OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

“ 

Honorable R, A. Barton 

county At~tirney~ .. 

Calhoun county 

Port Lavaoa, Texab 

Dear Sir? O~iniOl3 Hoso’. o-4117 

Rer Con~titutlonkllt+ of 8.. B. 7,~ 

47th kglrlstun, asgular .. 

lo ahell not attemmpt to quota the whole of ffouse Bill 

‘7, supra, but for the purposes of olarlty of thin oplnlon, wo 

Quote the oaptlon as follows: 

. 

Sesrion. 

We aakuowledge rscciipt'oi your request ior an~o&l& 

thin De&mrtmnt,on the oonatltutlonality of Ro~a0~~111 7 ._. 

the 47th ie&alature., Regular %sr+on. 

Your rllqueet contab ‘two c;loestitxu irglah iw’haftq ‘mrdod. 

~ollowar .~ 

1. ~18 Eouss Biil 9 ~QDo'&lqtitutloMl?' 

E. Doa. the inoluaion OS word %arboraW in Rome '. . . 

Bill 7 render aaiC bill unoonotitutlonal be-. 

oause Artiolo 11, Srotion 8 of the Conrtitution 

.or Text18 only rapulros donations to oonstruot 

*sdawall~or breakwat,ers"? 

*An Aot mking a donation of all of the net amount 

of Ztete ad valorsmtaxss oolleoted on property situated in and rrom rolling at&ok of railroads apportioned 

to Calhwn county, Ttma, to the City or Port Lavaoa, : 

Texas; to enable the City to oonstruot, repair, and 

. 

_I’ , 
~. > 2. 

.-. ..:.;yl 

Eon. ;ii. h. Barton, pee 2 

lm-,rove seaaall?. ~brsakwstsrs. .4&d bar&&s, to prove& co&inulo& and recurring oalamitour overrlows; 

providing for reports by the emsessor anb oollccttr 

or taxes to,Cos;ptroller and prcviding for disposition 

of wnsys ool1sct.A by him; authorlzl~ esid city to 

Issue bcnriff subject to the prov%slons and ~lmitstiona 

oc&alned i? tbls act;Jpres.orlbing 8 penalty for diversion of nuch state donated finds; enaotlhg oth+r '. . 

provlclons relating to the subjeot, MQ declaring en 1; 

energsrroy .? (gmphaais ours) 

Artkcls 11, SeOtlon 0 or the Constltutlou or Teu• :i:: 

reads 63~ r0uarr6: .;; 

I 

The oountieo ana oltlek on.the Gul) Coast b.eing 

subjeot to oelalitoue overflowa, and a very large 

‘proportion of the general revenue being derived fron 

those othonlee prosperous localltloe. 'fhe Legialeture x 

,!d 

is espeolallf authorized to aid by dohatlon,o? such '.;a; 

portion or the public domin ~0 my be deemed proper, 

and in such mode a8 ,qay be provided by low,.the' ooustruotlon or seawolls, or breskwsters, auch.ald'to be 

proportioned to the extent au3 value of the uorks 

ocnetruoted or to be.oonstruoted, in any 1ocallty.v 

We wllldlocuss the questions. in their-viverse~ drdsr. 

iiouse Bl1.l 7, supra, provideat hot the taxes ore to be 

rsrnltted for the pur;mzee of constructing, repairing, add Jmprovbg "aeawalla. breakwaters and harbors." .irtlcle 11, 

reotion 0 or the Cxmtltutlon or lexss onry authorize8 reclselou to construct wseowolls or breeimaters.* 

the ssaning or the words 

in OoMtTUhg 

*seawollsW or Wbreohwoterua as ueed 

in the Constitution, we mst give then their ordinary slgtifioanoe ror there 16 nothlug in the oontext to lndloate that tbs 

framre of the Constitution menut thstttbey should'bc used 

.othenuise. % parts Eodriquea, 30. Tex. 705. 

Sebster's ihterr;a.tioneZ L4otlonary der:nes the term 

wbre8;i-wters” 68 being: 

'+A Etructure'for break:nE, the force or x&es, 

or $0 proteot a harbor or boaoh." 
553 

“A wall, Uf emba&mA., to resiot enoroeohm?ot of the ~a." 

The term %orboP is defined bi tire same authority 

gs bei=:- 

“A portion of a eee, a‘lrke. or other body of 

water; eitbm landlooked sr ertIZIaIally protaotad 

60 as to be a plaoe 0: safety ror vessels ln atorrsy 

weather." . 

In th case of' ihe Cuzoo, RR6 aed. 176, the oourt'dot 

fined harbora as plooaa of refute in khlcb proteotlon and 

ehelter,are aou&t wlthIn the en~lomxss audproteotlon ot land. 

Be ore 0: the opinion thstby uo etretoh of the lmgluution oould the term *harbor" be ineluded .witblb the ~Seeniug Of 

the-words "seowall" adl *breamatertP ae above defined; 

11'0 ore, thererore, of the opinion that Ilowe Bill 7, 

aupra, 1s mm omprehsnslve than Is authorized under &tiafo 

u, s80ti0n 6 or the Co~titution gr Tex4o. . 

How&r, this does not neoesasrIly xiead that the whole 

or ealU bill must fall. ._ 

In the cam of Zwernemmu va. 6on Roomberg, 13 a.'W. 

