OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN tRUDC.MucN -0s

HonorableBen J. Dean DietriOt Attorney ~okttnrldge, 

### Texas

DSar %rl oplnlonNo. o-4279

Your letter of reaen of this departmenton 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 enrollingolerk orreot Ii.

B. No. 161, '80 IUI to attaoheahereto* (Oeneralana

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

*SeotIon6 ai R. B. NO. 161 provides, *this sot shall take effeot and be In operation011 and after January 1, 1943.’

Vases cited In the letter frorl Mr. Lortin, AeelstentCiatrictAttorney of Young County,are to the erfect that wh8re the operationoi a statute la postponedthat It may be a law for the purpose 0r noticeprior to tha postponeddate, but It aotuallytakea 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 aohstzuingstatutes, *It Is the duty 0r the aourt to osaertainthe legI8latIveIntent, acd, when suoh Intent Is onoe arrivedat It shall be given erieat; In raot, such Intent is the few.*

"It IS my construction that what the oourt mmnt by sotlaewas that a oItatIon tar Instanoe, sey IA a taz suit returnableto the next torni, riled say Dsoenbar 20, 1942. would eomasd the derendantto appear before the 90th JudIoIal DIetrIotat Its next terr in February, 1943, and would hot hate the errect or aotucrlly enlargI8g the 90th JudIoIslDIstrIotto Iaoludeyoung County until the erreotiredate 0r the aot.
*ArtIale 5, s80ti0n 21, 

### 0r th4 constituti0n providesthat the Leglaletttre map protIde for the eleetIoaoi DIstrIotAtt0rney.s.
*Artlole322, R. S., provides that a Dlstrlot Attorney shall be eleotsd In the 90th Judlelal DIatrIot. Ii.

B. NO. 161 sakes no provIsIonfor th8 eleotlvn of DistrictAttorney bilierent iram the provIsIonseontafnedIn ArtIale 322, R. S.
*It has b~sn held that the Legislature ha8 power to postponethe 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.



# kBacwahleBen J.Ik%an,Page 

### 3

"71th reierenaeTV the oonstruotion of 4
utetute: s*PrImrIlp the intentionand manlng of the L8~i9lature

Plust be asoertalnedfro& the languageof the statuteread as 8 whole, t&t Is, rror;

the entire context of the law. If the statutorylangua~e'alearly end &IetInotlyreveals the legislativeIntent, there Is no ouoaslon to look elsewhere.* 39 'Pex. hr., p. 

### 176 (Sea. 931.'

*'intent Of the ~8&318tlir8iS the prLntrX'y considerstlon

In the oonstruotlon at a statuta. But one 0r the oanona 

### or oonstru4tion In arriving at intent Is to ettrlbntesome i&gDifIoanoe to eaoh ?ert of tha aat under oonslderation.

"It Will be noted that L B. No. 

### 161 pmldear
"*The

### DImt*let



## JudgeandDistrlot~Attorzm~ 0r the Mnetieth 'Judlolel Dletrlctnow sleded and eotlng es euah shall aontlnueto h&l the of

### ii040or DlstrlotJudge and DlstriotAttorney 0r the NinetiethJudIoIalDietriot 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 pr0~1m10nor the statute under OOnOid4THtiOn that the Legfslatul-e Intendedth6t 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 quelIrIeuto aot a8 auah In said aaunty. If th4 intentwas thet the tenure Of Ofii4e should be prior to the eleetlon in 1944, then suah oonatruotlon Fpould

be in harmonJr

with the (Zenerapurpose of the statute, whioh was t0 pQStpOu8 its Operation and 8rZ8& unril 

### 19b3, the aet ita4lr 4ontenplating that them would have to be ad el44tionBonorableBan J. Dean, Page Q

in1942 a5dthatthe tanam b8r0m llastIonvotid ba rrom **the** beglnnln~

### or the aat In 1943 hntil the elaatfon **in 19&** 
"1 should like to aek you the ?ol$owIngquaationsr
*(a) 18 B. B. No. 161 oonstitu%IonalP
"(b) **In the**  **lidkit oi**  **tie** holdiag In the Popbar oaaa that t& 15tant of w Leglalatureaaatrols 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 JudioialpIstrIot,.attbj,d-ttiomposed of Staphans.Coqnty, slaotad by'the people Or Stephen6COUIkty **in 1942**  01 by t&j people Or Stapheneand Young C6unties'l ~ "(0) 

### zr you **ansufsr** that the paople 

### 0r Stephens and Young Counties 'should eleat the .DIstrIatAt**torney** ror the 90th Judl&al Dlstriot In 19W. then pleasa advise yhetibr or Pot the Dlrtrlat Judge aan hol& ooiurt ia Yomg Countyprldr t6 gary 1, 1943, $.ha etiectlredate **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 DIstrIotAttornay 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 StephensCount&es?*

House BILfHa. 161, qy ra, 18 an ~a.ot raorganIxI4c the )m, 9tXih,

and ~97th

Judio:t~ as 

### Diatri0tt3or tb 

### stfm or Texas)providingr0p the holdiBg et zhs DIatTIotCourta asd term in saId'Judioia1 Distrlstsrsspeothl&y and~rurthsr providingthat all process and 

## writsharetotorela+ed, aad that all reoognixanoe~ ind bonds harsterore**made** e&%~;suraut**ed** and retnrnablato tjia exlatlng tenas ot DIatrIot Courts.

