OFFICEOFTHE AlTORNEY GENERALOFTRXAS AUSTIN

uonorableC. ii.

Cevnoss steto aiullitor Austin, Texas

near Lr. Cameset Op.lnlon 810. 0-4363
Be: Born!

of state comdseion issued and to be istmed to **Iioteriw** Publio,under exiPffng colwitntioBel proYisions

. You ham subndttedto this Departmentrequest for opiaion conoeadng t&e l'orm of' cemmlssionto be issued fe notariesPubLie,under exist&q eonstltutionsl provisions. Attached to your letter Is a blank tom which you #ate la the one that is being used by the Secretaryof state. Suah form reads a6 follows:

--__-___ .-..--A--- TIIE STATE OF **TEXAS ====PP** 

TO ALL TO VROki

TKRSE PRESRIJTS

SSALL COMR - 6RJBl'IlM:

has been a WmREas, COUNTX, TIEUS Rotary Pub AC in and for the above sour&y.

I! pointedby the Stiretery of State of' Teuts a You, Themfore, I, Sewetary of State,by ,xirtueof the authorityvested in ne by Tb6 Censtltut~on And Law OS This State, Do hereby ommlseion the @b&e xxeuad pea-eon a Notary Public4

in and sor said aoimty, giving and granting the ea%d offXoerall authority,power, rights, privilegeeand smoluwnte appsrtainingto e&l offloe for and during the t&ma endUx&. Jmm 1, 19 Date iewe& ~TIUM DAXE rrecretery ef- wane.-yenoreble0. H. Cevneea - page a

Ilaterwked or 11tbograpJml into the paper, on *hioh t&s dommsnt is printed,is a faosimileof the grsat seal .ofthe State of Psxaa. It is apparentfrara the nord- ,fng of the aosuufeeion

that the Govcwnor of Taxae doea not sign these o~missions, but they are pwpometlly iss~sd in the name of aad by the authority of the Secretaryof State.

Xouaskanumber of questiOnscmewting this oolnrilfesion

. Xn the lntareet of' brevity of this opinion, NC arc taking the libsrty of rephrasing your questions,a xumher of rhich oommrn the ssme issue. What you desire to lizrolr,

it appears to us, 20 stpreeesd lza the iolloriqg 1nterr0get0riw: 1. &uat all osaaclmsions to State oftioere,Inelud3,ng

oeimissionste SotariesFublia,be signedby the Governoranil

atteetsdby the Sewetery ei State?

2. What is the ebaraeterof seal rhieh the Canstitrrtioa

of Texaa reQuirssbhouldbe litixed tom all csmmlssiensIssuaI w the Governart

3. Whenshould the seal be a+fixedt 4. is a cemmlssion valid, (a) rhich is not signed by the Gmernw; or, (b) which bears a seal sf%xed other than the dsv%Ge prsuaribetl by the ConstitutUm to impress upon the doowrtsnt the lnalgniaof the State t+he soal of state is afffxeU to the oomn~%ss 1 or, (a) There on before it is signedby the 6mernort

6. If the earmdssisnsissued 

## to Rotaries mblto

on fhe form attr@hOU to your lettOP are invali3,does it follau that the effioieleota of au& NoteriMl PIIblioare Invalid,and that fsss have besm illt?gally colleoferl

by WepIT ArtAcle 4, Seotion 20, of the Texas Coxastitution, provides

8
"AU aemmdwfsw shall be la the n&me saui by th6 authorityof tke Btate of Texas, waled with the 2tete seal, eignosd by the Gwexnor, and ett.ested

by the SeorstaryOS State.* Prior to the amem3mentof 1810, Article4, Section 20, of th6 Texas Gon&itution iwad as follorstp0nar8bleC.u~ Cavneae - page 3

'The GwOrQSr, by and with the advise and **oensent** of two4hirUs of the Send@, ahall appoint a oomanient number of Hotsrlea Publie SOr sseh county,rho shall pariorm auah Uutiea as nsw are or msy **be** pmaeribedby lu.'
In 1G40 this 6eotian of the Constitution was as~sadsd so that it now **reads** as followsr

