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OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY G ERAL OF TEXAS
w
AUSTIN
GROVERSELLERS
A.TTO”NLI
GENERAL
Eenorable R. A. &rton
Oounty Attorney
calhoun County
tort Lavaca, Texas
mar Sirr Opinion lo. o-6817
c\
mlnrlon for th
Ye have r*c or our opinion an the
hemlnabove-captioned
follou8:
ltylr property.
t your Department ha8
ty Council ha8 roque8ted a ruling
t before the propored repair8 am
turr 18 authorized out of the Sea-
hat the qUO8tiOll MY be Sad. clear
to the the Doparhent, I UI l ncloring a rkotch rhov-
Lug- lmatlon of the proporad repaim.
%a. tventy year8 ago, the City lxtondrd thm
north end of the rxi8ting reavall by the ConrtNctim
of a 14 foot bulkhead out to the mouth of L~zrn’r Bayou--
the outer 8urfaar va8 faoed vlth limortona riprap.
Behind thi8 fourtoon foot vrll, the city, vith the
gonorablo R. A. Barton, pago 2
aid of Podoral Fuado, dndgod out a rtom harbor a8 a
tozmlnuo of tho Intorcoaotal Canal. Tbo harbor lo
ovnbd ltlnlr br the Cltr.
%urlng the rocont storm, tho ratrr naohod a
hoaht of over 15) foot, parring completely ovor the
14 foot loavall and into tho basin. The action of
tho vator, aad 8tom too8rd ships and vrooolu@, lr o do d
partly lo r o o tho
o loavall and undomlnod the rotalnlag
vall or bulkhead on tho baok old*.
"Uhllo tho rotalnlng vail lr oa tho inoido of
tho Hualaipal Xarbor, our City lnglaoor otatoo that
it 18 noco8oar~ to replace , Fall., ad rtroagthon~tho
in8ido bulkhead8 in ardor to support tho outrids ooa-
Wll.
"Under this fact rltuatbon, vi11 it bo legal
for the City to ~80 Soavall hIBd8 derived fraa a
tax romlo8loa for tho purpo80 of ropalrlng, ra18ingi
and rtrongthoning tho imldo rootlon of tho loavall,
ovoa though tho 8&o al80 con8tltutoo the l~oldo bulk-
hoad of the JtunlclpalHarbor?”
Sootlon 7, Artiolo 11, of tho ?oxrr CoB8t1tutioB Had8
88 fOllOV8:
'All counXloo ,and oltlor bordering OB thr
cob8t of thr Gulf of Ilrrico are horebr luthorlrod
upon a vote of tvo third8 of the taxpayoro thornin
(to bo l8cortaiBod as may bo provided by lav) to
1s~~ and aolloot ouch ta% for oonotruotlon of 8oa
vallo, bmkvatoro, or ranitary purporvo a8 may bo
authorlrod br lav, md may oroato a debt for ouoh
vorkr and l8ouo bonds la lvldenco thoroof. But no
dobt for lw purporo rh~ll lvo r be incurrod in any
mannor by anr olty or oouat~ \mlo~rrprovltim lo
mad@ at tbo tlmo of croatlng~tho~ruo, for lovylng
and collOoting a 8UffiObllt tu to J=r tho intOrO8t
thoroon and provldo at loaot too per oont as a olnk-
lng fund; and tha oondouutlen of th right of var
for tho rnctlon of ruoh vorko rhall k hrlly pro-
vided for,’
bootion 8, Artlolo 11, of the Toxao COMtitUtiOB road8
a8 fOllOV8:
'Th8 OOuntio8 and OftiOo 011 th0 @Ulf COa8t bfng
8ubjoot to ala81tOu8 OVorf1oV8, and a vrrr largo
~~onblr 11.A. lhton, pass 3
p~OpOrtlm of the graoral rovoauo blng dorlvod from
these Othwvl80 preoperouo lOOallti88~ Tbo kglola-
two lo lopeolall~ luth~rlrod to aid b7 Aozwtlen lf
ouch portlen of the public domain as mar k dorod
p r o p o ra ,
ndin luo hmo dea sma y k p nvldo db r la v,
the oon8tlvotion lf 8ea vallo, or bnakvatoro, ouch
aid to bo prepertloned to the lxtont u&A value of
thr vork8 arootruotod, or to bo oonotruotod, la any
locallt~.o
Hours Bill 10. 7, Chapter 485, page 780, Acts of the ?ortp
@#v#nt~ kglolaturo, Regular aeoolon, 1941, roads as fOllOV8¶
‘aoetion 1. It i8 found and doolarod that the
Cltr of tort Lavaoa lo a oltr situated oa the Qulf
Coast of the 8ktO Of ToxbO and $0 8Ubjoet to Oslm-
itooo ovorflovo and that a vary large proportion of
thr Amoral ~vonuoo of the btato IO Aorlvrd fro8 thlr
othorrloo prooporeuo locality.
