,... . . . -” *’ “..: 

0; _ : ‘...:,:... 2 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY G 

w 

ERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GROVER SELLERS 

A.TTO”NLI GENERAL 

Eenorable R. A. &rton 

Oounty Attorney 

calhoun County 

tort Lavaca, Texas 

mar Sirr Opinion lo. o-6817 

c\ 

mlnrlon for th 

Ye have r*c 

hemlnabove-captioned 

follou8: 

or our opinion an the 

ltylr property. 

t your Department ha8 

ty Council ha8 roque8ted a ruling 

t before the propored repair8 am 

turr 18 authorized out of the Seahat the qUO8tiOll MY be Sad. clear 

to the the Doparhent, I UI l ncloring a rkotch rhovLug- lmatlon of the proporad repaim. 

%a. tventy year8 ago, the City l xtondrd thm 

north end of the rxi8ting reavall by the ConrtNctim 

of a 14 foot bulkhead out to the mouth of L~zrn’r Bayou-- 

the outer 8urfaar va8 faoed vlth limortona riprap. 

Behind thi8 fourtoon foot vrll, the city, vith the 
gonorablo R. A. Barton, pago 2 

aid of Podoral Fuado, dndgod out a rtom harbor a8 a 

tozmlnuo of tho Intorcoaotal Canal. Tbo harbor lo 

ovnbd l tlnlr br the Cltr. 

%urlng the rocont storm, tho ratrr naohod a 

hoaht of over 15) foot, parring completely ovor the 

14 foot l oavall and into tho basin. The action of 

tho vator, aad 8tom too8rd ships and vrooolu@, l r o do d 

partly l orooo tho l oavall and undomlnod the rotalnlag 

vall or bulkhead on tho baok old*. 

"Uhllo tho rotalnlng vail lr oa tho inoido of 

tho Hualaipal Xarbor, our City l nglaoor otatoo that 

it 18 noco8oar~ to replace , Fall., ad rtroagthon~tho 

in8ido bulkhead8 in ardor to support tho outrids ooaWll. 

"Under this fact rltuatbon, vi11 it bo legal 

for the City to ~80 Soavall hIBd8 derived fraa a 

tax romlo8loa for tho purpo80 of ropalrlng, ra18ingi 

and rtrongthoning tho imldo rootlon of tho l oavall, 

ovoa though tho 8&o al80 con8tltutoo the l~oldo bulkhoad of the Jtunlclpal Harbor?” 

Sootlon 7, Artiolo 11, of tho ?oxrr CoB8t1tutioB Had8 

88 fOllOV8: 

'All counXloo ,and oltlor bordering OB thr 

cob8t of thr Gulf of Ilrrico are horebr l uthorlrod 

upon a vote of tvo third8 of the taxpayoro thornin 

(to bo l 8cortaiBod as may bo provided by lav) to 

1s~~ and aolloot ouch ta% for oonotruotlon of 8oa 

vallo, bmkvatoro, or ranitary purporvo a8 may bo 

authorlrod br lav, md may oroato a debt for ouoh 

vorkr and l8ouo bonds la l vldenco thoroof. But no 

dobt for l w purporo rh~ll l vor be incurrod in any 

mannor by anr olty or oouat~ \mlo~rr provltim lo 

mad@ at tbo tlmo of croatlng~tho~ruo, for lovylng 

and collOoting a 8UffiObllt tu to J=r tho intOrO8t 

thoroon and provldo at loaot too per oont as a olnklng fund; and tha oondouutlen of th right of var 

for tho rnctlon of ruoh vorko rhall k hrlly provided for,’ 

bootion 8, Artlolo 11, of the Toxao COMtitUtiOB road8 

a8 fOllOV8: 

