OFFICE OF IHE ,ATT’ORNEY 6ENERAL OF TEXA!Sa**AUFIlN 0-0.M**  **-QoIQIL**

**;**

**fims letter.**  **Of**

**0r $h%r**  Dopartmaut

**c?ieds ti**  **follows:**

30 eritltlu6,,

ml fiat to ProvZdoror lss whoeb pmoincta 11s ir w*uties hWin~ a papulationof more than thma 

### htxidmdt-Q-- fits Qpatiati (%S,OOO) and luea than threehun9d ninety-thouoaml(ti90,600) by the last prttedf~ 

### Federal Conma and whose jiruainata lie iz &zlo cr in part in an'~ndorporatsd oity or tom tcctahingBoa. c. IL ~ilmar) pegs 8

berritorlallimits of twenty-five (gb) squarePPilas
or more, such 

### fee to be the samtl ire those now allowed 80 adrr.t, suit3

providing for the paymentthereof by the County an all orlminal oae?ewhere bha Befendanb ?.S

aOfiYio8& or pleads guilty,and such detehdant fails to pay his fha-and lays'hla fine out in the 0oun8yjaI.Jor dleohargm ~th'* ssPa by mana of work- * auoh fins out o~'the.o&uiity roads or on any oounty prdjaot'and r6Qmling +tfel6 1056 of the code of Crhfaai Procedureitiofar he it applies.to.Conatables of SuatlooPreolnots in,oountles having R populet&on Qf mope than three hundred twenty-f%va (3E5,OOO~) &d 1~~68 tti three hundredninety thooeanb (390,000) ,by the la88 preoeding Federal Census, and rhoea ~preoinots lls~inwhoLe or in part in an ineorporatea city-or' towa oontainin5tarritoridl.-llmitr of twan8p-flvu (85) squ.are.mSles~ot more,'audduolering an emergenoy.

-*Beit maotad by the Legielatursof tha'Ytateof Texao;

~8sotloR1. Constabler, whose prsoincts 1iS in muatlslrhaving~ **a** populatloti

of iuore.thao

three hundre&trenty-five thouoand (3% 000) and **leas** then three hundred olnety thourand .(390,000)~ by the last precmlingFederal Census, and whose preufnotslie Th whole or in part in au inoorporated city or town containing terrltorial.limits or Twenty-five (2s) equare tiles or mm, *mo **exoeute** prmsesa 6ad perform aervioes in oivll and ~riadml~aotioas shall reouih the farm fese allowed to &erlffs for the sa&ie seti4:iooa, and ia all criminaleaeea wham the dofendentis aontlotetl or enters a plea of guilty and is fined and fe unable to pay said tine and lays out his Ilee in the oouuty jail or dleohargeothe eme by meens of workkeg sue& fine outon.the oountp roads or on any county projeot, the county shall be 1iabZe to auoh Gonetable for all of said feea of said Conatable,end suoh Coartablaahall present to the cormnissioners* 'Court of hle County a written aoaouut speoifyingeach orimlnal aotion ia whloh he olaime suoh iem, oertifledto by the Justiceof the Peace to be correotand filed with the County Clark. The Comniaeioners* Court shall appnsre such aeaount for auoh amount as they my find to be oorreotand order a draft to be issued on the County Treasurer in favor of euoh Conetablefor the amount so approved.

### Hon. c. R. Oilmur, page3

*300. 3. Artii0h PrWedwla of the Stats

. . em. - 1066 of the Gode of Criminal of 'hxae be and the came is

.. e. .^ .__ heMBy rapesalert

inlrorar

a6 tt epplros fa c;ohatable* ooming uader thl8 ko8.

'see. 5. The faOt that uniter the existing laue in rertala oountieseontainfngci8Ieo of large tsrrltollal 1I~Ite ~on@kblas me not reeelviagadequate oonpeneabio~for aemng 'pTooesr and performIngeevYiOW in BtllSelFBU8

&sdemaaaor OSDW, althoagh they
ara put to gvaat axpenase in servingprooes13, areatss M emorgctaay,

and aa impuratl~o

pubsio neeeraity esla8a~,

that the DonabitutIonal Rule requiringbills to be read on three saveraldays shall 

### bo wrpandad, aad thdi 

### dot mhall tapca effoot and be in roroe room aad after its peesage, and It is eo l naated.*

Artiole 1065, Code of driminalProoed~ra,reads as followat

*The County shall not be liableto the offioer aBd ri8~ese having oosts **in.8** mladortaanor oarno where defaadantpays his fine and meta. Tha oomtty shall be liable ror one-half. 0r the rees or the offloers ot the Court,when the dsfandmnt fails to pay his fine and lay6 his fiUe out in the 00oh8y jail or diacharges tho aame by zveane of workIng'auohfine out M the OoUnty roads or oh any county projeot. And to pay etaoh

half of oo8t6, the County Clark shall issue his wrnurt oa the County Traammrer in favor or suoh orfiosr to be paid out or the aoad end hridgo Puad or other funds not otherwiseappropriated."

Seobion 66, Ar8lole III of the Stats Constitution proride In part a6 follow8r

*The Legislatureshall not, eroeptas otherwieo provided in this Constitution, pass shy looal
or special law

. . . regulatingthen reea, or extending the power* and duties or alderman, juetioea0r the poaee, magistratesor conatabloa;

. . . and in all other came where a general law oan be made applioable,no local or epeoial law ehall be ensated. n

. . .Hon. 0. E. fmi7ler, page 4

It will be noted that Artiole 1056,mpra, provide8 in effset that the dollnty ahall be liablefor One-half of the fSSS Of the offlOeT6 of the court,when the defeodazt fails to pay **his tine**  **anu Iaye**  **his,** rfne **out fn**  the oounty jail 01 diissharger

the same by meanl,

or working such flm out 011 the OOWitjy mado or alipy Omantyprojaot; SenateBill 300. %8, IUpTa, provides In effect that in all or-al aasm where the **defadant is**  oonriotedor enter8a plea of guilty and ia liiW3d

and is uuable to pay said fine 

### andlaya out hi8 fins ia the oounty jail or dfaohssgemthe @ama by mans of workiIlg 8U6h ibe out on the 'oounty road@ Or any county pmj*Ct, tk* OoPlrEy ahall bs **liable** to such constableior all s&d foO8 in suoh eaees. TherMore, providinga greateroonpensation for those cmwtablsr, eituatedin oowties 6-g rith the above bsignated populationbraokets,than the oompaiuatlon DrOvidCd S0r thoee oonetableeIn oountleeharine; a le88,popul&fOa

or a greaterpopulationthan that eet out **by** the above rentiOmdo populationbraoket.

ge have oarefully toluridsred senateBill I%. 50 fn 6oaneotionwith Seotlon 66, Article LIT or the StateCOmtitatiOn, and the reoent o%m of J. B. Xiller, et al VI. the Countl of 111 Paso, Ihas, et al, handed down by the **Supreme** CourtOf T=an
**on April**  **83, 1941,**  **and** the **authorf.ties &ted**  **t&rein. Bmfdore,**  it 28 QW opinion that SenateBill NO. 345 Is a spoial OT lOCal **bill** attemptingto regulatethe fees of waetablea md 18, themiorb, unoonatitutional and void.
.Trusting

that the foregoing fully anaworamoor inQui.V.
we are

Yours very tm4