, this farm vbich you propose to purahaseconelstsby actual surveyof 2776.36 8cr.w in 0~x4 traat 0r land. It lies across the Brazoo river at a dlstoaoeof approximately'rfmiles frox the A. & Id.Campur and 1s contiguousto a tract of laud which 1s at present under lmse to and le being used by the PIIn State Eaperl- xsnt Eltation at ths Agricultural& t4whanlcal College. The paver of the Board of'Directorsof A. & M. Collegeto purchaselaud oonvenlentlylocatedwith reference i to the campusof the cwllegeis conferredby Seotlon1 of Article26l3a,VernonlsAnnotatedCivil Statutes,vhlch wads a8 followsr "The Board or Directorsof the figrlcultural and laech6nlwiCollegeof Texas 1s hereby au* thorlzedto contraatwith persona, iinns or oorporiatlons for therpurchaseof, or the ac- qulsltlon.of,or Zhe erectionof permsnentlm- provementson or convenientlylocatedin referenw to the campus of aald College,or to the,tXWQusel of.anyor all of its branch lnatltutions, and to purchase,sell, or lease landwand other appurte- nancos for the constructionof such permanent Zmprovoments provldedthat the State of Texas lncura no indebtednessudder ths contraots." The llmltatlononthe power oftheBoardunderthe term or the above statute1s that the purchaseshall not involvethe lncurrlng of fanlndebtednesaby the State of Texas. The reasonfor this limitation,of course,is that Section 49, Article3 of the Constitution, pryides that "no debt shall be createdby or on behalF of the State exaept to supplycasualdeflolenclesof revenue,repel lnvaslon,sup- f;re;;lnsuzyeotlon, defend the State ln var, or pay existing . . . It ha8 been held, hbwever, that obligationswhich are payableentirelyout of exlating approprletlone or current 533 IIOn.E. S. Iiyle~-Page 3 revenuw sxe not debts vithln the meaningof the Constltutlon. XcHeal v. City of Waco, 89 Tex. 83, 33 S.W. 322; CharlesScribner's 'Sonav. Mama, 114 Tex. 11, 262 S. W. 722; Austin 13ros. v. Patton CODI.APR.) 288 S. ii.182; west Audit CO. V. YO~kum CO., 35 S.W. 2) 404; t&PLeneisConstructionCo. v, San Antonio,50 9. W. (2), 349, error refused;State v. bledbury, 7 Ohio State Rpp. 522. As statedby the Sup~wneCourt In CharlesScribner~s Sons v. Mapn, aupra, RObligations that run ooncurrentwith revenueil are not debts within the contwplatlon of the Constl- tution." ThenBoard of Directorsof A. 8 H. Collegehas the power of omlnentdomain in aoquirlngland for collegepurpoires. Article2513a-5,Vernon'sAnnotatedcivil statutes,provides, ln part, as follovar "Seation1. The Board of Directorsor the Agrioultuxaiand i&&LanicalCollegeof Texae is hereby vestedwith the pouer of etient doualn to acquirefor the ume of said Collegesuah lands as may be necessaryend proper for csrryingout tts purpoass,ln the manner prescribedIn Title 52, Revised Civil Statutesof Texas OS 1925, as amended. 