OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY **GENERAL** OF TEXAS **AUSTIN**



### Pear air. ~.!i?happardlIion. G%o,o IL Sheppard - Paga E

or pay any parson whoIs ap offloer or oomSL~;L~;memberof any political party organi-

. The uonmlaslon my delegate to any au& person 80 aapolntedeuoh parer and authority a8 it damnsreasonable and proper 

### i0r*ths efre0tive adminlsPetionof this Aot, and **map** In **it6** disowtion, **bond any**  **person htmdng**  **monsyo**or **eignlng ~heoks**  heroandar," In **purmanoe** of thi8 authority, the CO~Wstion has #et-up (Lbody of en@lopaer krwm as ,the **Hurit** Jystem Oounoll, designbd to meat the ap roval of tha F&oral SaOWity AgcUlOy for loinimunStJ This **ttetup**ia a8 fol.lOwar aFd4of a merit mystem. "SMTIC2p

I - XSRIT- aolmcIL '?)aragFaph I. **A** Martt; System Counoil, to be govsra~! **by** the rules harsln prov%dsd, shall be appointed by the majority ocsnaontof the Co111mjs#io~s, The COMOil 6hrll **bi3**

### OCWQXWJ~~ Or**thrO0 (8)**  **SW** bar6 whoshall be publla-apirfted oitlseens M knfmledge of publio ad8rraOtion 

### 0r~0wieiw intereet'ti lta

organi%atlon during the year next **prsosdlag** his mppolntment, nor ahall he hold ewh ofticP# &ix'- ins his tag. 

### Bomember

### or the COwlOil ShlLll be othf~dmb 8i~~loysd 85 8~ 

### ofri0itd or ~loyee Oi the GOXQ.MJ:O~

during hl8 term a8 a mam er of the Corm011 anb,~haLl not have bean an imployoo
**or** the C-lserlon within Onegear next prao*aing his appointmnt aa a rmnbr or the Oounoll~ **Par., a.**  It shall be the lluty of the Counoll: 1, TO dvi5a Ont&Option 

### or general poliaier ror the d.miniatration 

### 0r merit exuain&ions,,a~d to act as appsal boardfor applioants wh0have been ra-..,. 

### 3

Hon. Ceo.B. Sheppard- Page 3

joatedfor oxadnation, as providedin titlole XIII. 2. To hear appealsof employees&lsahargodor demoted. 3. To advise in the formulationof prooeduresln personneladminlstratlon to insureconformity with rulesand pollales. 4. To 3dvlse~nithfad racommend.rorseleotlonand 3). polntment,by the C~nmlssl~n, a Merit System Supervioor;to advisewith the Merit SystemSupervisor ln formulation

of prooeduresror the conduotol' merit examinations; and to lnspeotand reviewtbs aotfvitiesor the Supervisorto.lnsureoonformlty with thisRule and the poliolee,ala8slfioatlOn end objeotlveetandardsof the ~ommlsslon~
5. To reviewthe olassltlaotlon and eompansatlon

plans and to advise on their adoptionsand subsequentrevisions, 0. To promotepubllounberstandlngof the purpoaea, polialesand prsotloesof themerit system. As a meens thereto,the Sounollshallmake a report to the Commissionatleast semi-annually on the operation of themarit system, inoluding the oondactof examinationa,

the establishmentof' re&vters, aertlfloatlon~from

registers,promotions,salaryadvanoements;dismissale, demotions,transrers, separationa,

end themaintenanceof elaeelfloatlon and aompensation

plans. A oopy of this rsport shallbe open to publla inspeatlon.
7. To recommendto the Commissionamendmentsor &a~&58 in thsmsrlt system,whlah, in their opinion,**are** deemedneoessaryand advisableand whloh, in their opinion,will promotea more errlclentand oaonomloal operrition

of thamerit plan.
Par. 3. Xembers

### or the counoll. shall serve for a term

### or one (1)year,beginningwith the date 

### 011 whleh these rules are apgrovod,or until suaemsora havebeen appointed. A member appointedto fl.lZ a vacanayoaourring prior to the expirationof the term shallbe appointedfor the remainderof suoh t8rm.~