%0t1oB 2. lo r l parled of tvontt (LO) pars,
comonoing on Soptodw 1, 1941, follovlng tba pao-
rags of this Aot, thrro lo honby doaatod and granted
bl the Stats of Toxao to the Cltq of tort Lavaoa, Cal-
houn County, Texas, all of the not ramant of all 8tato
ad valbrom tax.8 1rvloA aaA oollrotod far atats general
purp~ooo, on all proportr, nal and perooaal, IneluA-
lag tha rolling #took belong te nilroad eapanIoo
(vhioh shall ba loarrWaed an
3 apportioanrdas BOV
pnvldrd by lav) In Calhouu Coamty. 8ald 8onot vhon
reoelvod br the Cit.7 of tort Lavaoa elm11 be used by
ouah C1t.ras m apaoy lf the atate of texao, la tho
manner prrvlded 0 this Act, for the oonotruotIon, xw-
pair, anA lmprovmunt of am vallo, bnahratoro, and
harbor8 .
‘boctloa 3. At the lBd of oaoh month, the Ao-
and Collootor of Taxes of Calhoun County oh11
lo o o o r
make aa ital8.A report ador oath to the Comptroller
Of Pub110 AOOOUntOOf th0 8ktO lf tOXa0, 011 fOl'88 to
be furnlrhod br thr Caeptrollor, 8hOviag tho amount of
all aA valora ?&x08 oell@at@A by hk for Stats gmoral
purpoooo upon real aad pwooakal property v1thl.n the
Countr of Calhoun, inaludIng rollIa~ #took of nIlrOad
ownpanlor as horolaabovo prOVlAOAJand ho oball loaam-
pug the same vlth an itomirod statemoat shoving fill
iorablo 1. A. Barton, page 4
dlopo8ltloa of all ruch tuor ooll~~toA. The said Ar-
lo o o o r a&d CollOOtOr Of ?UO8 8&11 frrvhrd his report
to the Coaptrollor, and shall make a like report to
the Cltr tnarurer of th0 Citylf tort kvaoa, and ho
shall pa7 over to tho City Tnaouror lf the City of
tort Lavau all of the roaoyo oollootod by him from
btate ad valomm tax08 levied for goaoral purpoooo
Aurlq said month, looo ruoh uounto as are alloved
bt la v fo rl8oeoolng and colleoting la 80. On th eo o -
caolon of oaoh luoh roalttaBoo the Cltf Tnaouror
rhll lxoouto a roaolpt In dupllobto l hoviBA the
amount lf roper thus reoolvod, forvarding one OXO-
outqd orpy H tho Tu Aoooo8or and Collector of Cal-
hoti:Qouat~ and the other oxooutod cop7 to the Comp-
troller of Pub110 Aooounto of the Stats of Texar.
