OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

QDULDCN&Ml 

-- 

-h 

duetit, Texss 

ctolltlcJs3ll$ 

Of yow 1efter 

nt, rpliah letof JtaPisc?iotion aPisos 

the cowlpany did not 

to the Gam~Loeion from 

ox%mlalm, effectJIve 

but inete& attwked 

0 0Ptlbsnoe ana tam ga8 

utility statutes by an appeal to the Dietrlct CouPt in wh8PtoIl county, where the 

OPLWNUWJ was 8upePsd3d aad litigot%On 

initiated. 

*ThcJ orainanao and the statutes WBPe 

finally hol(l to be vSr3.d and the CWPBW 

filed its appeal to the Oommbdon on @@et 

s, iff40, after ntmrlg a yew had elapsed 

fP0~ the opP‘3ctiro data of! the tx-clime. 

. 

520 
Uonor3blo ken A. Sxzith 

tionorablo Jerry Stiler - pa@ 2 

*Tuo questions 3re lmsect ~fiicb 8ffeot 

the juriedictist of the Comrzl.ssion - 

*First: iias th3 Cowpmy lost its fight 

or 3IIpaal to the R3ilro3d comzission 38 I"ovid& by Artlcl,o @OOS, R. 6., 1926, 3s wnded? 

"&uiwGrs tZi tLk3s+ two qu"ations will be 

appax%3fezl." 

drtiole 6o68 of .&he &W&Sod ciV% %afU?ie6 &S 08 

followst 

*Whm 3 aity F;Gvernmct Las crdepsd aaj 

etxietifii r3te roiluced, the gas utility Pfieoted by such order my 3pw31 tc the Co~&~sj.ou 

by filing aitb it (iu such torr~ snd connitifms 

a0 th0 Coam;tssion ray direct, a jmtition and 

bond to revielp the doaision, regulation, orbin3nc0, or ord0r of the city, ttxm or nuaioipality . Upou suoh appeal being taken tbo C&es&on shall set a holu'i?&$ and ~oay m&e su&i OPde or dooiulon iri regard to the Biatter iwoltBd therein ES St way deem Just axxl raasonoble. 

The Cocgdeeion shall hear such appeal de nwo. 

Yheuever any 3.0~31 distributing com;$mny or oonawn, obese ratbe hova beon fixed by any mnielpal gwornmcnt, des.Iroe a cI13k~e of any of its 

rates, pentale or chcrFes, it shell lilalie its 

application to the mmxcip31 government wbme I 

such utility is locat& an4 such municipal~ 

gwomummt shall dc&3rndnc said agpliootion 

sir,M.~. sixty &aye aftor gr3eentrrtion unleee 

th3 determination thereof may be longer deferred by 3@%ment. If the mu&ci~l gwerument 

shouZd reject such ap@.,llcationr Pail or refuse to act on it rvith5.n s3iil sixty days. then 

+&ha utility gay npwal tx the Com~&~ion as 

hersfn providti - Uui sa.td Comiesion +&all 

dotwdne the utters involved in any such 

appeal rtithin sixty Lays aftar tiw3 filing: by 

such utility of such appeal psitb ss.ld Comndesion cm such furtkior tim? as such utility shall 

in vrifine, 3gmo to, but the rates fixed by 

such Epmlci~l gwernnont shall r9ma5.n in full 

form and of'feat until ordered changed by the 

CQnurdsi~on.* 
It will be sem the statute preeoribea no time 

WithiR Which tit0 AiFp0Ckl i;aY b0 ta22n to the Comdesion. 

Ordinarily, this tl.rz.Q 913mmt is ~mW.cloc~ in cOnnectiOn 

with the authority Fpqr Lhz a>pcill. 

hn appeal 08 su& is not ossmtial to duo ~~OQQBQ, 

if the or&w or decision itself has beon mclc or rendorti 

in a yrweml.tng moating th%Ly r"umlar2ont.31 requirement of the 

Ccnstitution. Th0 cxp3ss :yantitrg CP tlit3 ri&t to appeal, 

howover, cOncludvcly ovidcnooo the lagislative intent that 

5uol: right 5hould *S&SC, so that oc rust construe the statute with rofp3ct to th2 t&w within tvhtch the right to app6al mitt be exorcised. 

Tim purpose 0P all litigation is, of course, to 

put an mrl to contmversy. Ln turn, it is the plrposo of 

every appeal (wharo on9 fe r;omittfkl) a.m.l eepeeially of 

the titw ototmtt with respect to the exemisking of sue 

appeal, LB to lout au en& to tho litigofion. That aoaounte 

for t&e al&mot universal rule that a tins within which the 

appeal is to be talcon or pert'eutcd is atat3d in the statute 

@ruthorlzing tho appeal. 

%hLs statute tither raves the right of appeal to 

ths tliseotisfied utility without 'any limit wbateower ne to 

th3 tim wit&-din whiti the right met bo exeroieti, or it 

neeessarilv i~pl~os s litit as to suloh tim* It is Lnconcaivable &at the EOg-&latUX% riaant to Ctpnf'er thQ ri t of 

;rgpol dthout w lititation whatsoever as to tho t f% 

within which such appeal shoulr2 bs taken. This idoe is 

inconsistent with the conooytion QTP mped.itian of the cdl 

tc thy controversy, ‘and, momover, would result in a chaotic 

unocrttintg never contcsglated by the Lo&:ielatura. 

zt'c nre of tho opinion there should be road into 

th3 stotUt3 ~5 a 2IwmBiWy iEIpliCatiG2? thS PeqUiPelrrent 

that an app3al fro& the ordinattoe of tha city to the Corn-- 

rission should be talan within a masonable time after the 

rigbt of appal lie& aocrut3ti~ 

k"uat is t&at ~rwaonable tits+ -- whether the 

qua&ion be ona of fnct or of law -- moasearily Begmls 

upm tIx circumstances OL 0 tlm pmticular f%mt situst5.on. 

Xn 5pooial procoedi.a~;s, like the faeeont* where 

&It WiQ33ill i6 RUthOZd.Z0i!* the rattar of tine is not necesswLfy Set,or&ne& by the gaumd ru%e of time with respect 
honorable Lou A. Smith 

honorable Jerry Sa%ler - paw4 

to appeals, but 0x1 the oontrary, the spsaial statute 

will aontrol. See 4 C. J. Sec. p. 889, ~431,rhere 

the question is disouoae%. At all events we are of 

the opixioxthatxhere the longest time providedby 

the general law for appeal8 in ordinary suits has 

elapsed, it will tmrk the expiration of the rsasonable t&e which the special statute has, aacordiag 

to our conetruotion, pwvl%o% in the lxresent ease. 

In 4 C. J. Sea. p. 893 it is sai%k 

"of courtto, despite the existence of 

sp00ial p~~isiOns mpldng the time for 

action dependent up0n any of the s&tore 

roferre% to, if no appeal or pr043ae%ing 

for review is taken until aftor tho expiration af the longest period allowable, 

whether the nature Of the aotion or prooettding or of the di8position na%e by the 

acntrt below, la any aape& in which it 

xd.ght be vlexe%, suGh action is thereatter barred rithout any need for inquiry 

or %eoision as to suah special matter8.s 

So that, if the s&ter of reasonable time 

be tentttd by aualogJ to the longest period for which 

any statute expressly given time to appeal, the nutfor has been forecrlose%, for the dslay shown fn thla 

casa exoee%s any tine known to the law for an appeal, 

or even a writ of error treating that proaee%ing itself 

as an appeal. 

WQ therefore answer your first question in 

the affiraattve. 

8ime the ordinau00 rats was not affeated 

by the abortive effort ts enjoin its enforComsnt, 

an% einoe there has been no other step taken, whlah 

could result in vacatiue; or suspemling It, it fol- 
524 : 

Eenorable Len A. Bndth, 

Eonerable Jerry Sadler - page 8 

lows that your second question should likewise be answered 3.n the aff5rniative. 

Our conclusions have support in the court detiisioxi~ of this Stateuponanalogous situations uonstruing appeals frm boards of aohool trustees, and the State 

Superintendent of Public Instructions 

*But, while the Aot doea not expressly 

fix axq time within whioh the appeal shall 

be prosecute&, the public interest deumnda 

that it shall be talten without uxmeeus~ 

delay, and fe are satisfied from the very 

nature of the 0-e that euah wau the intenf 

of the Le 

$1 

slatwe.* - htIvulese ve. JhltohQF 

eon (Tex. 38 8. w* 1120. 

*A reasonable tims without unueoeseary 

delay, te the rule in such oaa66.* -- Watkins 

VS. mff, 63 8. W. 922, writ of error dlsmbm3d uritten oplnlon 64 8. 1. 882. 

*In the abrrenoe of any suoh rule (premlgateiiby the Otate Superlntetienf) the 

sole Inquiry then 1st What la a ressonable 

time under al1ooncUtlons surrounding the 

ins&ant oaee?* - Trustees of Chilioothe 

Ind. S&o01 Diet. vu. DwXney, US 8+ Wr 

1007. !Shirty days was held to be a reaaonable time in that oabe. 

*It is true the law does not presotibe 

+,hc lmgth of time in which an appeal from 

the action of a Board of l'rueteoe Can be 

taken, but the rule6 of equity d0 doe?and 

that such dW.gonoe must b0 ueod as will 

prevent innocent parties from bein(r, injured.a 

-- Los Aqeles iloight.8 IIIL¶. School Met. TIJ* 

Chestnut, 287 B. W. S92. Zn that Qase tW0 

weeke was held to ham been 0 roaeonsble 

ti%#. 

b 
S25 i. 

B-lebonA.Sudtb 

Bowrable Jerry failer - page 6 

We trust thic will be a msffioienf aaffer 

to your inquirsea.