~Horiorablk ti. H. Weilb;dx&p‘&? 2.. (w-536) 

that.an abolition of an office, la predicated upon a legal order 

by.the .apprdpriatk governln&.bodywhlch has.the authority to act 

.on such matters. 

Section 18 of,Artfcle V of the Constftutlon o,f 'petis 

provides 8s follpw8~: ' :, v; 

:; 

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:_ , :’ 

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‘., 

.t~. ; 

., to time;,‘:for-~the .&3?sve9ienae of the’.pegple, Snto 

..precfricts;.’ tiot,:‘$6a’e’than~~Potlr~:and~~ot.~~~ ~than :.: 

.elght. -~ivislone'~~.s~~l be made. by the %omnls-. 

~sionetis $our$ pr0v.ide.d~ for by tNs Constltutionl 

‘In eich.~sUoh ~p+e~c@ct~ there shall Abe elected one, 

1. .~:justibe.-qf,.the’P’eac~~ and. one Conetabld, each of ~, 

‘. ‘..d$bm shalL hdld his af;iio@:fk.‘f61ir: yi%@rs~~and 

’ ::‘.:‘I&& :~s.:rr~odee’e~~~‘.sb81~; be, elected “4 qyli- 

~f~+:~..%y~ *.n 

. ‘+ ‘- 

,. Tj& :.e&aer,:*d :$$ -&z+*y .‘~&a1 ! S &$n$one irat&- ” ’ 

prat~f~i6,:pd~~~~iqp-.th%.:0d~~t~~~~on~~~~‘r~~sdly’~eld ‘. 

that .the~~:C~~~.~~ !I+; t~..,~)~h?rity to ‘:inor?aB?R de- 1~ 

‘CretiwL~ cJa&@ge~.f;i$e p~e~j.pot~~bo+d&%er ‘+nd abolish the office of 

the’JUetii?k:of~%he P’aa~$~‘ahd.Gonstshle- 80 long aa there i?emaim 

ate lesat’.f~ur’j’-:~~t:~t~l’a~~e t~;han eight: ~such off&ass In the county. 

This .z%ght.,@ t$e :~C~sBlone~B ..CqU?t’~~,j&q ?a ,exer$ised at ~kny 

time they ,a%*. been‘.“c?nvenient .for, the.people”, tid~may~operate 

td, dejptilve persotis e)ected to those ‘positions of any’right to 

contlntie in ofrice or receive the emoluments theSeof. State v. 

Rigsby,. S.W. ~271 (Tex.Clv.App. 1897, error ref.); .E=. 

Townsend, 136 S.W.. 1143, 1145 (Tex.Clv.App. 1911); Wi 

.~’ 

312 Tex. 193, ~247 C3.W~. ~263 (1922). Brown v. 

839 ~(Tex.oiv.App. 1936 emor d1sm.j; Att 

Ileeks,’ 

0-y ,p noral’ . 

Q490,~ V:1032.,; adv-1a~8.. 

The.recent ca8e of Child&& C&My v.: 'Sachee 316 . 

