XonorableC,H. Cavneas
State Auditor
Au&In, Texas
Dear Hr. Cavnespi OpinionNo. o-5626
Ret Is the State TreasureF~authorieed
to cancelthe eolal LoanFund
balanceof $79,"g09.501
Your letterof September20; 1943, has been given OUF oare-
ful conttlderation,It reads as follousr
"Tiuconmotion with & audit we &e now malc-
lng of the books of auoount ,and q+mrds or the @tats
?freamq.Be~nt, ue pmssent t&i2fellowingdatat
'& kr'lieuthereof
tltlo~te0r ~mbllc Debt.ror ~thatamounti
In other uorda, the fierieral
Revengeaa
oount b&-mttM $Xwc$he’Speoial lean %?ax
aecumnt thqamount stated. As no Wads
uem iswed uader %hia law, and a8 the
p’lpoaeedg, ii bonds ‘had been Issued and
fold, wouzd have been availablefor
the vem gurpoaeto which in effect the
money rw2eiwtdwas applied,1 see no
reasonwhy this aertdficateshouldnot be
>'* .fionorable
C.H. Cavness- Page 2 o-5626
cancelled. The accountIn fact represents
absolutelynothing.
. . . . .,
'"We reapectfWly ask your opinionas to whether
this certificatecan be asnaelledand whetherthe State
Treasurerhas the authorityto clear this old balanae
of $79;&9.50 fYom the books of the State TreasuryDe-
partment. If the State Treasurerdoes not have this
authority,how can suah alearancebe effeoted?"
It appears that on April 8, 1861 the Legislatureauthorized
the Governorof the State to borrow$l,OOO,OOb~CO to be used to pay the
State debts and pay currentapproIjciatlons. Said tactprovidedthat a tax
of q on eaoh 8lCO.00value of'property real and,personal,shouldbe
levied to pay said bond and Interest. fSee Qanmwtl~s~
Laws; Vol. 5, p. 375).
Qn January 13, 1862, the Legislature amendedthe Aat of
April 8,~1861,ln which the Lagiglaturereaitedthat no bonds at that
time had beenissued. (SeeCbmmel~sLaws, Vol. 5, p. 486).
Iriyour letteryou stu$e that as a matter 0r faot no bonds
have avti been 'imtuedin or by v&Hue-oi~said'~atatites~ As we underst&nd
yam letter,there was howevm aelleetedin taxeS.lev%edin virtue0r
~ssid st+ttitej&e mainoi~$79,&@0; tPhidh&I reprCrsetit&d b$ the $tste
~;~p~l.er+g o~ifioate fy said~pmount@.v~Stto~G.H,; Bsll4olph,the
Tremmer, on &me 8, 1865.
,,
,~ . ,,, ';&&li, &&y&& :rv,&:.lts*..i ~w.,in.,q~,+e, llaid
?~~'
statute the purposefor which the fsx uas ~leviad'andoolleetedfailed.
Siaoe t&q monfq obtainedrromtheszileor thebonds wad,~Under Bald law,
to,be~wed!'Ltip&rt.forfJeneral:Fux&expenses,the ~sheuld have been
tran6ruTed t.0, the QeneralFkmmue hoooun*. Aa M yadarar* your letter,
said Fund wan, in truth and in ,%"a&,
tParW%Wred to ~the.oCneral Rind; and
had ban~p~tedbythe.~~~Curcraarprgaa~s'~o,
Said warrantor 'osrtiireate'&n~ld
now be oan&ed. This
aooounthaa ezvoneousl~been aarrbd as a liobilit;a
of the State l'orall
these ream.
-0FTxAs
A1cKIRNKp
By s/ oeo. w. Barcue
Qeo. w. 3arcus
Assistant
WB-MR-WO
ApprovedOpinionCommitteeBy s/,EklB
Chairmcur