'Th8 OOuntio8 and OftiOo 011 th0 @Ulf COa8t bfng 

8ubjoot to ala81tOu8 OVorf1oV8, and a vrrr largo 
~~onblr 11. A. lhton, pass 3 

p~OpOrtlm of the graoral rovoauo blng dorlvod from 

these Othwvl80 preoperouo lOOallti88~ Tbo kglolatwo lo l opeolall~ l uth~rlrod to aid b7 Aozwtlen l f 

ouch portlen of the public domain as mar k dorod 

propora, nd in l uo h mo de a s ma y k p nvldo d br la v, 

the oon8tlvotion l f 8ea vallo, or bnakvatoro, ouch 

aid to bo prepertloned to the l xtont u&A value of 

thr vork8 

locallt~.o 

arootruotod, or to bo oonotruotod, la any 

Hours Bill 10. 7, Chapter 485, page 780, Acts of the ?ortp 

@#v#nt~ kglolaturo, Regular aeoolon, 1941, roads as fOllOV8¶ 

‘aoetion 1. It i8 found and doolarod that the 

Cltr of tort Lavaoa lo a oltr situated oa the Qulf 

Coast of the 8ktO Of ToxbO and $0 8Ubjoet to Oslmitooo ovorflovo and that a vary large proportion of 

thr Amoral ~vonuoo of the btato IO Aorlvrd fro8 thlr 

othorrloo prooporeuo locality. 

%0t1oB 2. lor l parled of tvontt (LO) pars, 

comonoing on Soptodw 1, 1941, follovlng tba paorags of this Aot, thrro lo honby doaatod and granted 

bl the Stats of Toxao to the Cltq of tort Lavaoa, Calhoun County, Texas, all of the not ramant of all 8tato 

ad valbrom tax.8 1rvloA aaA oollrotod far atats general 

purp~ooo, on all proportr, nal and perooaal, IneluAlag tha rolling #took belong 

(vhioh shall ba l oarrWaed an 3 apportioanrd as BOV 

te nilroad eapanIoo 

pnvldrd by lav) In Calhouu Coamty. 8ald 8onot vhon 

reoelvod br the Cit.7 of tort Lavaoa elm11 be used by 

ouah C1t.r as m apaoy l f the atate of texao, la tho 

manner prrvlded 0 this Act, for the oonotruotIon, xwpair, anA lmprovmunt of am vallo, bnahratoro, and 

harbor8 . 

‘boctloa 3. At the l Bd of oaoh month, the Aol oooor and Collootor of Taxes of Calhoun County oh11 

make aa ital8.A report ador oath to the Comptroller 

Of Pub110 AOOOUntO Of th0 8ktO l f tOXa0, 011 fOl'88 to 

be furnlrhod br thr Caeptrollor, 8hOviag tho amount of 

all aA valora ?&x08 oell@at@A by hk for Stats gmoral 

purpoooo upon real aad pwooakal property v1thl.n the 

Countr of Calhoun, inaludIng rollIa~ #took of nIlrOad 

ownpanlor as horolaabovo prOVlAOAJ and ho oball l oaampug the same vlth an itomirod statemoat shoving fill 
iorablo 1. A. Barton, page 4 

dlopo8ltloa of all ruch tuor ooll~~toA. The said Arl oooor a&d CollOOtOr Of ?UO8 8&11 frrvhrd his report 

to the Coaptrollor, and shall make a like report to 

the Cltr tnarurer of th0 City l f tort kvaoa, and ho 

shall pa7 over to tho City Tnaouror l f the City of 

tort Lavau all of the roaoyo oollootod by him from 

btate ad valomm tax08 levied for goaoral purpoooo 

Aurlq said month, looo ruoh uounto as are alloved 

bt la v for l 8oeoolng and colleoting l a 80. On the o o - 

caolon of oaoh l uoh roalttaBoo the Cltf Tnaouror 

rhll l xoouto a roaolpt In dupllobto l hoviBA the 

amount l f roper thus reoolvod, forvarding one OXOoutqd orpy H tho Tu Aoooo8or and Collector of Calhoti:Qouat~ and the other oxooutod cop7 to the Comptroller of Pub110 Aooounto of the Stats of Texar. 