“6iatlw.I 4, The Cltr of Port kvroa, lctlas by
md thmugh its govoming bodr to locoaplloh ouch
Stats p~rp0008, oh11 have authorIt and 18 horoby
luthorltod to looue lto nogotiablo bonds ooourod by
a pledge of the tax aono~o damted md granted by the
Stats of Toxar aBd raid govorni~g bod in it8 dlooro-
tlon may ~@CUN 8uch bonds addltlonalIy by a pledge
of it8 om tax- povor, and thr procood8 of the ralo
of 8uoh bond8 may bo urod for the purport of ooaotruct-
ing, repairing, and improving au vallr, broakuator8, and
h+rbOr8 to protoot raid looalit~
OVWfiOV8J provided that BO BOV
provomont rbrll bo made or oontraoted for in the bay
on the lart olAo of the proront 8#a vail u~1ooo or un-
til all privately ovnod laBdo, 10a808, and lroo8oBt8
botvoeB rbld prOpO8Od 8tNCtUN aBd the ~rOOOBt 8W
vall shall have boon ooourod by the Cltr of tort LB-
vaca br purcba80, gift, coBdomnatloB, or lthorvloe.
%*a tlo 5.
n Bond8 lrruod by the Cltr of Port La-
vaca under authority of this Act rhall bo govomod by
the General Lava of the Stats of Toxsr applicable to
bond8 i8ouod br citior and toVn0, including the provl-
8lon8 of Tit108 22 md 28 of thr R8v1886 CiVil 8tatut.o
of 1925 ma AmoaQonto- thoroto, ad If the bonds are to
be oocurod by a plodgo of the taxing povor of tha Cltr
of tort Lwaaitho proposition rutoittod ia the llOCtiOB
for the l88uanoo of raid bonds 8hall Oontaia a nforoBoo
to tho faot th a t
luoh tax 18 luthwlrod. The bond8
Irrombl. R. A. tbrtoa, w&o 5
$o~uoA by the Cltr for ouah p ur p o o oshall
o not lxoooA
m Mouat or amounts vhloh oould bo lorv$ooA both as
to prinalpal urd intoroot vlth ooah donated tueo
bwd #a thm &tbot lp p r wo d l080080d value lf prop-
l& f, lnaludiry the V~~UO Of rolling etaok lpportlmod
to 8uOh COuatJ, in tilhoUn COUtf, at th0 ti8. ruoh
city prepoooo to loouo said bonds, and krrd on the .
lvon&o tax rat0 lovloA br the Stab of Texas for
00nonl F~BA purp0800 Aurias the ton (10) roan pn-
aod$ng the rear in vhloh raid bond8 a~ to bo looued.
After bond8 8ball h8vo boon voted or$g$B~l~~.unArr
thi8 Aot 8UbOOqWBt 188uo8 M)' k voted as nquirod.
&ndr of UI iroue may bo Aollvorod bt one tf88 or
from tin to tl8e as and vhon the lonar lo nredrd for
8uCh pUl7.808. The money nooivod by the Cltr from
8uoh donated tauro rhall bo uooA to p&r tho pr$ncl-
pal -6 lntoroot of raid bonds and 8hall net bo dl-
vortad to &ny othor purpeoo.
‘Seation 6. To the lxtont that ronor may bo lo-
oumulrtod in the riBkin& fund fru 8UOh Wats donated
tuoo in lxco88 of ourront roqulromonto for principal
uid intoroot uid to provide 8Uah r o 8o r v.l8 UT be
pro8orlbod in tho ordinsnoo or ordinmoo8 authorizing
thr l88uanoo of raid bends, it nry bo lBvr8toA in lo-
oorAe~co vlth the Oononl kv rp llcrblo to oltlo8.
The use uad AlvoroloB of aono~o R onin granted for
an7 purpooo othor than tho papant of intonot anA
principal 00 the bonds voted honundor or invo8tod
in booord&~oo vlth lpplioable lava is horob pro-
hibited anA the vlo&tioB of this OOOtiOB 8hr11 oon-
8titUtO l 8loapplleatlon of bllo moner and the peroon
or porooao so offonding rhalF bo pullhod co provldod
for in Artlolr 86 of the Pon~l Code of tha Iltato of
Toxar ,
%octlon 7. The fret that this Act lo doolgard
t0 prOteat a 1Oulit~ rituated @a th0 half cOb8t from
oah8$tw8 lvorfbVo, aad th0 fact that l voq tiPgO
proportlen of the gononl rovonue of the Skto lo do-
rived from ouch &horvloo prorp@rouo loaalltr oreate
an lmorgonoy and $mpontivo pub110 BOoo88it~ that the
Con8tltutlwl Rule nqulria# bLll8 to bo road in oroh
~#u## o nth r .8 l.parat# day8 k #U8pOtrbO& Ud 8aid
Rule $8 horobr lu8pondod, 4nd that thir Aot booera of-
foctlvo $mmod$atoly fro8 and aftor its paoragr, and it
18 80 l naotod.’