### 4

ITon. 040. B. Sheppard - page 4

Par. 4. The Council shall eleot a Chairmanf ’rom its membership. It shell also deelgnete the Merit System Supervisor 

### or other employee as its Rsoordlng Seoretary, whose duty It shall be to keep a reoordof the prooaedlngs of meetings. Eleetings OSthe Counofl ahall be held aa often a8 neceseary and preotleeble upon oall or the Chairman. The Commission shall have the right to be represented at all meetings, but suoh repreeentation shall be without voting power, The Counoll shall adopt prooedures for the oonduot or Its activities. Par. 6. Member6

of the Counoil shell reoelve no eelarg or wage, exaept that they laaybe oompensated on a per diem basis ot not to exoeed Ten Dollars ($10.00) per day ror eeoh day that they are in attendanoe at meetings of the Counoil and enga anue or their dutlee. ed in the perrormhley mayalso be reimbursed for ex$ense,s lnourred while engaged In the performanoe ot their duties ineluding traveling expenses, wlthln the limits or the biennial appropriation aat .* Pour lnqulry raiess at once the fundamental question or whether or not the oooupanoy of the position of faoulty memberto the .A. a I. College, and or membership in the writ System Counoil ie in anywise in violation 0r Seotione 5;1or 40 or &rtials xvi of the constitution, or otherwise illegal beoawe or inoompatibfl.lty or the two positions. Seation 40 or iZrtiole XVI or tha coastltution forbids any person to hold or exerolse, at the sametime, more than one =olvil orfloe oi emolumentn, with certain exoeptions not pertinent to this inquiry.

The position or a raoulty memberor the A. k M. College Is not a civil offloe. Suoh a memberIs an employee rather than a air11 offloer, although, of eourae his poeition Is one or emolument, The poslti.on of taouity 

### memberIs not oreated ,by law but by oontraot between the employing Board and the IndirldualJ **and,** furthezmors, theEon. Oeo. ELSheppard - page 5

duties of such faoulty memberare not created by law, but, on the contrary, by oontraoti again, &oh facdty memb6rdoes not exercise any of the runotions of savereignty whatsoever, and this ia an Indispensable funotion to a civil orrioer.

W8 have reoognlsodfheoe a6 ts%tr in our ap$nlon Elo. O-490, in which we cited with approval the ceae of State 

### 0r r8ontanavs. Hawkins, aeoretary 0r State; 88'1pao. 411, 33 A. I,. SZ.685, and annotation thereto upon the subjeot of "DtitinOtiOn between ofrioe and ~loymentr~ &1so, our Opinion No. O-ES&RI, and .34Tex. Jlur. **p. St3.**  800,

Seotlon 33 of &tlole XpI or the Constitution 1.smora restrlctivs. l% provldee a8 rollorrsr

*The a&UtUIg olfloers ot thie State shall neither draw nor pay a ~raat upon the Txeesury In rateror any pertboa, for salary or aomporuation aa agent, orrioer or appoints0 whohold6 at the oam tti any other offloe orh!oeftlon or honor, trust 

### or prorlt, under t KState 

### or the United a,tatea*, vririt g$ln enmaer~t8d eroeption.6 not porti-

. Thls seotlan extends the disqualifioation of a penon be**yond** the holding or exeroielng or ~awolvi.1 offioe or emolumont,* 80 se to inoluds the holding of any **other** wofrlce **or** poeition of honor, trust or prolit*, **under** thl8 state op:the united Stataa,.axcept a8 p-or&bed ia the Constitution.