V31s Seersty of State shell appoint a ooWOni8at 3nlwlbOr of ~OtariOa IUblio for ssoh countywho shsll psrfor~sushdutiss **es mm**  **are ormaybe**  pres6ribeclby 1.~. The qualifioationa of the lotariesFublio ahallbe peeoeibedbylaw.r The aole effest of the amndmOnt was to ohsnge the 2s: or Or of NOtaFfeaPublio fra?i the Go~araer to the state. Ho ehaage was mule or irpliad in the provisionof the GoPetitation rsqdring all ssmdssisns to O&ate otfioera,iwrlrdllng lottariss

Publie, to be sign& by the 6overnor aud attestedby the **Secretary** of St&e. 'Lhe issuance of the aoamisafonla separatefmd distinut fram the ast of appointmeut= **The uatbority**  **of** the Gowraor te oomdssion dsss not Bsppmd upon 8hethsrhe appoints. The 6wernor,tor emexaple, c0mis11Iona otYieera elected w the mple. The oem&saion la "p' **7 evidence**  **of the**  ofTiosr~s appointmentor election,and o h5s right to sxroise the fu~tiona of the Gffioe. W-r. @iisog, 8 L. ed. $1. Vader the Gonatitution,oomdssions to State officer~~,inuluding IEotariea

Publio, 01~0

**be** 1aauoU **only by**  the Gasrnor. It follows that a aomission iasusrl to auah off%eereby saq offloCal other than the GmmvmP is imali&.

The Gonstitutionof the Stste of **Texia** preaoribes the cherauts of the ass1 rhioh la to be affixed to oomisSiOM. Art&ale 4, Seation 19, of the GonstitutionproYiMar *There aball be e a081 of the St&e which shall be kspt by the i%oretarY,anC used by him offioiellyumier the directionof t&e Governor. We seal of the Stste ahall be a 8ter of iit8 peints eneirals& by oliwa end&fyo oak bran&es, end the words, *The

State of Texas**. The word *seala say have **more** than one maniug. pop example,it uay mean e device bearing 8 %eaigu so He, es by engrevi~, that it can impart 90 **lmxprwdon** iu relief upon a soft teuaoiouaaubetauce,as clay,pax **or PaPer** * Untheother haud,it may aiguify theippreaaien ae tie by the device. lebater*aIntemationel Diotiouarv, 1Ssoons, gg. (1940).
It is ObViOUS from On sroadIIStiOn Of the laq?+&gO of hrtiole4, Section 19, that the vcrd l aealc la uaed therefnin thefirst sense es meshing thed~ic8byMxich theim**preseion** la **tranafdtted.** In this connectionit la impcrtant to net8 that the saOtioneonttmplatea a single mal, **requires** that it be *kept*b7 the **aewetery** af St&O, and l u8eda kq The words 

### l

kOpt' ml "wed8 make it clear tha$ the X&a of the Gouatitution had in s&xi a me&ad.oal dsrioe toberetrioedin the posaeerionof theSeeret8ry of Sate, **a& used**  **b7 Mm**  to **make aa**  inpresaion **OB the**  **dscxwentm offi**  **oully** emmuted. **b;r** the Gcveruor of **the State**  of **Texas,** to et**teat** the Governor*6aignetureand the authenticityet the dooument.ainoe Artiole,4,&action80, re+.res thst all oommi~aiona ahall be *sealedwith the State &al*, such eomn&msiona should **bear a**  **asallmPresaad** thereonby the **use of**  the devise,rhl& io te **be reteineil**  in **ths** paaseaaiouof the Secretary of State, uxaier the prmisions of drticle4, Section 19. my other characterof seal doea not ocqly with the ccnetitutioual

requiraPeut6.
It ie not contemplat&l by the comatitutioualpwviaions that the seal of the state ahall **be attixed**  prior to aie nature of the documeutby the Gweruor. The f'unction of the seal is to attest or uitneaa or eatebllsbthe autheuticityof the iiovemor*sslguature. Yarbury t. Yadiaon, cited supre, at p. 87. It is olwious that the Gwernor*s aiC;nature can not **be** attestedbefore be has affixed it to the instruaent.