S,.W. Za-.li14;Yand &f'flrmed in ~X~,S.!I~.~.~UO, was’decldedon faOtS 

~di~t~8hablg~frok:thoB.e pre~sented in your lettqm. In that 

case.t&e~C&inissl6ne~s Court Changed the boundaries Of the cola- 

~~~(&&%M,qpqrp~P~oixit$ which,resulted.in plaoing’Commlssloner Sach(le’s 

.rqLlw in a proalnct diffqrent frola that tb:.whlch he W&B eqeat- 

‘.~ -edi. l9mcciunby Judge.proaptly dealwed a vaaanoy &nd appointed~. 

~~?~e~‘;Lnclioldual ~to eerve the re&ainder of Saahae’a tar& *0I?Fe’ 

8ued’tM. atiu@?ty aseking to: recover the salary of the offtoe, tar. 

that part of~thr .kra.after his “maoval”. The;Court of Civil ~’ 

’ ‘Appeals’IIttlrmed the Dltirict Cotit’s ~judgtient for. Sachse ~by.h6ldlng’twf i+rrab nevqq ~legally -rewved. .??-I+~ Court, in Setting ~: 

f&t.h.the faots 6S ‘the.c&M,:,.stated aa folloirl:’ ,- 

.‘.’ 

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: '.~Hanorable B. H. Wellborn, page 3. (~~-536) 

It . Such order ,@f the Commlssloners Courg 

~dId,not purport to remove appellee'from~his office. 

or attempt:to,abolIsh appellee'a office or to create 

a vaoancy therein:". : .II ,(JimphasIa burs) 

. ~.'~-~~After: dIbhusssSJlg:khe procedures and :requIs.Ites of removal df 

~'.:" publI~-:officIdla.-from:offIce,~the~ Court: stated as ~follows: 

.~ _,” 

,..,” ‘. ~?Abooz&ig .:to .%& ‘re&rb .&fore ua a&. t&r 

%iw +Sted- +iWn&ercn~~ other authorlt~eo,.~~It~ 

:clearly’appeari ,that appellee, Sachse, was never 

::.legaUy rqmoV@d~from ,offl~?e; neither was his of- 

'fIce:~le&llgT'vacated or~abqllshed; .'. .*I 

~h&e&s~:ouri$J :, 

. . . . . 

: ” .‘~ ~., 

380) 

~I&a’.&& &.&n,~ the.&pmm (J.&e ,(a 3& s,u,2d 

&~fked.the Sourt ~~Of.CIvIl Appeals as fOllowsi 

.':The appllcatlon for writ.of error la re- 

. qw4. No.revereible e-or. We approve the 

.~ .~ .~. : -i.:hoJd@if'op: thb~'CcWt of~ClvI1 Appeals that changes 

..:.. 

." ~3,%pria?.not:'bound+rIe~~ do not create a vacancy in 

':~ :..tZra~~'.~f~ice:'of 'County ComqLssloner or deprive the ' .. 

,..:~ .--;ineoabent.~Qf:~~the.rigM~ tq-hold office for the re- 

: t : ~mai&f$i’ -0f~his .:t~erRI, ’ even. thoii&h by rM80n of such 

.; :~:I ~.~gh;bitgs',kiIs:reaidence Is note within the precinat 

;-,,+5' I'a$iftied,." " pi _.,. * :. _'. 

.'. ~:'XtK:~~~~ n&ed'.&at.the Couzt of~CfviZ Appeals In stat- 

'~ing'th~~~~~~~td:.:~of,~the '&ds6,.~.balled~ attention to the faaot.that 

%hr~:':@246~:~¬ &i&t ;to~~~bqlIih or vaaate the offiae lii ~' 

~.'.... ~estion;--:.%rapplJring~the law to thoee faots the .Court aen- 

.a~u~a'tKat'there~had:b~eno legal removal from office. How- 

:, eVe.~;.-.th?y'.dId~:inot.stop ~wlth such a holding, but continued with 

d$otull,'iaft,ez the:semI-colon, to the .effeat that a different 

~..'#eiunilt:~.won&di:obtaIn In the event of a legal abolition or vaca- 

.~ . . ~~ti$i&of~$he offioe+PThe-Supreme Court's opinion Is narrow06 to..: 

.a~atatetiht;of ~the law rgth'regard to a change of boundaries '. 

'. ..' kith.rlo:,~~dU&I~'q of ~the.approprIate result had there been 8. : 

~:,...lQjiLl:.aWjlitWq or yaoatlon of the offioe; thus It left sttid- ;~ ,_ 

'ing tha;d%atuq otitho opinion of the Court of Civil Appeals. 

If th%s .eari.'w&e interpreted to preclude the abolitionof an“, " 

CiifIceiJ~iag the.term for whlah an Indlvldual had been elaated;. .*' 

the iesultwould conflict with the prdsent Amerlaan and Texas 

.decIsionn;-a resqlt which, In the op$nIon of this office,. " 

nfiltber'the-Court of Civil Appeals nbr the Supreme Court In- 

:. t.qnded .to.-imply. . .‘. .~;. 

:. ” ,.~ 
Hon6rable H. H. welidorn, page 4. (wW~-536) "' I%' -' 

!4!)iegefor&consIdgrIqg'the 'Porego 

o#in?,on:qf:$hId'6ffI~dg that the.CoaPraisS~6nere~ 

any tIme,~f6r:t$e .mtivenlencq of the pgople, redI,stri$t the 

Justice Pre~CIn&ts itito not ,less than four nor more than eight 

and abolish the offices of then Justice of the Peace ahd Constable'.ar;d'~de~lare,,~them~.~a~~t, ,+n those precincts In which 

the bouadar'les~dre'.altered.~~.~ quch.eveqt,~the off.Ioials 

elected to' these~posit.Io'ns-have no ~further rlght:to contl!‘ue 

.in 'off.ice;or~&~w~ tbe'Ir"rralariea'... ~&vrcancy:.thqe occurpIng 

Ii'.*hi?ti$~ pOS$ti&xii $%ll,:.auth@rlze~ :the.;Codmia~eIonera Cow to 

appoI~~..'any,qtialir9ed:person to fi1.l. auch.vacancy. 

'....~ ,'~ ,i 

:~. -Torn I.