OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Ranomble F. E. Rif;htoar, 3ocratery
Dear air:
sbru4xy as, 10&l, 4pll
rssk OUP cplmnion her or not one 9r4-
vlml81~ aoaTlohs4 o to hold an 4ppolnt-
lx4 enginaering of T%z38 40 s4t mlt
in tubdivision a60 Bill 14 het8 of .~",'
the 48th J&;me;i8~ 014 SeiQI 0) Y4mon'a '
4lYil st4tut.l a. that ao pardon
h4a b44n grant by telsphons that
no%Pa%d Is whethrr
on. previ5ualy aonviet4d
tube abare relWm%d to.
"(0) r"rovided, that na psrson hall ba
eli&ble for r&otration ae a ~rofeeaiioml sn-
girssr who fa not cf g5od chraatcsr mid. repu-
tation; and grovtded furth4r, the% 811 ~~&nosr
ll44ri44d under this Aot 4hz~J.lbe rile f ble to
hold any appointiva 4ngSo44rLo~g ~poaltion with
ths Stat4 of Terse.*
lionorabls B.X. Rightor, Pag% 82
W4 havs oade an examinatton of the statut44 with
respsot to the sp4aiPio qusetlon propound4d by you to d%t%r..
mins the statutory quallfioationa of angfne4r4 wboss p54G
tlons ara prcvidsd for by law.
Arti 6669 Of ths &wised Civil 9tatute4 provides
that the Highway C0~uui6slsA l4hall %l%ct a State Highway BA-
&ne%r who shall bs a ooxp%turt enginasr and 8 graduat,4 of
some fint alLBs8 sohool of aifil %~&naerlng, sx9srieAosd
and 4ltlll4d in highmy oonrtruetion and feaintsnante , , .*
Tb4 Bcwd of Watsr Pnginsers was croated by the
Act4 of th% $Brd Ls~lalatur%, OhaBt4r 171 ofths Q%~sral Lawa,
and ootxtinurd in for04 and effoot by aubeequsnt aot4 and 14
now provided for in Artlol% 7477 of ths Revl4rd Civil Stat-
Ut%l*
lothing is uib with zcrrp%4t to either tlm Blghway
Br&n%sr or the Bimrd of lWt%r B~gi~44r4 r%letfh ta tgoo&
obaneter and r4putatlon. Our sramiaabion ot th4 statutea
do44 not roY441 4ay POSitiOA of ellgios4r whloh %~qrl*rlUly
araker pood 4hsraetar and rsputation a ~ualffl4ttian f4r ap-
polntm4nt. It ceoeu,sarily follone tlast the applicant aaanot
be d4Ai4d a liesnss c~c being &ualifieQ "to bold eny ap-
poiatirs sngfnesriog OSitiOA *ith t.b% stat.6 or T%zasn ae
ruohtarm In appannt f y m~in&%n.
W4 wish to point out, h0wev4r, tbnt ycm Board Ir
ctuwged with the Duty of aiaaertalnlng
whather or not ths
applfeant is a parson of *good obaraot4r and mput4tiosP.
We do nat hold 38 8 vxittsr of tiw that the annv~aticn of a
person for a felrmy would remlor such yraon on% of bed ahnr-
acte4r an& s4Gutation. The detanainst1on of whethsP OP not
the obnvlation, to.;cth%r with all faota and cirsuaert4neem
barore you, render4 the applisaAt a pnnon of bad aharaetrr
and rs;utation is s fact question which by law you or4
charged with the Uuty of detertllinlry;. Tt has bcsn repeatedly
hold by the co~t0 of all jurisdlction4 that th4 dstcn-ia*-
tlG2 Of @Cd CheraOtOr snd XQputitian bii a fact qusebiaa.
It was 8aid bgths 9uprem4 Court of tdissouri in the eas4 of
State v. Thcmpsm, 60 3. I, 10771
-,eutdrfsndeot olaim3 that Ssetioa 2 of
th% hot d%l%p;otae leglalativewwer to on
officer, namely, the State Auditor,
~x4crutivr,
in thet it confers upon hia the riqht to %%y
who arc 9arso~s of .qood oharaats,fr . . * -
92
while the LogilBlature eoure not d~lrgxito
to the State Auditor the power to mko lam,
it Qoos not follow that it oould not blat-
gate to hirathe pimar to ps$ upcn the char-
acter of pereon, applicant8 for 116om10* . . .
The power dalr(prtod l . . 18 not the paY4$
to mnke a 1
To the uame offoot, $8 the holding
of Harry 0undlIa6 1. City bi Chiaag, IT7 U.
In the oas* oi all Y. aeltp-iTQ~r,doqlau~, a48
0. 3* 539, the 8upPeM Court 0s the uni$rd State8 had ber
for+ it the qu~stlon ol t& eoar$ltationulLt.tp of the Ohio
3ranrlt~ea tit. Inyolvrrdtherdhral m attmk P 011the
grounga tint the awtioq to tha IMUwag C#erta* i osao ai
the power to dotemine "$;ood buujmsis repute' of the •~
plioant ,yaB uxlooa#titutlcMl blr Mb*Qo or the .24th Amsndnnt
to the Unit.4 StatW Comtitutfon. It8 validity -8 8\18-
tainmL liPi Juatiee UoxenM said;
~eputatfdn sad ohanstm are quite
tan@40 lttrfbutsr, but than' oan be no
1*gialldtivo doffnltion OS tlnua that imI
autmatloallp attaeh to ati idratdty indl-
ridualn >brriering them, an4 n4~4rr~arily
;~;II;;: tf 8011~34xeoutlre agrnof mast be
.
The auqhoopittss upholding ths.vdlidity of 8tatutea
Qelegatlsg to exdwtire Mfioerr on4 boar& the duty of *am-
lng upon ths ?a& quwtlon of good charactercaaqropltatfon
are too numer’ouu
fsr’detailed eltation iker4fn, but in addition
to those hsminebcws mentioned an the ea8aa air
Riley t. C&ernb4rr, 186 Pm* em mp. ct. Calif.
x,&on v. city a$ Atlakta, 34 3. E. 403 (Ck.)
city or Roa~oke v. Land, ll9 3. 8. 59 (3upl Ct. Va,)
\ Honorable Ir. B. Rlghteq, Page 4
we trust that the above dSaau4eloon of the lau and
author1 ties cited will amist vu in the p4rtormnas or your
duty.
1 Yours YOPy truly
ATTORNEY QEWRRAL QF T!!iXAS