Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN BQnoruhleGOO. CozptrolltTr Ii. sh%p?ard af'Public Aocomts Almtln, Texas 0 The Legislaturemay grant ald to l.ni&&i &ibisabledConfed%rata soldiars and eallors under euch regulatione and litita- tione as r;lay be ae%md by the Legislatureas expt-dient, nnri to their *-idow in indigoat oirc~taPoeo lml%r suoh regulationa arKIl@dt8- tions as my be deeruedby the Legislatureas BI- pedientg to indigent OR3 dlsablailsoMieso who, unaer special laws OS the state of T-s, aumg the War botveen the Statea, served in orgerdra- tiona Sor the protection of the frontier againet Intuan r&a8 or biadckuaurBua%rs*and to idi- gent and tieabled soldiora of the millLti0uho wure in act&y% sewioo during the War between the %ates, Cuvzto the ridorraof such soldiera rrboyein~gentc~~tar~eee,a~vho~e or my be eugihic to rmeive aid unaaf 6ucrh regnlacionsand lImitationa as may be dewed aJ the LegialatoFe as m-eat; a S‘lBO f&l%& for the estahlfehrttautand~ntemame of the horn for aaid ooldie~e and aaklors, their sires andridous andrwaenrho a&.&din theConfsbemioy, under such regulstions and lia?itatlone aa may bo prtiati for by htv~ pmiatu tie Legielature may provide for husband and rife to rfzaxain to- gether in the home. There is hereby levied- addition ta all other taxes berrotofore permitted by the Conetirutlonof Texas, a state ad wklorem tax on pfopartg of mvtm (Q.07) cants on the 0110 hundmd ($190&O) dOllPrB la~USt%On fO& t&O pI1F- pose OS or0ati~ a speaial fund for the pnyxmnt -of ,7t3n~ionsfor raorvicoein the Conf%deratem and Wavy, frontier organizationsand the.milit3a OS tb% State of TeSCas,aud for the WidOWa Of Crumb ecildiorsserving in said am&es, mtiw, orG&za- tions or tilitiqj proo2hd that the Legislatur% skiby rti%co tbt3tax rata horekn levied. . . , *a The tax wthoriacd by this S%otl.onof the Coneti- tutiun is specificallpfor t.b%purpose *of oreatinr:a speotal fund for the3paymnt US pWonare A pension is a pe~H.Mc allos;mcc of money grant%& by a govwm?ent for s%rvle~o row dcr&, in particular to a soldier or sailor in conntmtion with war or rd'itary opQrations. mrse 0. lPoberteon, 9 Raw. lu5, 169; Stat% ex ral RaridepVI Kiamel, 288 IliO. 611, 168 8. w. NT& Y%clf0raV* WhifO, l@$ Color 43s, lo6 mu. 480, 474; United State8 T . Iiall# tMlU * 5 . 343, * t . HonoraUle 0~0. ii.ti%ppa&siZ - page 3 Ed. lsoj Webeterc6 RearInt%mational Dictionary,2a edition. Tbe language of the Oonstitutionis presumetlto have been chosen with nmre care than that of any other legis~atlon. Alenrander Y. State, 84 Grim. Rep. 75, 204 644; cox Y. Robinson, 105 TQ. 420, 150 8. w. 1149. s. isi'. Plain ;lhidefinite \oOrdsof tbe Constitution,therefore, are to be taken in their ordinary meaning. Keller f. State, 87 So t. 669, 1.~. R. A. (liS)489. Tbe language selected by the framers of the Constitution,~wbenits meaning is clear, controls tbe court in interpreting it. Ex parte hi%yer,84 Crita.Rep. 288, 2~7 S. P. l00. phere rot-asused in a constitutionare plain and unambiguous,there is no occasion for construction. rho Confederate Pension Fund authorized to be areated by Article 3, Section 61, of the Constitution, is a oonstitutlonalspecial fund which may be applied only to the purposes for which, udi%r the constitutionsl provisiun, the fund is oreat&, to-sit; sTbo payment of peMions.* Tbe appliaati,on ti suah fund to any othe& pur- pose than that authorizedhy the constitutionalprwision is enpressly~probihited hy Article 8, Section 7, of our Constitution,whiti prwidoat *The Legislature shall not have power to borrow, or in any mum?& dive&t frem its pur- pose, any special fund that nay, or ought to, come into the treasury; . . . .. Of this section of the Constitution,the late cm-of Justice Cureton t4aiat *The&e arc various special funds namti ia the ~onstitutlon,such as the School Fund, et cetera, and the purpose of Ss%fion 7, Article 8, WOB to prevent their diversion. These special funds, of course, can not be tivertad, * DraeottRiver ~cnsertation6 Recl;rern- h.&'Di.(strictP. EoCr;m (Tax.) $1 8. W. (2) 660. See, also, Carroll f. Oillirrnx,109 Tex. 156, 202 6. W. 504~ Lsmon v. tioker(Civ.Apps.) 220 s. w= 260. Expcnrlftures cf the Btate imolvet? in establishing 3rd n~int..ainS~: the ConfederateBoz~esdo not constitute*the payment of p%nsions.* Since expendlturw Prom the Uenneral wuttdfor these purposes were not Bladefor tbe purpose for Which tho ConfederatePension Fund was created and suthortstnl to be @xpendeiiby the Cmntltution, reimbursam~t oE the tieneralFumI Worn tha Confederrrte lens&on Funa for SU& expesxUturesis probibito&by BFt.icl~ 8, section 7, ai-l&c hlstltution. *erg truly yaure