The question recrurn‘than, **whether** 

### or not the poeltion of a faoulty memberin the A. 6 11. College i# an *offioe or position or honor, truet or proriW, under this State. Dndoubtedly, a.proreanoPship i.n the A. t Y. college is a *position or honor, trust and proriP. 8uoh ponition, we think, further, is held Wander this State*. wue lt Is that the raoulty aaabor is not employed dlreatly by the State, but, on the other hand, is cynployed **by** the Board having control ar the institutioni but euah Board is itself a botly of publlo ef+flOerS, Oonstituting a Stat8 governmental agenoy ror the very pl.lrpo89of oonduoting the arrairs 0r tb, College, and in every just sense, thereford, the faoulty member6employed by tke Board, andwh+, or ooursc), am paid Wectly bg the**Hon.** OM. B. Sheppard - Pa@ **b** ‘

. -‘-” - f

state, are hold& positions oi honor, trust and profit under the State, not lmmdlatrly but mediately. me State oan orily act through ~enololr.

So that ln the opinion of thiu department, Soetlon 33, Artlois XVI, o? the Constitution dor pxoblbit a member

### or the faoulty 

### or A. Q M. 

### oouege rrtm moelving: ralary or 00mpenaation whatsoever out of the State Treasury **for** mrrlou rendered a8 a **member** of the Merit System Counail 

### or your board. oompelled, we think this uonclu8ufoa f6 supported 

### ir **not**

by the o~inlon 0r first wal8tant Atkrnoy cwneral Cureton (Le al opiaio*, Attorney Oenerdl, 19l% 1914, pb 873) whem L he hold am follmmt "we, thorerore, byl to adtie you that Eonorable W$U **H. May68** **while aotlag~aa**  **Limu** tenant Governor **of** thir Wats, oouldnot **la&l** ly hold the p~rribion 6r~PJslomont **of** a **profu aor**  **or** journeliam **in the**  unirenity or **pma0.*** Moreover, oar 065olorion rind0 isupport and authiilty in the opinion of ID. Taylor, Aaslstant Attorney **cmmral,** a **aonierenob** opinion Qtlr* General IPonoy’a admlnlatlcatlon (opieions, &ok 30, p. 394) wheroln it wa@ held thatr %hould one or the alorb in a departmsnt be appointed a mcmbor of a board of maaagem 

### 0r an elmmo~ynary la8tltutlon, then tti

ofriosrr of tM6 rtate would be $?i%te by the ab~re **$eotlon** Sr~mdrawin,$ 3
or pay* any **warrant** upon the IPrramry ror the mlary or rush a **e1rrk.n** It will be obsamed that in the two oa8u &et elted the queetlon propounded and **uwwered** by the Attorney Oensml~s Departmentwas with rempoet to the right8 Of an employee or a departnmt to reoelte compensation while at t& :a$ tine holding and enJoyif@ a publlo orfloe under

The preotee qu9stlon whether or sot the pub110 oiflwr'holdlnS at the mama tima a pcmltlon of 

### honorand trust underthe state oould reeelv~ ompenaatlon from the*. --.-~ /

State Trea5urywa5 not presentedor deolded. That Is, however, the precise **questlon** pmsenteU In this mm. That such officer is denied the right of salary or oompensatlon we think la clear beyond doubt under the express terms of Section 33. The two oases above olted axe also authority ior the proposition that the employee ln suoh a ease ls llkawlse denied oolapensation from the state. This oonoluslon would appear to be corollary to the main oonelusion that the two positions are incompatible **under** the Constitution and that the person oooupying euoh dual posltfons would thererore not be entitled to oompensatlon from the State with respect to either position, whether of offloor, agent, appointee, or eglgloyee solely.

However hat my be we are of the o InIon that in say event Seotlon 33 of A&le XVI does 1 pro lblt the paymentof compensation out of the @ate Treasury to an offloor, such aa the one under consideration here, who at %hesame time likewise holds or attempts to hold a position oi honor or trust uader the state, yours very truly ATTORaEll

CJEWBAL