~onblo R. A. Barton, pip 6
In our oplBloB IO. O-4117, rddreoo8A to ro\t,vo hold
lj follovo8
'Wo are, thorofon, of the opiala~ t&t Houoo
it luko to remit taboo to eon-
Bill 7, 8Upti, vhb r o ln
8truot ooavallo or broakvatoro 18 nO~'vlolrtlvo of the
Conotltutlon of Foxas, but that it lo uacoaotitutioaal
inrofar as it looko to nmlt tax00 to coaotruot hrkm.
Ye lurthor hold that tho striking of the .vorA 'harbon
from the bill door aot lavall&rto the balaaoo thoroof.~
fB ocu8plia~oo vlth the 9l’OV101Oli8Of Heu80 Bill Ho. 7,
the Clt7 of tort kvbaa 180uad Cit of tort ZAvau 8wvall 8.ad
Bpoakvator Bonds in 1941, anA the Eitf cOQi8Oion 8a@ the fol-
loving rtatonoat in the llootlon order ,B OtiOO of l~o‘etton,and
8fldinm08 luthorl8$Bg the $8oua~oo of buuiot
‘For tho 9ur9000 of OOBOtN6tiB& repairing,
md lmprov 8tiVall0 aad brOahratOr8 t0 p~#t#Ot
the Oltr of 9 art kvaca from tho continuing ~BA ro-
ocourr$Bg calamlteuo ovorfl8vo, vhioh $mprovoaento
an, In the l p$nl8B of tho City Cormloolo~~, l88on-
tlbl to adequate protootloa of 8816 oity.
In the oa80 of the Flrrt flatloos &~k of tort Arthur
v. City of tort Arthur
lt al, 35 S. Ye (26) 258, thr Beaumont Court
of civil A99oalo raid'
'Cou~ool for 89p011080, in their brlof, 8all our
attOBtiOB t0 b lImbor Of gOnO= TU100 Of OOB8tNOti~
pertaining to conotitutional proVi8iOM. ho of thoro
~108 lo that roforrod to b our Su romo Court in Valkor
v. No~oro, 114 fox. 225, 266 8. U. 399. Tho gonoral
rule there referrod to lo %hat oontaqtorano8uo md
practlaal o8nrtruotlon of oon8tltutioBal provioloBo by
tho Loglolaturo $n the ln8atmont of law8 should have
groat voight 8nA give rlu to 8 natural pntumptlon
that tho log$8latlvo conrtruotlolb, rightly $Btorproto
the moan- of the 9l’OV1810& In OWUlOOtiOB vlth this
goaonl ~10, oowlrol for l 9polloo $n tholr brlof direct
our lttontlon to the 8ovoral lOt8 at d$fforont times of
thb Texas k~lolatur8 SMting aid t0 blf CU8t Oiti.8
under lootlon 8, art1818 11, of the Conotltutlon. One
Of th.80 lo th r lOt grarM.ng aid to tho Oltr Of Oalvoo-
ton rhortly after the dO8tNOtiVO gulf hurricane in 1900.
