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585
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable George Moff att
Aotlng Chairman
8tate Affaira Committsr
Seaate of Texan
Dear Slrr
We are in r or YLarah9, 1943,
In whlah you r*que8t epartaent aa the
~eonutitotionality 0S Thl8 bill relates
to oertaln offioe tate and it8 pol-
ltioal sabdfrlslo (rsrtiatPand pro-
vides that the ab ofiioere or eunploys~a
named; “in mll%ta et oreats a forfeiture
or vaoano
, and that upon
of his term
ifioirl dutier
after thirty day~.h’aittc91 nottOe
10 of tutlola 16 o? our Constitution pro-
ilmorablo Geargs Lloiibtt, Pa54 2
*The Lo&rlaturo *ball ro714s for 4444uo-
tlon8 from the aalary of :!ub Y io offiooro why say
ne&laut tb.e periorsanos of my duty thvt my br
asrlgAed thacp by law.*
tladsr th?s provirlon of tho Conrtltutionwe thlak the .Lagl8-
lakrta i8 PUthOrlt6d to rovidr for the dlaohsr
duties oi M officer durf na thb abssnoo or inab
oiflcrr rho ir In tho ssrvloe of him oountry,
8uoh d~hs. 6~ ala0 thlnic that the Laglrlatum 18 author-
fzmd to make t&s Uad~otlons trOn hla 8816ry proposed by tho
bill orrdar8an8ldoratlon,durtng hi8 iho4Aos from the off100
and ior tha dbruatloa oi hl8 lnablllt~ ~00dlrohergo hia offi-
ala1 dUbl.8. Lb rtated by Smtloa Sha? In the oano of
Cerpeatrr v. 3ha?perd, 145 s. % (24) IL
W th6 La&eleture ahotrlb aaaol~&o that
M offlort In the Rrtional Guard oannot rrforn
tho Uutlas.o? his ofl'%ar bald by ~hti in %i.
Seato, rhlle tmporsrily lo the rctitr allltary
8arvlao oi the Vnlted Statea, It say .mCza pro-
~1810~ ior suah Inc\blllty, just aa it haa mde
sl~llar ~rovlslnc8 in rclspaot to othar Stats
offloes, v&exe the head ot.a deportmat :a uo-
abls rot say rcnmi tr, prrfora’thr dutlsa of
tho oftloa. It say ndjust aslarlcs on aacouat
0f t8tm0 CO briora the atab3 as81~6d to
oiflora. beOt f aA 10, Articld 16, l%Aotlt~tizt.*
so are of the opinion, h&evsr, that lnso~nr 88
the bill undortska$ ta Qx(Mte an4 define a “tzwqorery vaotsmp*
la 8~ oifl~e it orsrataps the cor,otftutlenalbowiderlar. 10
80oas to us that tha offlao m~t6 bo v8aAAt or AOt V8Otit.
Xi It br vnonnt, than there 18 and aIn be EO prosont inewo-
bent, wbethsr rush raemay br tSibpOrbrY or pdramwnt. If
it be vaoant, thon th* aoa#tltutIon, itseli, protidaa #a
mathod Of filUnrJ. suoh WMtllWfbS hi UO8t ~AOtaAO68. In ruoh
ollpae, oi aourse the La~hl8burr has A0 alt6?A6tiW the
raoanay mttst be #illad in the, aauw .prerorlb6Q by tha
oon8titutlon.
Mar is a vnoanoy In offl~b C?aatad mere4 by
virtum of the rbrunoo a? th0 OfflOOr in the .xflftarY a4CIleo.
Bakdit0a V. xing, 206 23. 3. 953, Carwnt*r *. atop td U5
S. 9. (26) 562; Cramm to Stat* , ,1679. 311.(2d) 14% f'he
&floor who 18 ebsant in the Bilitsry 8WVfOo OOAtiAuetY to
- . ._
Xanotablo Ciaorgr Xoffrtt, h&e 3
be the inouiabsnt of the ottioo held by hi;aat the tima of
hi8 1ndUtMm l&O the staed teroes in OOnt6aJtiat2OIIOf
c2608. 33 and 40 of Art. 16 of the Conatitutioa, and ths
ottios doe8 not booms veo.mt by ~~880x1 of his ebronoe
therofros. Craaer v. Stata, lupre. The Conatltution bs-
Ing speoifla, we think the L3gialetur6 in not suthorkwd
to orra8e 4 v404noy *teapor4ryw or otbsrwiae un&rr anoh
6irOuQatnllO8d.
84 or8 or the opinloa alao thrt ths yrovi8ion o?
the bill whWh rrqulrse that tha otiiasr who has barn t6ap-
orarily rbasn8 in the dlltary aatvloo, 48 dafiaad by bha
statute, &ml1 not ?s4w44 tia duttra, lpor b4 Entitled to
th? 6.~0lt;xsntaof ths atflor until aft43 ho has givsa thir-
ty esyae not108 in writing to thr tesipmery aypomiae is
u?nOcn4tltati~aal, 4s boiua in sodlict with G44tiea8 33 aad
1.0 at ~$1016 16 of our Ccnatitutioa. i;blla, na w6 hnvb
h~rsirobove :.olatdl out, ths LrgialaOuro n4y provlda fop
she rilechargu of his durisa , Surlsig she yu?od of his ab-
a0500, he is, and wmtinwa to ba the woffl~et* sad sntitled
t.5 the offiae. %hm hla parioit of' absaooe hse tarciimtad,
and he is abla to w-utter upon tha dtaoharS6 o? hta offl-
0141 dutfre, h6 la entitled t0 do 80 4A2 to r506fv6 hi8
oomp6aan~tton ther @for, and auah ,i+& oslraot bs au&a Ut
pandsnt upon prior notiaw to bhe appointas who has bean
appoint6d and la 6utltled ta sax-v6 only durLns the, aba6A0a
of the real offiasr. G’e think this Pi?‘.v is in %aWPd pibh
tho axpr4salona of our Sopr656 Courb In the oases Of Carpa-
tar T. She perd, 145 3. ‘ti. (24) 562 snd cr~+ur v* state,
167 9, 3. P26) 147.
.Tms,tinq that the a hove fully EQSUQ~S yorU ia-
qulry, *6 a?.
ORTJ truly yours
~‘F&rillKT GEEXAL Of T’ZA.3