In the oountles8oplprising said Dletrlota,toether with jwora heretoforeoeleoted,ara valiU end xqturnable to the first tern of euoh Court after th.Is~.aat takes 

### l ifsot; pro- &ding that the County Attorneymof thee mapeotlva oountles d&in the said 97th JadIaIel DIstrI&%hhall perform tha duties of DlstriatAttorney In theirobuntlae as uell ea t&s datlee mw **performed bf**  them, anb proridl.ug rees or ofrloe for auoh County Attorneys;prov&dIngfor 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 effeativadate of the aat; repealin&all omillotlnglar and dealarlngan emergeaay.~

By the express terms of HOMO Bill Ho. 161, aupra, tha County Of WIohIte shall hereafter OOn6tItUteand be the 30th JudIoIalDI8trIat Ot the Mate of Texas. The kuntles crt %ephens end Young shall hereafter constituteandAbethe Both JudlalalDiatrlat of the State of Taxaa and tha Counties or Aroher, Clay and Nontague shsll heresitar oonstltutesad. 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 1 aonatltutIoaal7*i From the raote r 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- officersaf the respeotire houses. And there la nothing In the Conmtltutionthat prohIbItaeither or both of the houses of tha Leg~islatiure, with the conSantOf the Governor, from reaalllaga bill that has been passed aud trsnamIttedto the Oarsrnor, berorehe 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 twnpo2aryeiteot, by whIah a lagiel8tlrebc%dy, or one &it8 bramhes, &tat88 it6 

### opinionor

. . will in respeot of a given nmttor or thing. The Co58tItution

**XWSOgDi&eS th8**  **rl&t of**  **the bgiS**  latw to axwe Itwlf by reeolutlonrr, 8nd ep- I.~ pliUS-

t0 their adt@tIoa the **am** ***XVI~~S. pr~ti**  **81058** 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**  rUaOlUtiO5may be adopted in ait%

of a statute. Thu8 elerlaalerrors la an aot *biaii

hero **pa88Ud in**  both hOme8 6f the I.8 aletu28ray be aorreotedby a oonaurrentresolu ion, espeolallywhere the bill has not been !I sigued by the pre8IdIng'ofifa8r or either house. But t&q ettecrtite

date of an eot whIah har barn **approved** by tha exeoutiraand baa elzvady taken erreet oamot Be **pOatpO5ed** by a Joint re8oltItIon, Evan when a re8olution18 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 statutewhen ~epproved by the Ooternor. h eon8truiPg8 rO6OlUtiOBft W&l1 b8 0088idersd as a whole end io rlaw of its generalPurpO8e.*
In **Louis** Southariandre StatutoryCw8truotIoa, Vol. 

### 1, 2nd 

### ..mitioa,

psm 53,we rind the roii0ringlanguage:
*Ii tha enrollmentor 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 depoaltedIn th8 proper Orrimr It Is **OO5OiUSlVe--** ly prasumad to ham been ra&arly emoted; the raaord la Invuluerableto aellateralatteoks and proves itselr. This IS the hula in SelrUIXtl St8t88 having constitutions regulatingthe legislative prooedureand 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,asmerailing

haa bOeri

made in eaoh of these 611ses. The Texas SupremaCourt saye *Our oonsfltutlon

provides that, after tha passage or e bill, It Shall bs sloped by the prOSidingoffiaex 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,toand approve6 by the Owsmor, It was Intended that It 8hould afford aonoluslteOvldenee 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 somethingI5 th8 oonditutiom expreenlyshowinga **oontrary** %nWtIoo, it **18** fob to preens that the same filz'r ehoold prim811 In ,thIe

State. There is no'provlelonin the arm- ~stftution

IndI0atIngin.eny direotmmnor auoh oontrary I5tentItm;end the i8Ot that It Is provided that.JOumal8 ahell be kept asd that aertaiB things.

8hQrild bO 8ntePOd thereinwe 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 prealdlngorrioers or the general assembly,in open session In the Saanats-Houee, epprovedby the (hnsrnor of the State, and duly deposited in tha Oflf08 or the Saoratary0r State, It is spiri0i8at arldenoe,hothing to the oontraryappearingon Its raoe, that ,&passed-%he gsnaal aasarebly, and that It 1.8

not o~oinpetent

eitheray 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 journalscl' the two houses ,n?ey show as to t&O suooeasivestep8 which may hays bsen taken in the passe@ of the originalbill." Aleo

I, see the ease or Field f. Clark, 143 U. S. 49; Blessingf. f361VeStun, ti 'rex. 64&v Houston, eta. R. R. Co. vs. Odum, 53 Ter. 3431HonoreblaBen J. Dean, Page 8

Artsr tararull~ oensiderlng House Bill No. 161, **supra,** we do not l&Ink that said 6ot tlolates or oontramnea any provIsIonor provisionsof 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 operationon ana arter January 1, 1943. It Is our further opinion that the DlsttiotAttOXney for the 90th Jualblal MatrIot must be eleoted by the people of StephenaCounty 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 DietriotJudge of the 90th SudIoIal Districtcannot legal17hold 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 JudIoIalDiatrIot Is not legally entitlsato pwrona the runoti0n8 or DlstrlotAttornsr fn Young Cotmty until January 1, 1943.

Tours very truly

ATTORNEY G’BNERAL

OF TEXAS

Asrriatant AW:mp