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~Loeionfrom ox%mlalm, effectJIve but inete& attwked 0 0Ptlbsnoeana tam ga8 utility statutesby an appeal to the Dietrlct CouPt in wh8PtoIl county,where the OPLWNUWJ was 8upePsd3d aad litigot%On initiated.
*ThcJ orainanaoand the statutesWBPe finallyhol(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. 

### . 520Uonor3bloken A. Sxzith

tionorablo

Jerry Stiler - pa@ 2

*Tuo questions3re lmsect ~fiicb 8ffeot the juriedictist

of the Comrzl.ssion

- *First: iias

th3 Cowpmy lost its fight or 3IIpaal

to the R3ilro3dcomzission38 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;GvernmctLas crdepsdaaj etxietifii

r3te roiluced,

the gas utilityPfieoted 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 jmtitionand bond to revielp

the doaision,regulation,orbin3nc0, or ord0r of the city, ttxm or nuaioipality
. Upou suoh appealbeing taken tbo C&es&on shall set a holu'i?&$ and ~oay

m&e su&i OPde or dooiulon iri regard to the BiatteriwoltBd therein ES St way deem Just axxl raasonoble. The Cocgdeeionshallhear such appealde nwo. Yheueverany 3.0~31 distributingcom;$mny or oonawn, obese ratbe hova beon fixedby any mnielpal gwornmcnt, des.Iroe a cI13k~e

of any of its rates, pentale or chcrFes,it shell lilalie its applicationto the mmxcip31 government wbme I such utility is locat& an4 such municipal~ gwomummt shalldc&3rndnc said agpliootion sir,M.~. sixty &aye aftor gr3eentrrtion unleee th3 determinationthereofmay be longerdeferred by 3@%ment. If the mu&ci~l gwerument shouZd reject such ap@.,llcation r Pail or refuse to act on it rvith5.n s3iil sixtydays. 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 appealpsitb ss.ldComndesion 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 changedby the CQnurdsi~on.*It will be sem the statute preeoribea no time **WithiR** Which tit0AiFp0Ckl i;aY b0 ta22n to the Comdesion. Ordinarily,this tl.rz.Q 913mmt is ~mW.cloc~ in cOnnectiOn with the authorityFpqr 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.tngmoating th%Ly r"umlar2ont.31

requirementof the Ccnstitution. Th0 cxp3ss :yantitrg CP tlit3

ri&t to appeal, howover, cOncludvcly ovidcnooothe lagislativeintent 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 litigationis, of course, to put an mrl to contmversy. Ln turn, it is the plrposo of every appeal (wharoon9 fe r;omittfkl) a.m.l eepeeiallyof the titw ototmttwith respect to the exemiskingof sue appeal, LB to lout

au en& to tho litigofion. That aoaounte for t&e al&mot universalrule 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

utilitywithout 'any limit wbateower ne to th3 tim wit&-din

whiti the right met bo exeroieti,or it neeessarilvi~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 whatsoeveras to tho t f% within which such appeal shoulr2 bs taken. This idoe is inconsistent with the conooytion QTPmped.itianof the cdl tc thy controversy,‘and, momover, would result in a chaotic unocrttintgnever contcsglated by the Lo&:ielatura.

zt'c nre of tho opinion there shouldbe road into th3 stotUt3~5 a 2IwmBiWy iEIpliCatiG2? thS PeqUiPelrrent that an app3al fro& the ordinattoe of tha city to the Corn-- rission shouldbe 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 respecthonorableLou A. Smith

honorableJerry Sa%ler - paw4

to appeals,but 0x1 the oontrary,the spsaial statute will aontrol. See 4 C. J. Sec. p. 889, ~431,rhere the questionis disouoae%. At all eventswe are of the opixioxthatxhere the longest time providedby the general law for appeal8 in ordinary suits has elapsed,it will tmrk the expirationof the rsasonable t&e which the special statutehas, 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 existenceof sp00ial p~~isiOns mpldng the time for actiondependentup0n any of the s&tore roferre% to, if no appeal or pr043ae%ing for review is taken until aftor tho expirationaf the longest periodallowable, whether the nature Of the aotion or prooettding

or of the di8positionna%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 %eoisionas to suah specialmatter8.s

So that, if the s&ter of reasonabletime be tentttd

by aualogJ to the longest period for which any statuteexpresslygiven time to appeal, the nutfor has been forecrlose%, for the dslay shown fn thla
casa exoee%sany tine known to the law for an appeal, or even a writ of error treating that proaee%ingitself
as an appeal.

WQ thereforeanswer your first question in the affiraattve.

8ime the ordinau00rats was not affeated by the abortiveeffort ts enjoin its enforComsnt, an% einoe there has been no other step **taken,** whlah **could result**  in vacatiue; or suspemlingIt, it fol-

### 524 :

Eenorable Len A. Bndth, Eonerable Jerry Sadler - page 8

lows that your second questionshould likewisebe answered 3.nthe aff5rniative.

Our conclusions

have supportin the court detiisioxi~

of this Stateuponanalogous situationsuonstruing appealsfrm boards of aohool trustees,and the State **Superintendent of**  **Public** Instructions

*But, while the Aot doea not expressly fix axq time withinwhioh the appeal shall be prosecute&,the publicinterestdeumnda that it shallbe talten withoutuxmeeus~ delay, and fe are satisfied from the very nature of the 0-e that euah wau the intenf of the Le

$1slatwe.* - htIvulese ve. JhltohQF eon (Tex. 38 8. w* 1120.

*A reasonabletims withoutunueoeseary delay, te the rule in such oaa66.* -- Watkins **VS. mff,**  **63 8.**  W. **922,** writ of error dlsmbm3d uritten oplnlon64 8. 1. 882.

*In the abrrenoeof any suoh rule (premlgateiiby the **Otate** Superlntetienf) the sole Inquiry then 1st What la a ressonable time under al1ooncUtlons surrounding the ins&ant oaee?* - Trusteesof 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** preventinnocentpartiesfrom 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%#.



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### S25 i.

B-lebonA.Sudtb Bowrable Jerry failer - page 6

We trust thic will be a msffioienf aaffer
to your inquirsea.