OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

tRUDC.MucN -0s 

Honorable Ben J. Dean 

DietriOt Attorney 

~okttnrldge, Texas 

DSar %rl oplnlon No. o-4279 

Your letter of reaen 

of this department on the puss 

iollowr: 

"1 hare before 

Deaember 13. 1 

District Attor 

a question and 

t that the .eexae nas 

or and wtm reoallsa 

49 (@enera ana WeBy virtue of' B. C. R. 

the enrolling olerk 

orreot Ii. B. No. 161, '80 IUI to 

attaohea hereto* (Oeneral ana 

atatute &I not be aruended by reeolution. 
treble Ben J. D8an. Paa 2 

*SeotIon 6 ai R. B. NO. 161 provides, *this 

sot shall take effeot and be In operation 011 and 

after January 1, 1943.’ 

Vases cited In the letter frorl Mr. Lortin, 

Aeelstent Ciatrict Attorney of Young County, are 

to the erfect that wh8re the operation oi a statute la postponed that It may be a law for the 

purpose 0r notice prior to tha postponed date, 

but It aotually takea efreot aa of the date to 

whloh it vss postponed. 

"In tha oaae of Pophaza v. Patterson, 51 C. W. 

(2) 680, cited In hr. Lottln'a letter, the oourt 

said In aohstzuing statutes, *It Is the duty 0r 

the aourt to osaertain the legI8latIve Intent, 

acd, when suoh Intent Is onoe arrived at It shall 

be given erieat; In raot, such Intent is the few.* 

"It IS my construction that what the oourt 

mmnt by sotlae was that a oItatIon tar Instanoe, 

sey IA a taz suit returnable to the next torni, 

riled say Dsoenbar 20, 1942. would eomasd the 

derendant to appear before the 90th JudIoIal 

DIetrIot at Its next terr in February, 1943, and 

would hot hate the errect or aotucrlly enlargI8g 

the 90th JudIoIsl DIstrIot to Iaolude young County 

until the erreotire date 0r the aot. 

*ArtIale 5, s80ti0n 21, 0r th4 constituti0n 

provides that the Leglaletttre map protIde for the 

eleetIoa oi DIstrIot Att0rney.s. 

*Artlole 322, R. S., provides that a Dlstrlot 

Attorney shall be eleotsd In the 90th Judlelal 

DIatrIot. Ii. B. NO. 161 sakes no provIsIon for 

th8 eleotlvn of District Attorney bilierent iram 

the provIsIons eontafned In ArtIale 322, R. S. 

*It has b~sn held that the Legislature ha8 

power to postpone the taking eireot or a law. 

Chambers V. BaldwIn, 274 R. ‘d. 1011 (reversed 

on another point, 282 .7. T:. 793); to the same 

8rr4at 39 Tsr. au-., p. 50, 51. 

k 
BacwahleBen J.Ik%an, Page 3 

"71th reierenae TV the oonstruotion of 4 

utetute: 

s*PrImrIlp the intention and manlng of 

the L8~i9lature Plust be asoertalned fro& the 

language of the statute read as 8 whole, t&t 

Is, rror; the entire context of the law. If the 

statutory langua~e'alearly end &IetInotly reveals the legislative Intent, there Is no ouoaslon to look elsewhere.* 39 'Pex. hr., p. 176 

(Sea. 931.' 

*'intent Of the ~8&318tlir8 iS the prLntrX'y 

considerstlon In the oonstruotlon at a statuta. 

But one 0r the oanona or oonstru4tion In arriving at intent Is to ettrlbnte some i&gDifIoanoe 

to eaoh ?ert of tha aat under oonslderation. 

"It Will be noted that L B. No. 161 pmldear 

"*The DImt*let Judge and Distrlot~Attorzm~ 

0r the Mnetieth 'Judlolel Dletrlct now sleded 

and eotlng es euah shall aontlnue to h&l the ofii040 or Dlstrlot Judge and Dlstriot Attorney 0r 

the Ninetieth JudIoIal Dietriot In and for Mephena 

Comfy and Young County, until the terma fbr rhieh 

they have *en eleoted expim and until therr have 

been eleoted. end qplirieb 8u4446ixm thcrreto.* 

'It Is apparent from th4 above pr0~1m10n or 

the statute under OOnOid4THtiOn that the Legfslatul-e Intended th6t there ehould be t8SkU3’4 Of Oiii08 berore eleotlon to oifioe. The quest%on th4n 

remfns whether the tenure or 0rri44 would b4 before the election In 1942 or before the eleotion 

