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.. . 

### ‘8

OFFICEOF **THE** ATTORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS **AUSTIN**

Honorable L. A*Wooda Ma~~nSu~pertendent of Publir Instruction

, Dear SirI **AtturfiOn W.**  T. **Ibr**

**wo ar4**  **in neoipt**  llM0, rrquertiag the 

### oplnlo reedr aa Sollowst

~Artlale lt745, 

### e8tablishm8dof eoutt 

### parta8 follo



### onCoosoldiateb County

### Liao srideandtiwottty-one miles lrrton is a body of land hool dirtriot. unty board **of** 

### tmsteem**add** 

### thta the fonlertan County Llm Sob001 tho by adding this land the ahape of dirtriot **6OS8** not 8onforaP to the **~OtiiIiOIlS of**  **the** above **nentloned** 

### rtatute"i*

**The** l-U108 

### with refermeeto nuutdatory or dlreo**tOr P** * **L prOvlSlOn8**  **Of a**  l **t6tUte Itro**  **8tUted %a**  SO **TSX. fUr** * **I14 88**  **follow8t**‘A statuto ar 8tfitUtOry prOti8iOn may be mandatory or directory or merely permls8iro. x manddory provIaIon 18 on0whloh, 

### iinot followed renders the proceedlx& to vhloh it relates Illegal androld, while a dlreotory prOT181On18 

### one,the ObBeI'VauOe of whiah I8 not necessary to the validity 

### oithe pmeedinc. A prorIsIon ia5 

### dlreotorywhenItcontalns mre matter of dlrectlon, not of the esfienoe of the 

### thirqto be done, but desIgned merely to procure its 

### proper,orderly end prompt prformanoe. 

### OBthe other hand, a negative pro&~ VMIOB -- one which cox!mds that a certain 

### thing 8ha11 not be done - Lousually mandatory. TBat there Is no ab8olute te8t or Infallible rule bywhlah a mandatory Btatute or 

### prorlslon maybe dlBtlBgU,uishedfrom one whloh Is ~mrely directory. In eaah okme, the qM8tiOB 1s.OB6 of statutory construction, to be judlolally deternined acaordlng to the Intent or the LegIslature iron a 

### consldercltlon 

### orthe atire statute, Its nature, objeot and eubjeot-matter, and the consequenoes that will **rsault iron**  **a partioular**  construction. irllsot OTprovision that olearly di80108e8 M intamest OBthe part Ofthe L~&E- ;;;$; that It 8hould be **mandatory**will be Iven

Onthe other hand one which reve a no af such ikerest or purpose w&l be oonstrued a8 **directory.g** .t,pplying the above rulss to the Btatute ln questlOB; the 

### prOvi8iOB r8qUIrinC: that the district shall be laid out *in as near the shape o? b 8qUate aI3possiblea, appears to be dlreotory. we ooustrus the word wpossIbler as used therein to hare the 8antemeaningas npraotlaable~. Evidently It was intended that the County Board should exercise a dIsoretIon in deilnlq?, the boundarles or 8uch dlstrlcts and it directs the 

### boardto lay out the diatriot In as near the shape Or a square a8 SW be praotloable 

### or possible **under** all the ciroutastsnces. X'n

### ohanglng or adding **territory** to suoh districts it Is not eesentiti that they maintain 

### the shape Of a square.

me 

### pr~vlsion

whloh readrra *and in no event shall the length of suoh d18triet be 

### geatir than the 

### widthplus one-half of the width 

### ofsuoh 

### dIstrIat,n however,I8 Inour opinionmandatory. The Legfslature first providdd 

### thatthe

### IO

Bon. L. a. ‘Goods, p8ge 3

dietriot should be in a8 near the shape of a square as possible, learIr& this matter to be determined by the Bard, and then rpecified Oertdn lIm%tatIons beyond which they should not go in ally event. Weconstrue this last provision a8 nandatory and a 1IIaitation upon the authority of the Board. It Is a negative pO~i8iOIi 

### markIng the l&I&t8 within whioh the authority to follow the direotlons **therslnabare** glean **amy be**  **exerolmd.**

**8-e** we do not know the rhnpe proposed to be giren the district, wa Cannot give Jour qu8stion.a @ategorloal answer **but are**  **or** the opinion that the dlstriot should conform to the limitations hereinabove discuaaod, a#mming that the Btatute in quest%on ls applleable to the 

### Fowlerton

CosrmonConsolidated County-Line Sob001 Distrlct and the charge propass to **be ma&e,** 
TOWS very truly

/ FIRST ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENNERAL

**COMMII~EE**