~orablo 2. A. Barton, page 7
Another 18 the lot granting aid to the oltr of Corpus
Cbl'iOtiJ another $0 tha sot sraat~ aid to the oitr
of IrroopwtJ mother lo the lo tgranting aid to the
Olty of RookportJ another lo tho act granting aid to
thb OltJ Of ?Ort tiVa0aJ another 18 tho act grU&ing
aid to tho oitr of Aranoao ta88. IB this OOIUibOtiOB
o~uaool.oonto~A, aad uadortako to ruotain thr oon-
tentlOB, that the !d($i#~tul'e ia -oh of the iB8tQC.O
above 8tatbA garb a broad urd llborrl oonotruotloa to
88OtlOIi 8 Of art1010 11 Of th0 COB8tltUtlOB md that
the Loglolaturo in there ln8tanooo did not oonotmo
that lootion to limit stat0 aid to @Ulf c ur toitior
for the oonotruotlon of 8oa vallo and brOakVator8,
that 10, to thora hrolaal ltl'UOtUl'O8 thOm8OlVO8, but
aoartruod lootion 1s la a broad r)y so as to give aid
to those @ulf cO4Ot OitiO8 in the OOB8tNOtiOn Of
vork8 not aotuallJ a part of a 8oa vail or broakvator.
MO 8h11 BOt Avoll U9Oli this 8~08tiOa Of COuII801,
though vo lro $mpro8ood vlth the foroo of this ouggo8-
tlon aad tha argument in connootlon. Other goaoral
~leo Of intOrpPOtbtiOB and OOB8tXUOtiOB mar bo raid
to bo tho follovLagr
'1. The intontlon of the maker8 of the conrtl-
tutlon vi11 be’arcortalnod, and vhon that intontlon
I8 80 locortalnod, vhathor lxproo8od in pbb laaguago
or not, luoh $ntont koono8 as much a part of the lav
as if It had boon 0~~08006 ln plain and uaoquivoaal
tomo. This' vao the mrlo lnaouaood br our Su roa18
COUPt in ml18 bUILtJ~V. -pIa COUllt~,90 #OX. 606,
40 s. Y. 403.
‘2. Loglolatlon, orgaalo or rtatutory, must bo
roaronably cOB#truOd uid in b aaBnOr not FOP-t t0
CmOB 8OBOO. This rule lo annouaood $B 8uOOn fn81w
&II60 Co.. v. State, 86 Tax. 250, 24 8. Y. 397, 22 L.R.A.
483, and. Q Bt. Lou18 fS.U. Railway Co. of Toxar v.
ToA, 94 Tax. 632, 64 8. U. 778,
‘3. A public groat for a pub110 ldvankgo rhould
be llborall~ oonrtruod in a~ lndoavor to acoamplloh tho
purporo.of the (gnd. This rulo vao announced In Ar-
anoao County v. Coleman-9ulton tarturo CO., 108 TOX.
'216,191 8. Y. 553.
'4. In aonotrulng a lav It vi11 bo prooumod that
tho croatoro of lamo an fulllar vlth the candltlono
to bo rollevod lgalnot and the ooBditlon rf the count7
to vhloh the lot lo lpplloablo. Vlnona L St. 9. R. CO.
V. RUBO~, 113 0.8. 625, 5 a. ct. 606, 28 L. Ed. 1109.
~onblo E. A. Sarton, page 8
'5. If pooolble, that oon8truotlon vi11 bo adopted
vhlah vi11 prroto tho pub110 lntonrto in luoord vlth
8ouaA lconala 90110~. Fhlr rule vao nforrod to ln
atat0 V. r&kO8, 72 TOX, 242, 11 8. we iowe
‘6. In tho oon8tructlon of Conotltutlonr, as ~011
a sltatutoo,tho povoro noooo8ar~ to tho lx
noooorary o r a loofo
xoraloo
povor oloarly granted
grmtod vi11 bo lmpllod. This rmlo vao
roforrod to in Texas cent. 8. Co. vr Bovnun, 97 Tax.
Tax.
295.
417, 79 s. u, 295.
