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OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
GROVERSELLERS E
ArrORHrv
Clc?4LIN. 1
Dear 6irs opinion HO. o-bybg
Hon. ii. i. Washburn, page 2
response to my request, whloh is ettaohed with the
thought that It might be of aealstance.
*2. May the liarrls County Navigation Distrlat
expond its funds in dredging the ahannel and oon-
atruating wharves and other facilltles for berthing
the United States ~Battleshlp TIGAS which hae been
donated to the State of Texas by the Seoretary or
#avg aondltioned that the funds neaeeaary to
properly berth the vesaeli end thereafter maintain
it will be appropriated?
Your attention la dlreated to the ract that the
girt or the Battleehip is to the State or Texas; that
it la to be berthed at a state Park owned by the State
of Texan; and that It la to be maintained d operated
either by the State or some mmlaipal unie Tfrom sources
not yet detennlned. From newspapere., I understand that
the Governor hae said funds are not available fron.State
aouraea for any of them purposes.
“36 Assuming that the Battleship aocaS la berthed
and the. neoeeeaxy wharf and approaohes are ‘bomtruoted,
may ths Harris County. hlavlgatlon Diatrlot thereafter
appropriate ita funds ror the nmlntenanoe and opera-
tion of the veeeel aa a muaeum?R
Seation 52, Artlole 3 of the Constitution of Texas pro-
vides in part ae follows:
“The Leglelature shall have no power to authorize
any oounty, alty, tow5 or other polltloal corporation
or aubdlvlelon oft the State to lend ,lte oredlt .or to
grant public money or thing of value in aid of, or to
pf Edlvidual( asaoclatlon or aorporation whateoever,
Artlolee Nos. 8198, 8229 and %!JJa, provide in part as
roJl0wa;
“Art. 8198. Eavlgation districts may be oreated
80 as to lnoludetherein the territory of not more than
two oountles or parts thereof; and euoh dietriots may
or may not inolude villagee, towne and municipal oor-
pore tlona, or any part thereof. Suah dlatriota may
improve rivers, baya, oreeke, atreams and aanala
withln or adjaaent to suoh dietriots, and aonatruot
Hon. ii. L. Washburn, page 3
and maintain oanale and watenvays to perrait of
navigation or In aid thereof, and may leaue bonds
in payment therefor aa heralnafter provided."
*Art. 8229. Navigation dietriots provided for
in thl8 ohapter oreeted for the development or deep
water navigatlan, having e olty containing one hun-
dred thousand population, or more according to the
preaeding Federal oeneue, ark hereby granted, in
addition to the power6 oonferred by thie ohapter,
the right, power and authority to eoquire, purohaas,
take over', 005atruot, melntain, operate, develop
sod regulate wharves, dooke, * * end all. other
taollltise or aids inoldent to or neoeesary to the
operation or development or ports or waterwaya,
within the diatrlot and extending to the Gulf of
Maxloo,* * *u
wArt. 8247a. sec. 1. Any navigation dietrlot
heretorore organlzad or hereafter to be organiaed
under any of the provisions of the Constitution or
lawa or the &Stateof Texas, in addition to all
other powere oonrerred by lawAm hereby given au-
Zhority and shell hereafter hare.-* in the
manner hembaiter provided to eogulre, ,purohase,
oonatruet, enlarge, extend, repair, malnUtOI
operate or develop wharves, dooks, ~t:~~-:%eabi~
everything appurtenant the,reto, fogether.$l,th all
other radlitier or eLda Fooldent to or useful in
the operation or dereloprnent ol,,the dlstrlotts
port6 and waterways or In aid or navlgatlrm * * *."
genate BU No.222, Sea..2, passed by the 40th Legisle-
ture in 1927, provides in part'60 followrrr
"The navigation distriot, or it8 aueoeaaora,
is hereby grant& the right, power and authority to
authorize. eatablieh. oonatruot, purchase, own,
--~~. . ate end leans
ha. drr d&ka. marine waya end
--, --- &e between the main
lan- d end
_-- -islands and to 'ill1 area8 for whervea,
piers, km. arv
doe--, -. dagke,
--. marine ways and for all
other atruotums and appllanaes for raoilltatlw
._
.
Eon. H. L. Washburn, page 4
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r&m. ii. L. r’iashbum, !atJe 5
The law ia well aettlea that county ~odaaIoners oourte
amy exorcia~ronly auoh authority 88 conferredby the Conetl-
tution and atatutea of thle State. rhle dapartmnt has in many
opInnion8 ao held. see OpIhIOn Ro. o-1001, and authorltlae therein
Oltsd. A oopy of said oplnloh la herewith enoloaed. ~a have
mado a dillgent aearoh and am unable to find my ltatuta au-
thorizing the lxp6haItuce or donation of oouhty fund8 by the
Commlralonors~Court for the purpore above dsaorlbed. 'X0
therefore awwer your fIrat question In the negative.
Iiianewer to your seoond quaetlon, It la our opinionthat
HarrI8 County Houston Ship Charnel CavIgatIon DIrtrIot Ia clearly
euthoriad to oxpond Ita funda ror the purpoee of dredglhg ohmnels,
oohatruotingwhariae and other faoIlItIeaor alas whatsoever to
navigation or oommeroe. A8 7.0whether the dradging of the ohannel
and oonstruatlngwhurver and oth6r faollltis6 fnoldental to the
borthIng of the united Sates, tiattleshlpWTLf;fGfinwould be nreoIll-
tisa or aida to navigation or oomeroe n Is largely a raot question
and one to be determined prlmrlly by the navigation dietriot In
the exerclee of It.8sound dIsoretIoh.
It is our opinion that you- third queatlon ehould be
anmeraa In the negative and It IS 80 anawemd.
we wl8h to oxpxese our slnaere appreciationfor the able
briefs mubraittedIh this matter by Lion.L).A. 3Ink!non#~
OA behalf
of the navlgatton dlrtrlot and by Lion. Yrnsat A. KhIpp on behalr
of %3rrIs 0ouAty.
JOILJ
enal.