De bcve already notad that a mmmieeion io not valid if it is not 

### signed by the iiwernor,under the protisiousof Artlole 4, Section 20, of the Gouatitution. Of course,a cornmiaaionvhAch purports to have been issued by the Secretaryof Btate rather than by the Gweruor la iaaued by an officerapan whom the Cosatitution does not **confer** authorityto iaeue com-Jlonorablo C. ii. Cavuess - page 6

**~3ssion8, and**  **is** 

### insftwtire for any purpose.

WharethecomsdssiOnbears8 eealairirsdthsreto 

### 0th~ WUI by the 

### dwi09 **prO8Oribsd** by the Constitution to iaqumaeupon the dosumsut the lnsignlo of the Stats, the signatureof the dovsrnor Is not authentitated as requiredby the COnstitutiou, and suob a commission,therefore, would not furnishproof ot the ofiioer*sappointsmut CrBd **auttlority**

. Whore the seal of tbeState111 affLxtrdt0the 

### ooxulssion, the pPeaumpti0nie that the Seerotaryof State has properlydAsahargsdthe dutiss of his affise; in othc words, the pesumption is that the seal uas affixalby l&s at the diraotlonOf the uwemlor, mxl8ttor the Grnezn0c has sigma the iBstrumsBt. lawor, won it the taot be 

### that the ser;l

was affixed **by** the Seerotary o? Stats prlor to the (ioternor~s

signature,this, while an *oqm.rity, would uot invalidatethe aoiaulssion. m far the safsr and **better ~actiob,**  houarsr, is for the Sseretar2o? State to me the seal only in aooordenao with the oonstitutiomfiire2uimmmt, that is, at the direstion of the Owernor, and titer the fiwwnor has affixedMS signature.

Lastly,you are CaaoO~~od,qqmmntly, with the questionwhet&w, if the QOBSILBS~OBS i8sued to the Hotaries Fubllcr

on the form attauhed to your letter **are** lmolid, **does** it follow that the dfioial aat.8 of mwh Rotrrieapob110 are invalid,and that fees have beeu illegallyeolleatsd by them It appears that the llofuliss Publio hate aotnallp been appointedby the Bocretaryof State, the lawful appointingpsusr. **AS** pointed **Out** abOv0, t&O 00mdssi0n is marely sridenseof that appointmsnt~tho'authority to sat I$ derived from the appointment-- not from the comsdssisn. karbury '1.

Lad&eon, 2 II.

ed. 61, at p SO snd 68. We are of the opiti~arofore, that the OF' Tieial aate of such hotariesPublla are valid, thou@ thsy have not been duly eommlssionod.

Artio10 **3882*** wwisod Ciril Btatutes, 1@2b, provides as followst

sko officialwho fails OF rsfusos to take out a cosnzlssiou

shall be ontitlsdto collaat or reseivo either fro& the Stats or from U&iv&d- ~a38 any money at3

foes of offiae or aompensation for official esmioes. Roithor the Camptrollar,;,.-i ., /

.

fionorable

Ct tl. Cavness - p;zgO

6

comr2dssioners

aourt, county auditornor q other person shall approve or pay any c1af.a or aocount in favor of any such officerrho has so failed or refused. The Secretaryof Stats shall from tin0 to time, PS such comtissions WC Issuedhy him, furnish a lfst thereof to each conwLssionim3 court, em% county audltor and to the Comptroller, with the rum0 of the county in uhich such offloors rebide. Each state,district,oounty and precinct officer is requlrcd to apply for and recolre his owmdssion.* This Articledoes not prohlbitthe duly appointed or eloated cfficialfrom acting as such, but prohibitshim f'rom collectingor reeeiringfrom the State or individuals money a8 fees of office or oompensation for his servioes, if ho has failed or refused to take out a aoxud.sslon. We do BOt think this staWt0 applieablCt0 th0 8OtPries PobriO iB t&b COSO. St is deei@mi,ln our oplxk%on,topuulsh the officialrho is not coomdssionsbthroughhis own default or negl wt. The languageof the statute is that no official vhofails or refuesetotahe 

## out a a;ormdasiom shaxlbe datitle fees of office. Each of those words inplies the oxistonco of fault upon the part of the official. Under the cireumstaneOsof the instant situation,the ~failurc of the 2Iotarior

Publie to reoeivo their wmsdssiono in proper form is not'duo to their fault or nOgll.gence, but to an erPoneou8 intorpr8tationof the lav by the Secretaryof State.

We are, therefore,of the opinion that the foes of officereceivedby these NotariesPublic have not been illegally collected.


### very truly yours