'7. When a gmoralpovor lo oonfornd, lvorf
WA+tiOUhLr iOr the lXOl'~iOOOf 8-0 18
POVOP BOOO88bry
8180 conferrod, vhothrr lxpro88l~ ranted or not. Thl8
lo tho rule laid dovn in Cooloyt8 8 onotltutlonal Llml-
tatlonr (8th EA.) vol. 1, page 138,
"In addition to the lb o vogoneral ruler of lntor-
protatlon, vo think that tho rule announced by our Su-
promo court, through Chief Jurtico Phi1lip8, in baa888
County lt al. v. Coleman-Fulton Pa8tw COu~panf,108
fox. 216, 191 S. Y. 553, 554, whore roctlon 52 of ar-
tic10 3 Of Our COIi8titUtiOnYb8 under COB8tNCtiOn, 18
the ~1s .of groatort application to tho fact8 in this
ca.Io. It 18 48 fOllOV8l
“The lplrlt, purpose and 8oopo of the particular
provlrlon an all tQ bo oonoultod in tho offort to do-
torrpinovlth OortairrtJ tho moaning of it8 torm8.t
'Applying that ~10 Fn thlr caoo, VI have a0 he8-
ltanc~ ln aonoludlq that tho lrpoBdlturo b7 tho olty
of Port Arthur of it8 bond aonoy abovr m@ntlOBod for
tho vork dOno by tho Contnl Conotruotlon Coapanr in
COn8tNoting the Stllvoll storm Drain va8 not pro-
hibited and vould not bo in vlolatlen of ooction 8,
artlclo 11, of the cOB8titUtiOB. The lplrlt aBd the
purporo that lctUato6 tho frw8oro of that artlalo van
mainly tho pretootlon of tho llvoo and proportJ oi
poop10 ln OitiO8 lltUato6 OB th8 Gulf ba#t snd al-
va p lxpo886 to danger and hasardr of tho 8oar tro-
tootlon to thooo pooplo and tholr property, VI 8a),
vao the ma5.nand oontrolllng thought, and la addltlon
to that, and as incldontal to that, va8 .tho bonoflt
that vould redound and aooruo to the pop10 of th0
vholo rtato of Toxar br protooting luoh of it8 citicon8
~&able It.Ar Ilrrton, paso 9
as lfvr la the l x p o o oltloo.
od It vao knova that Mary
Tra;ao oountloo and altloo VOW so oltuatod upon tho
Oolf hart as to b0 aonrkrtl7 exposed to tho ravagoo
amI dootNotioa of gulf hurrlaanoo, arig tho purporo
.of th4 framoro of tha art1010 vao to iv0 protoctlon,
is far as po8oiblo through huun ok;1f anA agonor,
to the llvor and property of our altiroBo rxpoo(d to
8uGh htardo .
%a think that the trial oourt, uudor tho WI-
donoo la this oboe, vbo oorreot la finding and oar&-
oludlng that the Oa8tFUOtiOB of the 8tllvoll Stem
Dr&in, as OO?itOmplrtOA,Va8an 8888ntlAl end ~00088r27
mb oomponoat part of tho ooa vall pro cot at Port Ar-
thur, UIA tht thoroforo tho btllvoll i tom Drain vhon
aomplotod vi11 be a part of the sea vall in the 801100
in vhloh that tom 18 used ln ooctlon 8, artlolo 11,
of the Con~tltutlallr*
IB vlov of tho holding la the above-oltod oboe, It lo ap-
wnnt that tho an8vor to the quo8tlon rubmittod by you 18 dopendant
upon tho dotomlnatlon a8 to vhothor tho aontomplatod oonotructloa
l88Olltir1,BOCO888~, and OOlUp8lIOntpUt Of tho 8UVbll PPOjOCt.
lox 48 bB l ~inOor~ fact. it 10 BOCO88bl'Y t0 I’
OPlbOO. rbi80, bnd
~tr&thoB the-l~8lAo 6A.khoidr of tho rotaihg vail in-ardor to
rupport tho out8ldo 88bYbl1, it lo our opinion, bared OB tho foro-
nolna luthorltloo. that ruoh OonotNOtiOn VOUld OOB8titUto "Ui Oo-
&iTal and noaoriar).md oomponmt part of tho roavall project”
at Port Lavaca, hxa8, and tbat your quootion rhould bo aB8vorod
la th elfflma tlvo .
VOrr tNlr TOUl'O
.tZphD&E ATTQRRRXOHRRRALOF -S
ATTCRSEY GENERAL OF TFXAS
~88iitbBt
JCD/JCt