“6iatlw.I 4, The Cltr of Port kvroa, l ctlas by 

md thmugh its govoming bodr to l ocoaplloh ouch 

Stats p~rp0008, oh11 have authorIt and 18 horoby 

l uthorltod to looue lto nogotiablo bonds ooourod by 

a pledge of the tax aono~o damted md granted by the 

Stats of Toxar aBd raid govorni~g bod in it8 dloorotlon may ~@CUN 8uch bonds addltlonal I y by a pledge 

of it8 om tax- povor, and thr procood8 of the ralo 

of 8uoh bond8 may bo urod for the purport of ooaotructing, repairing, and improving au vallr, broakuator8, and 

h+rbOr8 to protoot raid looalit~ 

OVWfiOV8J provided that BO BOV 

provomont rbrll bo made or oontraoted for in the bay 

on the l art olAo of the proront 8#a vail u~1ooo or until all privately ovnod laBdo, 10a808, and l roo8oBt8 

botvoeB rbld prOpO8Od 8tNCtUN aBd the ~rOOOBt 8W 

vall shall have boon ooourod by the Cltr of tort LBvaca br purcba80, gift, coBdomnatloB, or l thorvloe. 

%*a tlo5. n Bond8 lrruod by the Cltr of Port Lavaca under authority of this Act rhall bo govomod by 

the General Lava of the Stats of Toxsr applicable to 

bond8 i8ouod br citior and toVn0, including the provl8lon8 of Tit108 22 md 28 of thr R8v1886 CiVil 8tatut.o 

of 1925 ma AmoaQonto- thoroto, ad If the bonds are to 

be oocurod by a plodgo of the taxing povor of tha Cltr 

of tort Lwaaitho proposition rutoittod ia the l lOCtiOB 

for the l88uanoo of raid bonds 8hall Oontaia a nforoBoo 

to tho faot th a t luoh tax 18 l uthwlrod. The bond8 
Irrombl. R. A. tbrtoa, w&o 5 

$o~uoA by the Cltr for ouah p urpoooo shall not l xoooA 

m Mouat or amounts vhloh oould bo l orv$ooA both as 

to prinalpal urd intoroot vlth ooah donated tueo 

bwd #a thm &tbot l ppr wo d l 080080d value l f propl & f, lnaludiry the V~~UO Of rolling etaok l pportlmod 

to 8uOh COuatJ, in tilhoUn COUtf, at th0 ti8. ruoh 

city prepoooo to loouo said bonds, and krrd on the 

l von&o tax rat0 lovloA br the Stab of Texas for 

00nonl F~BA purp0800 Aurias the ton (10) roan pnaod$ng the rear in vhloh raid bond8 a~ to bo looued. 

After bond8 8ball h8vo boon voted or$g$B~l~~.unArr 

thi8 Aot 8UbOOqWBt 188uo8 M)' k voted as nquirod. 

&ndr of UI iroue may bo Aollvorod bt one tf88 or 

from tin to tl8e as and vhon the l onar lo nredrd for 

8uCh pUl7.808. The money nooivod by the Cltr from 

8uoh donated tauro rhall bo uooA to p&r tho pr$nclpal -6 lntoroot of raid bonds and 8hall net bo dlvortad to &ny othor purpeoo. 

‘Seation 6. To the l xtont that ronor may bo l ooumulrtod in the riBkin& fund fru 8UOh Wats donated 

tuoo in l xco88 of ourront roqulromonto for principal 

uid intoroot uid to provide 8Uah r o 8o r v. l8 UT be 

pro8orlbod in tho ordinsnoo or ordinmoo8 authorizing 

thr l88uanoo of raid bends, it nry bo lBvr8toA in l ooorAe~co vlth the Oononl kv rp llcrblo 

The use uad AlvoroloB of aono~o R 

to oltlo8. 

onin granted for 

an7 purpooo othor than tho papant of intonot anA 

principal 00 the bonds voted honundor or invo8tod 

in booord&~oo vlth l pplioable lava is horob prohibited anA the vlo&tioB of this OOOtiOB 8hr11 oon8titUtO l 8loapplleatlon of 

F 

bllo moner and the peroon 

or porooao so offonding rhal bo pullhod co provldod 

for in Artlolr 86 of the Pon~l Code of tha Iltato of 

Toxar , 

%octlon 7. The fret that this Act lo doolgard 

t0 prOteat a 1Oulit~ rituated @a th0 half cOb8t from 

oah8$tw8 l vorfbVo, aad th0 fact that l voq tiPgO 

proportlen of the gononl rovonue of the Skto lo dorived from ouch &horvloo prorp@rouo loaalltr oreate 

an l morgonoy and $mpontivo pub110 BOoo88it~ that the 

Con8tltutlwl Rule nqulria# bLll8 to bo road in oroh 

~#u## o n th r .8 l .parat# day8 k #U8pOtrbO& Ud 8aid 

Rule $8 horobr l u8pondod, 4nd that thir Aot booera offoctlvo $mmod$atoly fro8 and aftor its paoragr, and it 

18 80 l naotod.’ 

