Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Same8 E. Slldey, Dirsotor Uotor TransportationDivision Railroad Omsaisslon Austin. Tour Dear Sir: ;;o~h&tEgd; at Texan, transport ire&t tar ainistere- &f rellglcfn. the granting or rret passes Or Qherg8, Or tit188s then r eleotrlc rellway capany, y, Interurban railiffey tersd transportationoom- sleepiag 06r oompany, OZZl@%~,t8iephON OOiU&X9.ny or person or assoolatlon or Q8WnU3 operating ths sem8, nor any r868iV8r or lasses thetie@, nor any OrriO8r, eg8nt Or 81&p1Oy98Or.reoeiY8r Or my such oompany in this State ahall knowingly haul or oarry any property rree of charge, or give or grant to any'jieroon,fIPplor assoalatlonor pmsons e rreo pane, rranlr,gritflegsor's~bsttt~t~~tor.pay .. or a subteriugewhiob~io~uss&or x&Ich,Ia given "tb be..usedinst&ad:of:theregulti~t w c& rata' of transpartatIoi~:or x2 r~~~ps’inilt whet- any eaithorit soever-to travel or.to pass or honvey op transport any parson or property.rree, ECITpall any tram-. pfxtatlon ror snyW.ng exoept mnney, or for any great*r or~less rats tlian is-oharguP,alZ parsons uxlsr the, aane~oonditIbn.s,~-mew anj'railway or transporttitlonline8 'car pnrt dt line '3.43thIsLs st*tq cfr shall knowlngly'~periaIfj any parson to trawmlt - Rw ElOSSS@ fiOe.in thIn;~tate~ Ol~ShE&~,&V8 alif frank or right or prIvi&ege to tr4xtimlt &ny nuiafm@ frsa In thIs.:StaQe:orproperty *es of.oharge.or .. ior gretitrror less fare or rate than lo,, charyad. Other.pereone in~$bis Btate~for eimllar aerrlo~,-~ except ell.:h$r$Iua$ter providiiditith+e,tttlo.* .~ AyMolr 4co6~'iionteIMoertein 5xo~iqi$Iontl to Artloio4005..'Appertainfng $4 ariai5t~rsc#~elIgiOXk,~ It provldesr ',,.', '*. : nThs'preaed& artiale shall ,not.bqlkd to pw?urlt.’ *.* 4 g r a o otf~ rlx o h e n&rrg op * esses or free franaportatlon, &e&s, prirIlwes, cub-' rrtitutelr for pey,,or other fjh* poobAb$te&+y the provlsiqa ar t&s preoedIng ert$a.ale~to any of :. ths foJ.lotdng~nase~~persom3i .*‘*..* any'ralnister ~F4rp$iyui on~Utrmitate,traps In this State . ., !.,, ~. .: Xn hrtiolo &IO8 there @Iso eppoar::;; pro-rlslons rbladng to mInloteri.or reUglon, es tollmist Nothing In'thls title ahsll:be hsld,to prevent eny oorgoretion,assooiationOr person meedxied In the first s.rtI~Looi this title from granting trans~or*te~I*at the retieor one 08At per mile to * any minister or r8lIgIon ror Intrastatetripe, or rrCg gr6mH.ng to Illtnls- ters of ralI&ion,reduoed rsteo or On8-belf the regular fare * * *.” Honorable Jmes E. KIlUey - Pa&e 3 It SWNSS 018~ that the eXO0ptiOn in ravor or lsfniatersor rellglon spplieilonly to the transportation Or a.3 perSOn Of the PdEiStur end not to the tsan*~ortat~on or his proTertp. The 0xpressIon%ntraetate trips" appearing 1x1Article 4006, and repeated In Artlole 4008, wif0stlY refers to the parson ana not to property. noperty does not tare "tripa*. Korenver, Artlolo 4006 aontelns oortein apeOifi0 referen to proportrt ~shlpmmt or fish ror rree distd- butIa in th0 waters of this State"; *por*onSasd ProPertY 0arrfed In 0080s of goners1 epIdelni0; p0StIl0uOeor othar calamitous vIsltation". This olearly implies that prOp0rtY, other t&m ss oxpressly,fmntIoned, 18 nut Inoluaed wfthb~ the 0roeptIonsenu~10mt~din Artlole 4006. eignlfiaant,also, is ths raot that Artlols 4009 axpresvly provfdes for the free trrmwortation of~wwerty for 08rt&S p8rSOnS not inOiudi2q mbisters of reli61°n* It reads In paSt: "Arti v4009. f'r00Transportation- ~othlq in this title shall Se oonstrned to prohibit any fmress o~pny from hauling or oarrying free or o~rcm any peokage or property or its a0tttfabona fide OTfIoors, attornays, agent8 and employee8 v+hileIn the semloo .or suoh express oatapan~r, nor to pruvant suy art1018 being sent tree to any orphan how or other aharltable institution* * *.n me deParW%Ut has heretoroseheld timtmt0r Oar- rIers are subjaot to the provIsIons or Artioles i+OOfj to 4015, InoluBIv8. OPiaion :lo.o-&h!itOPIniOa No. O-2983, end OpIuIou .No.O-2983A. Inasmuch 68 Artiol0 4005 provid~s:,that.no-.~ranapor- tation oampanles nhall '%nowInglyhaul or osrry any property rre8 of oharge ? * * nor sell any transportationior anythIng. eXOept money, or for snp gr.eL-ter0s lttssrat.0.thsnIS ObSrgSd 811 PersOnfJunder the same aonUItltnfi*, and nfzqe ArIAale 4006 and the other related statutes neither expr0sslp uor by . neaessary laplleatiicua exaept t&e property Of mlaiatern of rsliglon from the prohLbitlonsoonta%ned in Artials kOO5, we are oompslled to reach the oonolu~lonthat suoh itiotor aarr&re are wlthcut muthority 60 haul the propsrt~ oi nlnlsters of religion without aharge OY at rmhaasd rates. ,.,Y Yours very truly