OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF 

## TEXAS AUSTIN

“ HonorableR, A. Barton countyAt~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 olarltyof thin oplnlon,wo Quote the oaptlon as follows: . 

## Sesrion.
We aakuowledgerscciipt'oi your 

## requestior 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 inoluaionOS word %arboraW in Rome '.
.. Bill 7 render aaiC bill unoonotitutlonal be-. oause Artiolo 11, Srotion 8 of the Conrtitution .orText18

only rapulros **donations** to oonstruot *sdawall~or

breakwat,ers"?

*An Aot mking a donation of all of the net amount of Ztete ad valorsmtaxss oolleotedon property situated in and rrom rolling at&ok of railroadsapportioned 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 recurringoalamitouroverrlows; providingfor reports by the emsessoranb oollccttr or taxes to,Cos;ptroller **and** prcviding for **disposition** of wnsys ool1sct.Aby him; authorlzl~ esid city to Issue **bcnriff** subject to the prov%slonsand ~lmitstiona oc&alned i? tbls act;Jpres.orlbing 8 penalty for diversion of nuch state donated finds; enaotlhg oth+r '.
. provlclonsrelating to the subjeot,MQ declaringen 1; energsrroy

.? (gmphaaisours) Artkcls 11, SeOtlon 0 or the Constltutlou or Teu• :i:: reads 63~r0uarr6: .;; I The oountieoana oltlek on.the Gul) Coast b.eing subjeot to oelalitoueoverflowa, and a very large ‘proportion

of the general revenuebeing derived fron those othonlee prosperouslocalltloe. 'fhe Legialeture x

,!d is espeolallfauthorizedto 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'ooustruotlonor seawolls,or breskwsters, auch.ald'to

be proportionedto the extent au3 value of the uorks ocnetruotedor to be.oonstruoted, in any 1ocallty.v We wllldlocuss the questions. in their-viverse~ drdsr. iiouse Bl1.l 7, supra, provideathot the taxes ore to be rsrnltted

for the pur;mzeeof constructing, repairing,**add Jm**  provbg "aeawalla. breakwaters

and harbors." .irtlcle 11, reotion 0 or the Cxmtltutlon or lexss

## onry authorize8reclselou to constructwseowolls 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 lndloatethat tbs framre of the Constitution menut thstttbey should'bcused .othenuise. % parts Eodriquea,30. Tex. 705. Sebster's ihterr;a.tioneZ L4otlonaryder: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 definedbi tire same authority gs bei=:-

**“ A**  portionof 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 authorizedunder &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 aunounosdthe tOl.loWIJUS
"The Rule **for** the conatruotlon or etatutea In partial confllotdth the Gouatitutlonis that Ii the portion ,repugnant

to the tunUa.mntallaw aaa be stxloken **out,** and that Which remains i8 oomplote In itwir, az@ 'capableof'

being srsoutsdIn nOeOrd~ae wltb the opRarent legislativeintent.
. . It **must be**  eustelned.* X&pa;;; Towles, c8 'Sex. 4?i, quoting Cooley,Const. If the unoonatitutlonal provisionbe **but** lnc;dent~lto the ualn purpose, tind **be** not esaentlel to &ve erraat to the statute,suoh port may be rejaoted, leeNng, the remainderto 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,

provideda 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 .ailprolriGU3

ln+l3tion, end i3 cQt .: r6pupxnt to CIA? 

### coastitutioa. :O tuoh Cf th6 l3tatUf6 3 a6 attempto to make the hometend of eA ihsolvontto

desomd in 6 m~msr diifor6ntfrcl;; other raal property i6 prohibitedby the Ccnstitution, WLC is volt?. dut t&e **other** provisionaot the ot6tute are not dspendrnt upon this. Ttsy CX" .hsve erreot wlt~out it, arl I' ;l should thereforestand."
**Ao** abole atatsd **3x6** mst aeo6rtaiAshethor 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 &cPt. 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 d6tertin6t&6 16gialativ6inttnt. R'h6n t&6 162ialatiQ6intent 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 0316mitdusoverflew8. "

**. .**  ,+ i,' It.18 readily agpar6At I&&t the fnttmtionof 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 Legislaturewhich are subetaAtlelly i?! the earn 88 Iiouee Bill 7,~

eupra, after the %ord *harbOra"has been striekexout, '38~0 beeA beiore our 0OUrt6 a number of

### 555

I&m. ‘a.

A. Barton,pago 6

tlmea
. We ccnsidcrthe aaec ct City cf kxnsaq Pass vs. Xeellng, 247 S. :*. 138, controllingin this sattar, a~& in that case the hqmsss Court of Texan upheld thisaonstltutionfilitp

of 72~6 bill authoriaingthe rstiission cf tax68 tG t&a City or Aranaas Pam. ii6 **do** not think u dctailsd di%8USsiOnOf 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 aonetructaeawalls 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

constructharbor@. 86 furtherhold 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