48@&4a0, .the Supreme Court or ,Texas aunounosd the tOl.loWIJUS 

"The Rule for the conatruotlon or etatutea In 

partial confllot dth the Gouatitutlon is that Ii the 

portion ,repugnant to the tunUa.mntal law aaa be stxloken 

out, and that Which remains i8 oomplote In itwir, az@ 

'capable of' being srsoutsd In nOeOrd~ae wltb the 

opRarent legislative intent. . . It must be eustelned.* 

X&pa;;; Towles, c8 'Sex. 4?i, quoting Cooley, Const. 

If the unoonatitutlonal provision be but 

lnc;dent~l to the ualn purpose, tind be not esaentlel 

to &ve erraat to the statute, suoh port may be rejaoted, leeNng, the remainder to stand. ~he~pxOvIaIOna 

we have quoted olearly abow, 60 think, thnt lt.ras ttm 

le~lsJ.atlve iuteut to utterly exeapt the homertead iporn 
: ;t 

i;' 

th6 olatis Of the &Aerai OIWditWe Of the B&ate, 

provided a constitU6nt oi ths faptlly eullriYsd the 

d606Ad6nt, and, iA case thi: Q6tat6 Wss ln3OlV3ut, t0 

YazoYe it beyond th6 pale of abnzlnfstraticr,. TM3 is 

in aOOOrdaAc6 Vi;-lth .ail prolriGU3 ln+l3tion, end i3 cQt 

.: r6pupxnt to CIA? coastitutioa. :O tuoh Cf th6 l3tatUf6 

3 

a6 attempto to make the hometend of eA ihsolvont to 

desomd in 6 m~msr diifor6nt frcl;; other raal property 

i6 prohibited by the Ccnstitution, WLC is volt?. dut 

t&e other provisiona ot the ot6tute are not dspendrnt 

upon this. Ttsy CX" .hsve erreot wlt~out it, arl 

;l I' should therefore stand." 

Ao abole atatsd 3x6 mst aeo6rtaiA shethor or notth6 

,j r6pA&WAt portion oan be striaket out aA6 lseve a ooarplets 

,I 

;,: 

6nxdm6At whioh ix oepable of being eX6outed in aocordsnoe with' 

t&6 l6&htiY 0 iAte&t . In aaoertelni;rg tha le(:iE:latlv6 .int6ht, 

it: ie our duty to look et th6 who16 biA1. Tii th6 6306 oi 

Taerkana &c Pt. Wth Ry. Co., st al vs. Eoueton Ge8 k zhsl '. 

<$ ,,, 

Go., 51 s. ft. (2d) 224, the court rtatedl 

. 

.I *Id OOAStrUi~ 6t6tUt6S OAeOt6d by th6 16.egla&a.. 

tUr6, it ia ths duty of th6 aburt to look to the : 

,) : .' 

6Atire dCt, iAClUdiA& the OaQtiOA, the body Of th6 

aOt, and SV6A tk6 6lMl?e6&0y 016U66, to d6tertin6 t&6 

16gialativ6 inttnt. R'h6n t&6 162ialatiQ6 intent i# 

OA66 d6t6ZYQiAsd. It 16 th6 I0U.s 

t 

:. 

J AA sxeminatlon of'the snti%6 bill rsveals thetth6 pur- 

:'~, p@S Oi' th6 bill IS t0 prevent Otitit-OU~ OVerflOWs, SAd it 

w&a up the Aaohiwry with.Yihloh to.aooomplich thet ~urp080. 

I In r60t tba 6mQrp3AOy clause 6XpPeSIEly,8T&tse that: 

"This &t is designed to protsqt i looallty .~ 

~situeted CC tha Gulf Cotwit from 0316mitdus overflew8. " 

. . 

,+ i,' It.18 readily agpar6At I&&t the fnttmtion of th6 Imgir- 

: latUr6 to QlDYi~ie the lllseAc With whiah tO;jIZ?6YeAt eUCh OYel'- .A*> 

., 

ilOW will not be hSalEpSl6d by the striltiq4 out Of ths ,word 

%xrbor,n md th:,t a oomplste er-motxwnt which will 6ocompliah 

the 16&3latiYs intent end &~;!oco Wiil I’6miA. 

.3 

t .W.mctmsAts of the Legislature which are subetaAtlelly 

i?! the earn 88 Iiouee Bill 7,~ eupra, after the %ord *harbOra" has 

been striekex out, '38~0 beeA beiore our 0OUrt6 a number of 
555 

I&m. ‘a. A. Barton, pago 6 

tlmea . We ccnsidcr the aaec ct City cf kxnsaq Pass vs. 

Xeellng, 247 S. :*. 138, controlling in this sattar, a~& in 

that case the hqmsss Court of Texan upheld this aonstltutionfilitp of 72~6 bill authoriaing the rstiission cf tax68 

tG t&a City or Aranaas Pam. ii6 do not think u dctailsd 

di%8USsiOn Of tiOUS6 Bill.7 i6, thereto-rs, ~6OS~S8ry. 

*8 are, tnerefor6,,oi tbm opinion that &uas Bill 7, 

8upra;uharain it as&c3 to retit taxes to aonetruct aeawalls 

or br8ibat6rs ia not Vicl.r:tive of the Ctinatitution OS Tuas, 

but that it is unoon8tltutional insofar n0 it seeks to rerzt 

tum 'GO construct harbor@. 86 further hold that the atrlking 

OS the word "harbomP from the bill does not imelldate the 

balanoa thereof. 

.Tpusting Qat~the.toregoillQ.iully e~newera your inquiry, 

we am