**OFFICE** OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN -c.Muln -c.-
-- I

HonordaleA. J. Bryan.Jr: Criminal DietriotAttorney Cr~nal Jilllrboro,

Texar JillSrboro,
Dear Sir:

okanbtlm man neamst -railrailroadwar em espeoiallyrlnoe lOOal OitieenD

14 or 18 days an4 the bL11 wws l ubmitte4to the oountr for payment. The OoantJr Auditar doer not knew 

### whetherte pue the bill icn payment or not olnae the partywae a tmn**ate&t,** an4 the hospitalwa8 not a publi0 herpitsl. of 

### 3w.00. .The

~oepital bill ~88 51% the sum Pull ownty harr

P ooontr healthyofficerbut his dutlea **40 not**  **ineludo aare**  **fOl! pa\U>erEI.**  **B** April 1939 tha Comn&aaianer~s **aourt** of Will **oouuty** gave the County **fudge** authority**to** bind the oounty up to $2S.O0 tor hospitalization

of paupera until a **better** arrangement oould be workad out. limo new ordera have been passed by the Court **but** the County Judge atates that~ the CoamS.aaionen **hare** giren hi.8

authority,**Yerbally.** to bind the **Bounty** for hoapitalixatlon of paapera not **to** erased **a oertaln**  **amount** per day in lieu of the **order** thet ia of reoord. **pneatioi:** -1% tha county **liable** Sor the bill?* Vie restate your seoond Questionea followar 18 a oount~ liable for hoapltal.fmtlon of any tranelentif he is e pauper and the countyhaa no public hoapital?

**Pe quote**  the **order** of the **coaabslonera*** Court bearingdate April 84, lG99, as followa:

veder lo. 196 **April** z4, 1939~ On Yotion of Colaarieaioner Teylor and aeaonded **by** Oollaisalomar %allaea, it la ordered that the County Judge ia dlreoted an4 authorizedto expend up to #eS.Oa ior oharitypatienta until a oetisfactory;g may be worked aut for care of these. order to beeo~ effeotite of this date. *Coidasfonera **Taylor, Watson,**  end UaUaoe present and voting *aye' **Oosuaiaaioner** Cliett absent. ,'. fudge Cowley, presidia&* Geotiona ll and 12 or titiole Z3Y1, Yernonfaannotated **CS ’** **oll Statutes,**  read8 sa iollowat

"11. Provide for the support Of **paupers and**  such **idiots tmd**  lumtlca 8s ozmnotbe ad- **&tted** intQ the lunatio a8yhSt, reaidentaof their county,who are unable to support thesee1ves. By the tema resibent aa used herein, **la** mmnt **a** pensoon

who has been a **bona** fide inhebltantof the ooustty not lose thm air mmths and of the State not less then arm**&W&l-.**

**“ 12.**  X’rorfde **for** the **burial oi**  **pat~pere.~** ,,rtl%la

4438, Vern0n*s xUlotattdCtrll Statutes, rucrds

**a5** followa:

**“ 3**  shera **is a**  **regular** tatebl5shad gublie hosgital In the oormty, the wmiavionerrwurt ohail grovid% for aending the :nbii;eflt

sfok of the oounty to such hoapltsl. Ii aore than one au%h hospital **dXi8ts** tz the Ooanty, the Indulgent patlrnt shali **haye** the **right** to oalectwhioh **one** 

### 0r thsn hs shall **be seat**  **to.-**
IB the aa. of yiillaay County Y. Yczllep

Baptlat Eiospltal,

et 81. 89 $. W. (ed) 484, the faotr wre aubaru\tIally 

## a.6 ro1m;

'On a aert0In night In Suly, 1029, a person by the n&se of Rafael !&rbosd,a **ri+Sidtsnt** 31 tilllaoy CeUnty,was atruok **by** an outoioabile,

sad usrloaslyinjured. He lay wmnded by the roadaide the rearaS.n4er of thenIght. The next wrniag his **aondi** tlon ~8s **Biscovend by**  **the** Sheriffof WlUaey County, who in tarn called the County Jady, who direoted that all &moassaryaedloal aid **be given**  **to** the injuredyn, stating that tha **eoontg wzmld**  **‘ mp**  **th4** urpenaoa. **T3w** sheriffthereuponoaXLad Rr. id%Cana, a looal **phgeioian, who**  **upan 4xaimS.ntatlon**  **ot .the**  **l.nJPp34** man caneludedthat UL operatIo*was n%oeaaary* There **wea** no hospital in WfIlaoJr Countf **and** the sherirf, **eeceqpanled bp**  **Dr. McIccana,**  rushed aarbosa 