'sec. 2. The taking of'such propertyis hereby dselaredto be for the we of the State. . . .' We thfnk that the power of the Board OS Dfmotors to tie the purchases1s beyond question,if the money for that Purposehas been made availableby the cument appropriation bill FOP A. & M. College. The Pure Feed Fund, which 1s the souroeor the moneys With which you intend to purohasethis farm and equipment,la a specialfund in vhlch there Axe depositedthe tag and certiflca- tlon fees COll8Ct8dby A. & M. Collegeon all feeding etuff ueed or sold isathis State. The fees are paid to the Diractosof the Texas AgriculturalExxperiment Stationat A. & 6%.snd by hiDlde- positedin the State Treasury. Article3875, Y.A.C.S.,provldQsM f0110Va: %o much or the inspectiontax and penalties uollectedunder this title chall be paid by the State Treasurerto the treasurerof the Texas &riauLturai and MechenlaalCollageaa the dlreotorof the Texas 534 / Bcaa.. it.J. x.yl%- Pi&t 4 A.pLcu.lturellmmriment Station may shou by his bill8 has -beanexpondedin perfoming the dutida requiredby this title,but 1~ no case to exceed th% tuawr~tof th% lnti~ctlontax &ridpanal?Aos raceivedby'the State Treasurerunder this title." You state in your let2;er that the Board of Directors has by Its R~sOlritfon Of Fehua&y 19. 1944, suthorieedthe pay- ment oi the pc~chsseprice of the f'am~,eqtipmnt sr,dtern% out of th% unexpendedbalancaLn the Pure Feed Fund, and you advlosd us oPalLg that there io at prsaaslt sufficient mxwya M hand 3% 8aid fi.Zd t0 pay t&t %ntiP% 3?1~~h&8e priC% of the SLW$I end the eqiiigmant and team. The currentsp3mp~?iation bill for the Agricultural and #(ochanIoalCollegeof Texas for t&e tub fiscal yeare end- ing August 31, 1944 and August 31, 1945, aonbibln, among others, th% PollotingprovtakOxlaa ,_ *The unexpendedbalenaein -s&IdFund (PureFeed Fad) may beiused for any of the pg??osashernia ap- ppoprlatedfor The Agriculturaland Eschenical College,OP fop the purpoeee0Z omduct@g exgerlnmnta vith feeda by the Tome AgriculturalEx?erimentStation and for such purpose8 a8 the Board OS Directors of The A@uultw?al 8nd HechanloalCollegec? Texas my dew advisable,provided that any salariespaid or suppkwmted therefrom'cihall not exceed those plaid tot? the 881110 or Bltia.ar s%rvlo%a in; th% Rain Colle&-$e. . . .* Seotion1 of the AppropriationBill providea,in part,, that: "All balsncesIn the Umtltutional ftida . . . we J.wreby approgrlstedfor tbq wppo~t, mraIntenmice, operationand Fm- grovemantaof'said State institutions" and in Section 2 that the swerol auua of money apeclriedhereinafter. . . axe hereby approprieted. . . to th% severaleducetiorzal insti- ,tutions and other educationalCrgencloe.na&ed iu this Att for their support,rminttlifnme,bulld.f~o,opwrattonand improve- J %l%nta l ” ft b M !OIB%8 , to 6-8 lU3COSB 8l’Y, the statutee th %P %fOl’O releti@ to the AgriculturalExguriseent Stationto ascertelnthe pouera of thtaBoard of Dtx+aQtorw b refsrenoethereto. Artl&es 135'and137, R. 9. 1925, read In part a8 fO11OWS t xaa.B.J* EJrle- Pe&e 5 eh~ll be establishedat, such plaaee ?l!hert, t in t&a State aa the bard herafnfbrter -a may deem p~opeer,. experimentcG.tiMe for the QW- p35U Ofl!lRkln;S eZGl'3Pisaante aadCM;luCtLlQ in- vust~atlcna lA th?3PbmA.ug and c;PoviIlg or agri- culturalmid horticulturPZaropa and aoils, and thy breediq, reedlugend fatten&q of lLv.veotocic fur alw@&er. . . l "The experl%isAt Sta,tlM loC;leed at tile hgrlcultuml and MochaaicalCoilegoin Brasos CoWityWhlGh 1s In psrt supportedby the federal, Qovemxmat shall retoain srtataldpolnt 88 a per- -Zlt h3titUt~M. ItsmlLh~asths~ fit&a Zxperimmt Station,end she&l be under the \ ~u)~s~~lslon of the Board of Mreatore of'euoh i ‘,; aoUe&e. , . .