. 
~onblo R. A. Barton, pip 6 

In our oplBloB IO. 

l j follovo 8 

O-4117, rddreoo8A to ro\t, vo hold 

'Wo are, thorofon, of the opiala~ t&t Houoo 

Bill 7, 8Upti, vhbro ln it l uko to remit taboo to eon8truot ooavallo or broakvatoro 18 nO~'vlolrtlvo of the 

Conotltutlon of Foxas, but that it lo uacoaotitutioaal 

inrofar as it l ooko to nmlt tax00 to coaotruot hrkm. 

Ye lurthor hold that tho striking of the .vorA 'harbon 

from the bill door aot lavall&rto the balaaoo thoroof.~ 

fB ocu8plia~oo vlth the 9l’OV101Oli8 Of Heu80 Bill Ho. 

the Clt7 of tort kvbaa 180uad Cit of tort ZAvau 8wvall 8.ad 

7, 

Bpoakvator Bonds in 1941, anA the E 

loving rtatonoat in the l lootlon 

itf cOQi8Oion 8a@ the folorder , BOtiOO of l ~o‘etton, and 

8fldinm08 l uthorl8$Bg the $8oua~oo of buuiot 

‘For tho 9ur9000 of OOBOtN6tiB& repairing, 

md lmprov 

the Oltr of 9 

8tiVall0 aad brOahratOr8 t0 p~#t#Ot 

art kvaca from tho continuing ~BA roocourr$Bg calamlteuo ovorfl8vo, vhioh $mprovoaento 

an, In the l p$nl8B of tho City Cormloolo~~, l 88ontlbl to adequate protootloa of 8816 oity. 

In the oa80 of the Flrrt flatloos &~k of tort Arthur 

v. City of tort Arthur l t al, 35 S. Ye (26) 258, thr Beaumont Court 

of civil A99oalo raid' 

'Cou~ool for 89p011080, in their brlof, 8all our 

attOBtiOB t0 b lImbor Of gOnO= TU100 Of OOB8tNOti~ 

pertaining to conotitutional proVi8iOM. ho of thoro 

~108 lo that roforrod to b our Su romo Court in Valkor 

v. No~oro, 114 fox. 225, 2 66 8. U. 399. Tho gonoral 

rule there referrod to lo %hat oontaqtorano8uo md 

practlaal o8nrtruotlon of oon8tltutioBal provioloBo 

tho Loglolaturo $n the l n8atmont of law8 should have 

by 

groat voight 8nA give rlu to 8 natural pntumptlon 

that tho log$8latlvo conrtruotlolb, rightly $Btorproto 

the moan- of the 9l’OV1810& In OWUlOOtiOB vlth this 

goaonl ~10, oowlrol for l 9polloo $n tholr brlof direct 

our l ttontlon to the 8ovoral l Ot8 at d$fforont times of 

thb Texas k~lolatur8 SMting aid t0 blf CU8t Oiti.8 

under l ootlon 8, art1818 11, of the Conotltutlon. One 

Of th.80 lo th r l Ot grarM.ng aid to tho Oltr Of Oalvooton rhortly after the dO8tNOtiVO gulf hurricane in 1900. 
~orablo 2. A. Barton, page 7 