### to the'Vall;ey Baptist Iioapltal

at &rlingen, in C~rrieroa Oount~, where aitother phyafcfen,

viasoedbd in and yarrariaed an operation. A few days later Barbosadied as r~..nault

of hls Injuries. Aftcsrward th6 tar0 physfaiam'srrd

the hbapital filed Clailu against the 6ount$,for thirty dollare,One **htmdred and**  fifty bolltrra, Tad %i@tf-tie **d~lililrs,** rcape&tital~, **tm tbdr**  reea **f;hzb.** etrvlaesrendhred~bgthea to Barboaa. oountg oodaa~~nera* court rejeota4theseHonortible I.. J. aryan,Jr., Page 4

olaIm, and the claimantseach 

### riled suit againsti%Illecy

County, In a juetioeof the peaoe oourt. The three suits were oonsolidated and judgmentwas rendered in revor of the 

### piaa+irrs r0for

the 4imount



### 0r their

### respeotive olalnls.On eppeal to the County Court e like judgaentwas rendered upon a dlreotedverdlot, aad Mlleog County appealed. The **Judgnmnt was**  based upon the aaaumptlon that Barboeaua6 a peuper and therefore suoh a charge upon the county a8 to render It the duty of the latter ta furnish hia the aervloesfor whioh the suit was brought; end that the Comfy Judge was olothedwlth authority to bind the oounty with his agreementto pay for such servloes,although It we8 ooaeldersdthat the oommle6lonere~ court as a body, or the oommlsaloners individually, had taken no action to deolare Barbosa e pauper or to authorizethei Couuty Jadge to so bind them, end no such matters had ever been presented to them, WlUeog County,with but a llttle population,had no pub118 or private hospital, suoh as are being o.mreted in oountles 

### or large population.
The judgmsntor the CoMty Court nes reversed and rendered.
**#a quote**  fmm the above nentionedoeee ee follows: "The powers ad dutle8 of ootanty eosmI#- sionexs' courts,end the obligation8or the oountles to pauper8 are ifsed by statute,and oeauot .haenlargedupon by uaneoesuarylmpllcetion. Thee6 powera and duties, in SC far es epplioablehere ere defined in and restrioted by the protleionsof Artiales 8351 **and 443fb,**  Bevloed Statutea, 19E5. fn Artlole 2861 it is ravided that eaah eoumLeelonersV court shall 7subdivision11) ~providefor the supportof paupera * * * residentsar their county,rb am unebh to supportthemeelves*,end (eabdivlsfon ZS) *ror the burial of paupera*. Snhrtlele4G8 it is provided that *if there is a regular established

pt%blla hospital in the ootmty, the oompLissioners’ oourt shall prorid?ior sending the ladlgent slok * * * to **SUOQ** hospital'. In the latter pro~lslon the **duty** end the authority
**or** the ooemissioners* ~ootart o send the Indigent siok tQ hospital8la limited to publlo hospitalsHonorable A. 3. aryan,Jr.. ?age 5

within the county, whioh provision,by ncoeseary Lnplloatlon erolnderany duty or authority to send euoh persons to privatehos2ltels,or to pub110 hospitala without the oounty. Even if Eierbosa wes within the ohes deflnsd a8 'lndi@nt alok,' ths ooamiasloners* oourt as a body, muohleas :~d~~%c&% da::&? ::t%%%f 

# t~?o%%f
Berbosa to a hoepltal, eitherpub110 or private, outside the county. rt: * ** Under the provLolonaof~iirtlolo 4438, the oounty wee under PO duty to send Rarbose to any hospltel,tlmrs bsing 8~ publio hospital in the souaty, end under ths im,plleQ reotrlotlans

or this provisIonit Is doubtf&L ii the oounty aould be bound ty the oomls- '. 6loner8* tzourt, certainlynot otheraim, to sand hlai

to e hospitalwithout t&t --sty, et pubZlc expense. n* 1 ~* I

.
xn view 

### or **the** ioregokrg~authorltlas and the above **8tated reots,**  questions Xon. 1 ~4 e, ‘aboie quoted, are reapeotfully answered in the negative.

Trusting tha the fore(2ol.ag fuUy anmversyour laqolry, we toaela
faurs very truly

AW:BS 

## mr Ardsll Willlems **ABsiatdU¶t**

APPROVEIZAPR

15, 1940

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ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS