OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY **GENERAL** OF **TEXAE** AU87’INHonorable J. Watt Page, page 2

Article 6l& Revised Civil Statutea of Texaa,~l925, wari originallyparned by the Thirty-fifth Legislatureat its Third Called Seesiou in 1917. Aa oodified said article reads 88 rollowB:

Whenever a stste oi war shsll exlatbetween the United States and anotherfiatlOu there may be 0rgagized au4 nalntalnedwithout expenseto this State,with the ooumnt and under the directlou of the oouuty judge of any oouuty, a Houe Guard oomposed of adult oitizeusof the **United** States ,andof,

such aouatp. Suoh Guaxdshall be organized to oo&onn aa nearly **.as** praotidalili$ to the orgauicatloa of military units, and ohall at all times **be** subjeotto 0101 to duty am3 to ardsrs of the sha2iffof suoh Oouaty. Eaoh Guard &mll.be authorisedto oarrg ;on and about his person pistols end other weapons as may be.neoessary whan called to aotual duty by the shoriffi Couaties,cities and townsmay through their lawful governingbodior appropriate tram thair public treasuriesmoneys to pzoride aran **and** asmunitionfor suoh Guard **under,** ruah~rulea as thsyw presoribe,and those reoeivingarti~fronthe county shall return all 'xuns

and ammunition to the eouuty **Jud6te** rheu not Ma may Aot on autyr~ 8~ah'oroard may engage in drill it Guoh tills plaoe.ar the oontuuuity offloers rpa~

prescribe,stud be uniforrued 80 as not .to oonfllot.rith

Seotlon 125, of Cougress~,

approYed Juno :3,

~916,,"
The Texae D&sues **Guard** kot of &Ls found ~3.n Vernon*sAnnotnted Clvih Statutes as Artiole 589la. It la oiiioially'published as Chapter.9,p.'l7 of the Gsusral and Speoial Laws of the Forty-aeventli Legislature, Regular Sesriou, 104.l. We'wi~ll

not here quote at length' from the aotrlncre that part ahmu l.u your letter 18 deemed sufrioieutto mm~ife#t the purpose and authority of the Texas Def+ie Guard, but will oonteutourselves tith a potion of the emargeaoyolauser

~931s taot that'

the regularly ocmrtitute'd Rational Guard of the Stats of ~Texas la ~uewin aotiye Federal ssrrioe by presldsutlalorder,mud the Sta,$e i(l Mthout adequate orgtxtized troopa that may be uaa@.~fm$hs prevention of oitil distmfbanees, riots, sabetags,aud other forms or dl6turbauoen~ aud.furCherthst;thsNational Defense A6t has been **amended** by Gongread.authoriziug the creationof Defe e Guards Seoretaryo*.WarT in the various States,and the : B isaulug neoeimary,regulati~spertaining their&o;and the furthar faot that nit$out this Ast th4 State of Texaa la .mable to aeaura emus, eqUipant,, aad other itam or gorernmqt property for Defsnaa Guard without the passagd of~this ambling legislation,qrsata an amer~aaoy~~w etc.Honorable J. Watt Page, page 2

It Is a gsseral rule of statutoryosnstruotion that a general repealing slausb suoh as is ooltainsd in Ssotiou 14 0r the Texas rmrt3n80 Guard Aot or 194l will not opsrats to afreot a prior-

statute unless there axe pro~ialons that are inoousiatent

with, or rqmgnent to, the tams of the later statuts. See 39 Tex. Jam. 131, 800. 681 Oaddes Y. Terrell, 101 Tex. 574, 110 S.W. 429; JohnsonY. Fer&umn, (Tsx.Gi~. App., writ dississsd)55 S.W. (2dw) 153.
The Home Guard, authorissdby Art1 is a oounty unit, subfeot to the orders of thT c 6l44, aupra, 'iishssitt

of thr ootlnty

. It is striotlya losal organiestion, dependent upon sounties,oitiss ssd towus tm sustenanoeand support.

The Texas Defense Guard is essentially a State orgaulration; subject to the oomand of the Gooeruru:~ot he State, and ssrves in lisuof the Texas National Guar&rhile that orgauisation Is in Federal servioe.

We respeotiullysuswsr your.questiouis the negative.

Yours very truly

. ATTORNBY GENERAL OF TEXAS

BY (SignMa)B~J~s~~~
@PROVED JASL t5,19&2 (Sigmd)~GROVE.??

SELLERS
FIRSTASSISTANTATTORREYGERblUL

BWrGO APPROVED OPIRIOR coMmTTx By B.W.B. Chaimnas