Another 18 the l ot granting aid to the oltr of Corpus 

Cbl'iOtiJ another $0 tha sot sraat~ aid to the oitr 

of IrroopwtJ mother lo the l o t granting aid to the 

Olty of RookportJ another lo tho act granting aid to 

thb OltJ Of ?Ort tiVa0aJ another 18 tho act grU&ing 

aid to tho oitr of Aranoao ta88. IB this OOIUibOtiOB 

o~uaool.oonto~A, aad uadortako to ruotain thr oontentlOB, that the !d($i#~tul'e ia -oh of the iB8tQC.O 

above 8tatbA garb a broad urd llborrl oonotruotloa to 

88OtlOIi 8 Of art1010 11 Of th0 COB8tltUtlOB md that 

the Loglolaturo in there ln8tanooo did not oonotmo 

that l ootion to limit stat0 aid to @Ulf c ur t oitior 

for the oonotruotlon of 8oa vallo and brOakVator8, 

that 10, to thora hrolaal l tl'UOtUl'O8 thOm8OlVO8, but 

aoartruod l ootion 1s la a broad r)y so as to give aid 

to those @ulf cO4Ot OitiO8 in the OOB8tNOtiOn Of 

vork8 not aotuallJ a part of a 8oa vail or broakvator. 

MO 8h11 BOt Avoll U9Oli this 8~08tiOa Of COuII801, 

though vo l ro $mpro8ood vlth the foroo of this ouggo8- 

tlon aad tha argument in connootlon. Other goaoral 

~leo Of intOrpPOtbtiOB and OOB8tXUOtiOB mar bo raid 

to bo tho follovLagr 

'1. The intontlon of the maker8 of the conrtltutlon vi11 be’arcortalnod, and vhon that intontlon 

I8 80 l ocortalnod, vhathor l xproo8od in pbb laaguago 

or not, l uoh $ntont koono8 as much a part of the lav 

as if It had boon 0~~08006 ln plain and uaoquivoaal 

tomo. This' vao the mrlo l naouaood br our Su 

COUPt in ml18 bUILtJ~V. -pIa COUllt~, 90 # 

roa18 

40 s. Y. 403. 

OX. 606, 

‘2. Loglolatlon, orgaalo or rtatutory, must bo 

roaronably cOB#truOd uid in b aaBnOr not FOP-t t0 

CmOB 8OBOO. This rule lo annouaood $B 8uOOn fn81w 

&II60 Co.. v. State, 86 Tax. 250, 24 8. Y. 397, 22 L.R.A. 

483, and. Q Bt. Lou18 fS. U. Railway Co. of Toxar v. 

ToA, 94 Tax. 632, 64 8. U. 778, 

‘3. A public groat for a pub110 l dvankgo rhould 

be llborall~ oonrtruod in a~ l ndoavor to acoamplloh tho 

purporo.of the (gnd. This rulo vao announced In Aranoao County v. Coleman-9ulton tarturo CO., 108 TOX. 

'216, 191 8. Y. 553. 

'4. In aonotrulng a lav It vi11 bo prooumod that 

tho croatoro of l amo an fulllar vlth the candltlono 

to bo rollevod l galnot and the ooBditlon rf the count7 

to vhloh the l ot lo l pplloablo. Vlnona L St. 9. R. CO. 

V. RUBO~, 113 0.8. 625, 5 a. ct. 606, 28 L. Ed. 1109. 
~onblo E. A. Sarton, page 8 

'5. If pooolble, that oon8truotlon vi11 bo adopted 

vhlah vi11 prroto tho pub110 lntonrto in l uoord vlth 

8ouaA l conala 90110~. Fhlr rule vao nforrod to ln 

atat0 V. r&kO8, 72 TOX, 242, 11 8. we iowe 

‘6. In tho oon8tructlon oon8tructlon of Conotltutlonr, Conotltutlonr, as ~011 

a s l tatutoo,tho tatutoo,tho povoro noooo8ar~ noooorary to tho l xxoraloo o r a loo of 

povor oloarly oloarly grmtodanted vi11 bo lmpllod. lmpllod. This rmlo vao 

roforrod roforrod to in Texas cent. 8. Co. vr Bovnun, Bovnun, 97 Tax. Tax. 

417, 79 s. u, 295. 