In 1944. If the tenure before eleotion Intmded 

was tht .tcnuie b4rors eleotion In 1942,, then it 

would appear that th8 I)i4triOt Attorney Of Stephens 

County Is now the DistrIOt At8orney of %ung Count+ 

and quelIrIeu to aot a8 auah In said aaunty. If 

th4 intent was thet the tenure Of Ofii4e should be 

prior to the eleetlon in 1944, then suah oonatruotlon Fpould be in harmonJr with the (Zenera purpose 

of the statute, whioh was t0 pQStpOu8 its Operation and 8rZ8& unril 19b3, the aet ita4lr 4ontenplating that them would have to be ad el44tion 
Bonorable Ban J. Dean, Page Q 

in1942 a5dthatthe tanam b 8r 0m l lastIonvotid 

ba rrom the beglnnln~ or the aat In 1943 hntil the 

elaatfon in 19& 

"1 should like to aek you the ?ol$owIng quaationsr 

*(a) 18 B. B. No. 161 oonstitu%IonalP 

"(b) In the lidkit oi tie holdiag In the Popbar oaaa that t& 15tant of w Leglalature aaatrols In the oonatruotlon of qn aat and thu pror%- 

slcm or the aot that It shall be In,~oparatIoa 05 

and .after January 1, 1943, Is the DllrtEplot Attorney 

or the 9Otb Judioial pIstrIot,.at tbj,d-tti omposed of Staphans.Coqnty, slaotad by'the people 

Or Stephen6 COUIkty in 1942 01 by t&j people Or 

Staphene and Young C6unties'l ~ 

"(0) zr you ansufsr that the paople 0r Stephens 

and Young Counties 'should eleat the .DIstrIat Attorney ror the 90th Judl&al Dlstriot In 19W. 

then pleasa advise yhetibr or Pot the Dlrtrlat 

Judge aan hol& ooiurt ia Yomg County prldr t6 

gary 1, 1943, $.ha etiectlre date or 3. B. Eo. 

. 

*(d): If you hate amwer8d that the tenure 

0r 0rr~0dmfrsw to under Eeotion .2 or H. 8. 

NO. 161 Sed~~~+muw b&ore rleotfon In 1942 and 

not timnuts beer0 sleotlon ia~19Ub~tbten please 

adrise iI the DIstrIot Attornay bi tha 90th JudIoial Dintriot, .as .nm oompoead oi ~Stephena County, 

would at thI81 tQne be ent%tled f0 ~SW.QX% the, ipnOtlona of Ciata+d Attorney of both Iomg and 

Stephens Count&es?* 

House BILfHa. 161, qy ra, 18 an ~a.ot raorganIxI4c 

the )m, 9tXih, and ~97th Judio:t~ as Diatri0tt3 or tb stfm or 

Texas) providing r0p the holdiBg et zhs DIatTIot Courta asd 

term in saId'Judioia1 Distrlsts rsspeothl&y and~rurthsr 

providing that all process and writs haretotore la+ed, aad 

that all reoognixanoe~ ind bonds harsterore made e&%~;surauted and retnrnabla to tjia exlatlng tenas ot DIatrIot Courts 
. 

In the oountles 8oplprising said Dletrlota, toether with 

jwora heretofore oeleoted, ara valiU end xqturnable to the 

first tern of euoh Court after th.Is~.aat takes l ifsot; pro- 

&ding that the County Attorneym of thee mapeotlva oountles 

d&in the said 97th JadIaIel DIstrI&%hhall perform tha 

duties of Dlstriat Attorney In theirobuntlae as uell ea 

t&s datlee mw performed bf them, anb proridl.ug rees or ofrloe for auoh County Attorneys; prov&dIng for the jurladlet&m of said Dlstrlot Courts and pmfding for the oontinuanoe oi the exIsting,DlstrIat Cawts 0f said oountiles In 

~88sIcai uhen this rot t.akes efieat to t&S end or their tenas, 

prodding the effeativa date of the aat; repealin& all omillotlng lar and dealarlng an emergeaay.~ 

By the express terms of HOMO Bill Ho. 161, aupra, 

tha County Of WIohIte shall hereafter OOn6tItUte and be the 

30th JudIoIalDI8trIat Ot the Mate of Texas. The kuntles 

crt %ephens end Young shall hereafter constitute and Abe the 

Both Judlalal Diatrlat of the State of Taxaa and tha Counties 

or Aroher, Clay and Nontague shsll heresitar oonstltute sad. 

be the 97th.JudIoIa.l DIatrIot oi the State of Texas. 

