OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

BQnoruhle GOO. Ii. sh%p?ard 

CozptrolltTr af' Public Aocomts 

Almtln, Texas 
0 The Legislature may grant ald 

to l.ni&&i &ibisabledConfed%rata soldiars 

and eallors under euch regulatione and lititatione as r;lay be ae%md by the Legislature as 

expt-dient, nnri to their *-idow in indigoat 

oirc~taPoeo lml%r suoh regulationa arKI l@dt8- 

tions as my be deerued by the Legislature as BIpedientg to indigent OR3 dlsablail soMieso who, 

unaer special laws OS the state of T-s, aumg 

the War botveen the Statea, served in orgerdrationa Sor the protection of the frontier againet 

Intuan r&a8 or biadcku aurBua%rs* and to idigent and tieabled soldiora of the millLti0 uho 

wure in act&y% sewioo during the War between 

the %ates, Cuvz to the ridorra of such soldiera 

rrboyein~gentc~~tar~eee,a~vho~e 

or my be eugihic to rmeive aid unaaf 6ucrh 

regnlacions and lImitationa as may be dewed 

aJ the LegialatoFe as m-eat; a S‘lBO f&l%& 

for the estahlfehrttautand~ntemame of the 

horn for aaid ooldie~e and aaklors, their sires 

andridous andrwaenrho a&.&din theConfsbemioy, 

under such regulstions and lia?itatlone aa may bo 

prtiati for by htv~ pmiatu tie Legielature 

may provide for husband and rife to rfzaxain together in the home. There is hereby leviedaddition ta all other taxes berrotofore permitted 

by the Conetirutlon of Texas, a state ad wklorem 

tax on pfopartg of mvtm (Q.07) cants on the 0110 

hundmd ($190 &O) dOllPrB la~USt%On fO& t&O pI1Fpose OS or0ati~ a speaial fund for the pnyxmnt 

-of ,7t3n~ions for raorvicoe in the Conf%derate m 

and Wavy, frontier organizations and the.milit3a 

OS tb% State of TeSCas, aud for the WidOWa Of Crumb 

ecildiors serving in said am&es, mtiw, orG&zations or tilitiqj proo2hd that the Legislatur% 

skiby rti%co tbt3 tax rata horekn levied. . . , *a 

The tax wthoriacd by this S%otl.on of the Conetitutiun is specificallp for t.b% purpose *of oreatinr: a speotal 

fund for the3 paymnt US pWonare A pension is a pe~H.Mc allos;mcc of money grant%& by a govwm?ent for s%rvle~o row 

dcr&, in particular to a soldier or sailor in conntmtion 

with war or rd'itary opQrations. mrse 0. lPoberteon, 9Raw. 

lu5, 169; Stat% ex ral Raridep VI Kiamel, 288 IliO. 611, 168 

8. w. NT& Y%clf0ra V* WhifO, l@$ Color 43s, lo6 mu. 

480, 474; United State8 T . Iiall # tMl U * 5 . 343 , * t . 
HonoraUle 0~0. ii. ti%ppa&siZ - page 3 

Ed. lsoj Webeterc6 Rear Int%mational Dictionary, 2a edition. 

Tbe language of the Oonstitution is presumetl to 

have been chosen with nmre care than that of any other 

legis~atlon. Alenrander Y. 

s. isi'. 644; cox Y. 

State, 84 Grim. Rep. 75, 204 

Robinson, 105 TQ. 420, 150 8. w. 1149. 

Plain ;lhi definite \oOrds of tbe Constitution, therefore, 

are to be taken in their ordinary meaning. Keller f. State, 

87 So t. 669, 1.~. R. A. (liS)489. Tbe language selected 

by the framers of the Constitution,~wben its meaning is 

clear, controls tbe court in interpreting it. Ex parte 

hi%yer,84 Crita. Rep. 288, 2~7 S. P. l00. phere rot-as used 

in a constitution are plain and unambiguous, there is no 

occasion for construction. 

rho Confederate Pension Fund authorized to be 

areated by Article 3, Section 61, of the Constitution, 

is a oonstitutlonal special fund which may be applied 

only to the purposes for which, udi%r the constitutionsl 

provisiun, the fund is oreat&, to-sit; sTbo payment of 

peMions.* Tbe appliaati,on ti suah fund to any othe& purpose than that authorized hy the constitutional prwision 

is enpressly~probihited hy Article 8, Section 7, of our 

Constitution, whiti prwidoat 

*The Legislature shall not have power to 

borrow, or in any mum?& dive&t frem its purpose, any special fund that nay, or ought to, 

come into the treasury; . . . . . 

Of this section of the Constitution, the late 

cm-of Justice Cureton t4aiat 

*The&e arc various special funds namti ia 

the ~onstitutlon, such as the School Fund, et 

cetera, and the purpose of Ss%fion 7, Article 

8, WOB to prevent their diversion. These 

special funds, of course, can not be tivertad, 

* Draeott River ~cnsertation 6 Recl;rernh.&'Di.(strict P. EoCr;m (Tax.) $1 8. W. (2) 

660. See, also, Carroll f. Oillirrnx, 109 Tex. 

156, 202 6. W. 504~ Lsmon v. tioker (Civ.Apps.) 

220 s. w= 260. 

Expcnrlftures cf the Btate imolvet? in establishing 

3rd n~int..ainS~: the Confederate Boz~es do not constitute *the 

payment of p%nsions.* Since expendlturw Prom the Uenneral 

wuttd for these purposes were not Blade for tbe purpose for 

Which tho Confederate Pension Fund was created and suthortstnl 
to be @xpendeii by the Cmntltution, reimbursam~t oE 

the tieneral FumI Worn tha Confederrrte lens&on Funa for 

SU& expesxUtures is probibito& by BFt.icl~ 8, section 

7, ai- l&c hlstltution. 

*erg truly yaure