'7. When a gmoral povor lo oonfornd, l vorf 

WA+tiOUhLr POVOP BOOO88bry iOr the l XOl'~iOO Of 8-0 18 

8180 conferrod, vhothrr l xpro88l~ ranted or not. Thl8 

lo tho rule laid dovn in Cooloyt8 8 onotltutlonal Llmltatlonr (8th EA.) vol. 1, page 138, 

"In addition to the l b o vo goneral ruler of lntorprotatlon, vo think that tho rule announced by our Supromo court, through Chief Jurtico Phi1lip8, in baa888 

County l t al. v. Coleman-Fulton Pa8tw COu~panf, 108 

fox. 216, 191 S. Y. 553, 554, whore roctlon 52 of artic10 3 Of Our COIi8titUtiOn Yb8 under COB8tNCtiOn, 18 

the ~1s .of groatort application to tho fact8 in this 

ca.Io. It 18 48 fOllOV8l 

“The l plrlt, purpose and 8oopo of the particular 

provlrlon an all tQ bo oonoultod in tho offort to dotorrpino vlth OortairrtJ tho moaning of it8 torm8.t 

'Applying that ~10 Fn thlr caoo, VI have a0 he8- 

ltanc~ ln aonoludlq that tho l rpoBdlturo b7 tho olty 

of Port Arthur of it8 bond aonoy abovr m@ntlOBod for 

tho vork dOno by tho Contnl Conotruotlon Coapanr in 

COn8tNoting the Stllvoll storm Drain va8 not prohibited and vould not bo in vlolatlen of ooction 8, 

artlclo 11, of the cOB8titUtiOB. The l plrlt aBd the 

purporo that l ctUato6 tho frw8oro of that artlalo van 

mainly tho pretootlon of tho llvoo and proportJ oi 

poop10 ln OitiO8 l ltUato6 OB th8 Gulf ba#t snd alva p l xpo886 to danger and hasardr of tho 8oar trotootlon to thooo pooplo and tholr property, VI 8a), 

vao the ma5.n and oontrolllng thought, and la addltlon 

to that, and as incldontal to that, va8 .tho bonoflt 

that vould redound and aooruo to the pop10 of th0 

vholo rtato of Toxar br protooting l uoh of it8 citicon8 
~&able It. Ar Ilrrton, paso 9 

as lfvr la the l x pooooltloo. d It vao knova that Mary 

Tra;ao oountloo and altloo VOW so oltuatod upon tho 

Oolf hart as to b0 aonrkrtl7 exposed to tho ravagoo 

amI dootNotioa of gulf hurrlaanoo, arig tho purporo 

.of th4 framoro of tha art1010 vao to iv0 protoctlon, 

is far as po8oiblo through huun ok;1 f anA agonor, 

to the llvor and property of our altiroBo rxpoo(d to 

8uGh htardo . 

%a think that the trial oourt, uudor tho WIdonoo la this oboe, vbo oorreot la finding and oar&- 

oludlng that the Oa8tFUOtiOB of the 8tllvoll Stem 

Dr&in, as OO?itOmplrtOA,Va8 an 8888ntlAl end ~00088r27 

mb oomponoat part of tho ooa vall pro cot at Port Arthur, UIA tht thoroforo tho btllvoll i tom Drain vhon 

aomplotod vi11 be a part of the sea vall in the 801100 

in vhloh that tom 18 used ln ooctlon 8, artlolo 11, 

of the Con~tltutlallr* 

IB vlov of tho holding la the above-oltod oboe, It lo apwnnt that tho an8vor to the quo8tlon rubmittod by you 18 dopendant 

upon tho dotomlnatlon a8 to vhothor tho aontomplatod oonotructloa 

lox 

l 88Olltir1, BOCO888~, and OOlUp8lIOnt pUt Of tho 8UVbll PPOjOCt. 

48 bB l ~inOor~ fact. it 10 BOCO88bl'Y t0 I’OPlbOO. rbi80, bnd 

~tr&thoB the-l~8lAo 6A.khoidr of tho rotaihg vail in-ardor to 

rupport tho out8ldo 88bYbl1, it lo our opinion, bared OB tho foronolna l uthorltloo. that ruoh OonotNOtiOn VOUld OOB8titUto "Ui Oo- 

&iTal and noaoriar). md oomponmt part of tho roavall project” 

at Port Lavaca, hxa8, and tbat your quootion rhould bo aB8vorod 

la the l fflma tlvo . 

VOrr tNlr TOUl'O 

.tZphD&E 

ATTCRSEY GENERAL OF TFXAS 

ATTQRRRX OHRRRAL OF -S 

~88iitbBt 

JCD/JCt