By H. C. R. Wo. 261, ILouse El11 Ho. 161, uas OOLC 

mated. Safd 3%. C. H. Fro. 261 reads as rollowsr 

*Be it r8s01veu br the ZrOuae or Repr08entatlves, the 8enate oo~our&ng, *hat the enroliing 

clerk oi the House ha instrwted to eorreof &use 

Bill Ao. 161 ae a6 to appear In the form attaohed 

hareto." (YInled Seerotary or State, fulf 25, 1941) 

The rim eatlon presented In your Inquiry Is 

*IS House Bill Ho. 1 r 1 aonatltutIoaal7*i From the raote 

stated In ycmr 1etter It Ie apparent that this qwation IS 

raised by virtue of B. C, R. Ro. 261, supra. 

It Is stated In !&man JurIsprudensse Vol. 39, p. 112 

“00~8OtiOnS map ba ted0 In a bill at any tima beam It Is 

signed by the presld- officers af the respeotire houses. 

And there la nothing In the Conmtltution that prohIbIta either 

or both of the houses of tha Leg~islatiure, with the conSant Of 

the Governor, from reaalllag a bill that has been passed aud 

trsnamItted to the Oarsrnor, berore he Baa In any way acted. 

thereon, ror the purpcbsa or oormatlon and amimdmentw. 
;c :I I~ 

I- *, 

TV 

.‘&wqrable Ben J.~ $#een, Page 6 

$1: 

.c. 

It i8'fUZt&&stated iB Tetia Jurlrrprudanae, Vf& 

.39, pp. 12 end 13:. 

"A r@eolutlon ts a ivra of espreesIon, or 

twnpo2ary eiteot, by whIah a lagiel8tlre bc%dy, 

or one &it8 bramhes, &tat88 it6 opinion or 

. . will in respeot of a given nmttor or thing. The 

Co58tItution XWSOgDi&eS th8 rl&t of the bgiSlatw to axwe Itwlf by reeolutlonrr, 8nd ep- I.~ pliUS- t0 their adt@tIoa the am *XVI~~S. pr~ti81058 OBd ltmtta;tions* a8 th088 uh$oh go~8x-n the 

pas&age or stati+e, exaept a8 to th8 OSpt&n end 

eu8atIn.g oleuee. hubtle68 8 rUaOlUtiO5 may be 

adopted in ait% of a statute. Thu8 elerlaal errors 

la an aot *biaii hero pa88Ud in both hOme8 6f the 

I.8 aletu28 ray be aorreoted by a oonaurrent resolu !I ion, espeolally where the bill has not been 

sigued by the pre8IdIng'ofifa8r or either house. 

But t&q ettecrtite date of an eot whIah har barn 

approved by tha exeoutira and baa elzvady taken 

erreet oamot Be pOatpO5ed by a Joint re8oltItIon, 

Evan when a re8olution 18 adopted by both,branahes 

pr the Leg.islature, it 18 not a lam, t&O&l& it 

MY, rer coma purposa8. here tho sane binding 

erreat a8 8 statute when ~epproved by the Ooternor. 

h eon8truiPg 8 rO6OlUtiOB ft W&l1 b8 0088idersd 

as a whole end io rlaw of its generalPurpO8e.* 

In Louis Southariandre Statutory Cw8truotIoa, Vol. 

1, 2nd ..mitioa, psm 53, we rind the roii0ring language: 

*Ii tha enrollment or orIgIna reaord or the 

atatute IS reg1G8r en Its raoe; the% 18, ii the 

aot i8 rrcvdsd wlth.no fnrfraity on It8 ieoe, is 

duly pramulgatsd, or properly authentlaated aad 

depoalted In th8 proper Orrimr It Is OO5OiUSlVe-- 

ly prasumad to ham been ra&arly emoted; the 

raaord la Invuluerable to aellateral atteoks and 

proves itselr. This IS the hula in SelrUIXtl St8t88 

having constitutions regulating the legislative 

prooedure and requiring legislative ~aurnal.6 to 

ba kept . . . .* 
mnorable Bsn r. Wean, Pega 7 

Quoting further fmm Southerlend*s 

:. &lWOtiOB, Vol. 1, 2nd pad%-, page 66, it 

Statutory OonIS stated; 