* We note fmms the BesolutlonoP.theEiomd of!Dire&ore copiedln your letter that ths first and prlnolpriLpurpoacs for. uhlchthis rarn le being pllschaeadIS *to dmwd Rddlt1onal epwe aud a battQr type of 8011 ior re8eerChaad Undid vork ca Qmds etsd~PRIAS t'orpoultryend 1Pveetoakend ln all other phesesof c;grSciiltus~for the A.gr%auLturak Experhent StRtiaa~ 8~14fcm msuesch projectsfor grcrduate etudenteti agPioulture." The Do&x4 of Direatom alearlyhe& wthoritg under Articles 1% and 137, quoted above, to establishaad supervise the ml.A state 2ixperLlllQAtstat1oA at A. B w. for the pw?pQse5 enuaaratedin the 8Q8Ob.ltiOSt. The r’wegolng provlslom of the AppmprSeticm Bill do not to ilmlt tht%&as%3 of Dlxectorain the e%xpcpndiWre luklerta~ks of the beleme in the ?rrzwPeed Ihud. It lo true that the moneys in m.ld Sbm¶an3 ix&lie mozmysvhiicb must be re-apwogriated every tvo yews by the Legl$Lnture,In order that they may be "expended la po~Sosmiq~the dutloa"ruquiredby the pure reed 8tatute6. If0yevec,a5 e mstter of le@olative practlcdwe know thet the uee of these Pwxls lxm been loft Lm?guiyto the diuwetion of the Dlrsctcw af the mpermnt station~uldthe LWI.M of xmeutors oi" h. 0 ~5.Coiiatl;e.Consideringthe IsouPceof the fund end the legislattvehietorg&I regmd thereto,ic ia3cLear to our mlnda that thenqqnwpri&lon biU authorleesthe expenditureof the un- expendadlxancs ia the Pure iteedFund fop euch ~urposeaPB the ma* E. J. XYZB - Page 6 : mrd of Directors%sy deem advisable* for the ‘support, nrein- tenance, buildings, opfmitZan and irr@rovsmsnts” of the Main State Experiment Statlof! and *for the $urposea of oonduoting sxperZments vith feeds. In line with thlei constrmQtlon, Bee bloon v. Alred, co. Atty., 277 9. W. 757, 790, wherein it was held that the proceeds of bonds vNch vore voted for tti purpose of ereoting cmd equfpping 8 courthouse and jail oould be used in pur- d$ng a site or,eiteathereforin said county. %Ym Court . The rule of conatnuoti4m, aa oi%m dm- ClaPediyour supPeIll8 CMPt, is1 %thfmever a power is given by statute,evesp thing aeoe*naryto make it efiectualor requiaito to attain the en8 is implied. . . Th0 grant of an exgreaa powsr ca~riea with It, by neceesary implloatlon, every other pover aeceaaary and proper to the execution of the power exp~a8sl.y granted.~ Terrsll v. SpaFkr, 104 Tex. 191, 135 S.H. 519." The 'onlylimltaticmson the use of the Pure Feed Funds there already imposed by prefmlotlng lav. Ue have 8esn th5t Board of Directors is limited In the purchase of landby Article 26136, R. C, 9. to lads “convenieatlg locatedin refar- I once to the cazupuaof said callego” and is prohibited Prom lncurrlng any iadebtedweo agalrgat the State of Texas by nuoh .I RWChR8e8. Since the Seth MooPing and John L8VlWlUQ tari6 ia eon- vtUliC3Atl~located to the aamgun of A. & MM.SO that it Oau be used In oMnectlM vith ths Mala ExperimeAt St8tion and as a R8rt of the physU8.L p1aI.G of A. & 10. CoUege, and sieve it J aad its equlpxmnt and teas can Be paid for out of the uu- ... altpended balance In the Pure Peed Fund vithout incurrUg any debt against the State OP Texas, the Board of,Directors, lu 5’. our oglnlon, has the authority to snake raid purohaaea. . ,-,‘ ,‘! Tmst&g .that the foregoing am3kswfiyour iaqulry, ve twe Your8 very truly