*ThO,asme railing haa bOeri made in eaoh of 

these 611ses. The Texas Suprema Court saye *Our 

oonsfltutlon provides that, after tha passage or 

e bill, It Shall bs sloped by the prOSiding offiaex or eaoh house la pZ%SbBOO ot the houses and 

we are of the opinion that when a bill haa been 

so signed, l nd.hes been aubnitted,to and approve6 

by the Owsmor, It was Intended that It 8hould 

afford aonoluslte Ovldenee that the aot haa been 

p8aeed In the manner raquIred by the oonstitutioa. 

S\tcrh b01ng the file or th8 oaplptgzl law; we think, 

I5 the absence oi something I5 th8 oonditutiom 

expreenly showing a oontrary %nWtIoo, it 18 

fob to preens that the same filz'r ehoold prim811 

In ,thIe State. There is no'provlelon in the arm- 

~stftution IndI0atIng in.eny direot mmnor auoh 

oontrary I5tentItm; end the i8Ot that It Is provided that.JOumal8 ahell be kept asd that aertaiB things. 8hQrild bO 8ntePOd therein we think 

InsuffloImd.to shew any auoh purpose'. (erilllama 

~8. Taylor, 19 S. W. 156) 

". .' . . The 0erlIer oaaaa.In SQuth Carolim 

supported the oontrery dootrlne but th8MI.w2W 

warruled in State.r8. Chester t 39 S.C. 307) uhsrein the Court Sar8 'VU all5Ou508 that tha tMe MU 

la, that when an eot ha8 been daly aIg5ed by the 

prealdlng orrioers or the general assembly, in 

open session In the Saanats-Houee, epproved by the 

(hnsrnor of the State, and duly deposited in tha 

Oflf08 or the Saoratary 0r State, It is spiri0i8at 

arldenoe, hothing to the oontrary appearing on 

Its raoe, that ,&passed-%he gsnaal aasarebly, 

and that It 1.8 not o~oinpetent either ay the Journals of the tvm houses, or either of them, or by 

any other evidence, to bpaa0h auah an BOt. AM 

this being 80, it rOii0w6 that the court ia not 

at llbarty to inquire late what the journals cl' 

the two houses ,n?ey show as to t&O suooeasive step8 

which may hays bsen taken in the passe@ of the 

original bill." Aleo 

I, 

see the ease or Field f. 

Clark, 143 U. S. 49; Blessing f. f361VeStun, ti 

'rex. 64&v Houston, eta. R. R. Co. vs. Odum, 53 

Ter. 3431 
Honorebla Ben J. Dean, Page 8 

Artsr tararull~ oensiderlng House Bill No. 161, 

supra, we do not l&Ink that said 6ot tlolates or oontramnea 

any provIsIon or provisions of the State ComtftutIon. Thereiore, It Is our opinion thet Eouse Bill MO. 161, supm, la 

oonatItutIoual. 

In amuer to pour aeooud question, in view or the 

holdi- in the oases Or Popham v. Patterson, 51 S. w. (2d) 

680; United State8 Employer6 Casualty Co. vs. Skinner, et al, 

l&l S. W. (2d) 9958 Ma COpll8 VU. Chora, 150 S. W. f2d) 70, 

it is our opinion that ~otue Bill HO. 161, supra, shall be 

'In operation on ana arter January 1, 1943. It Is our further 

opinion that the Dlsttiot AttOXney for the 90th Jualblal 

MatrIot must be eleoted by the people of Stephena County 

In 1942 ana that the people or Touag Cotmkr are legally entitled to vote iOr th DIntrIat Attorney of the 30th JudIoIal 

Diatriat. 

Iu reply to your third question, you am respaetfully advised that the Dietriot Judge of the 90th SudIoIal 

District cannot legal17 hold oourt in Young County prior to 

January 1, 1943. 

With rbferenoo to your fourth question; you are 

respeotfully advised that it Is our opinion that the Dintrlot Attorney or the 90th JudIoIal DiatrIot Is not legally 

entitlsa to pwrona the runoti0n8 or Dlstrlot Attornsr fn 

Young Cotmty until January 1, 1943. 

Tours very truly 

ATTORNEY G’BNERAL OF TEXAS 

Asrriatant 

AW:mp