OFFICE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Hoftorrble Andrew 

~ountg Auditor 

V&C toria County 

Victoria, Tccxaa 

J. Blckey 

opinion Ho. O-26,81 

Ret Com5titutloliallty et s%xma Bill Ro. 

721, 45th Legiilrture of Taxa8 - 

A.nnounoe~nt of 1940 census. 

I 

your mqtmrt for oph.lo;i~&a been recei+ and carefully coneidered by this d&ar/tars,pt>,~We quote from four requeot M fOllW82 ~’ ‘_ 

%der e SpadkIA~~e&ing Victoria 

County only, b,_~mfeti&@ iozthe last cmx8u8, 

the salary of,- z h> ~.SupePi&$en&pt of Public In8tlWotiO2l oPthis Nunty ki@? bwm raised by VIPtue thereof. .,".'... ,..,\ 

nYi$l &ch a &2qmiU lav‘~oontinue to be 

l ffective“~+ftsp the tiqw &#mmxs for 1940 have been 

cen8u8 of this oounty 

sat out In the 

,_ Boure Bfll 721 Of the kfjth bJgilrl~tlW22 of Texaa, 18 

undo&ted~.the4qxxlal law referred to in your letter. Said 

bill rob48 as~follov8r 

"E.B. No. 721 Chapter 135. 

"AnActprovidlngforthe amountthatmsybe 

allwed by County Board8 of Trustwe to the County 
HO2l -- :orabls Andrev J. Rlckey, Peg6 2 

Superlntsndmta of Publlo In8truetlon for oxpandlturtw for office and travollng sxpen808 in aorteln counties accordbag to the lort precad~ 

Federal Cen8u8j repealing all law8 end pert8 of 

lmr8, Qene~l or Speolel, in oonfllct therevith, 

and deolariag an eerargency. 

"EE ITENACTEDEYTHB LBQIUATUiW OFTHS8TATE 

OF TEXAS2 

"Section 1. In oountiea having a population 

of not lets8 than twenty-sevem thowmnd, four bundred ax& forty-one (27,441) and not more tha)a 

twenty-seven thousand, four hundred and fif& 

(27,450), and in countlea having a population of 

not 1688 than twenty thowand and forty-eight 

(2O,C48) and not more than twenty thousand and 

fifty-five (20,055), and in aountles having a 

population of not less th8n twenty-five thouacrnd, 

thres hundred and ninety-four (25,394) and not 

mOP9 thkin tWMty-fiVe thOUMIld, four hundred 

(25,4OO),~and in aountim having a population of 

not 1988 than ten thowand,'nlne hundred 8Wenty-five 

(10,975) and not more than ten thowmnd, Fth:undred ad eighty-five (10,985jr aooordi 

la8t preaeding Federal Cenrw, and the 79 ounty 'Board8 

of Trustee8 pvsy lake such prOVi8iO~I8 a8 they deem 

neae88ary for office and traveling expenses of the 

County Supex4ntondent of Public Imbtruutlon~ provldlng tht the anbount of ruoh 8XpWid~turO8 for Office 

and tNVeliI@ O-a,8 8b11 IICt exceed the SulD Of 

Six Hundred 0011~8 ($600) per 8nnm. The PIloUnt 

alloved rhall ba paid in the 82snMr and in aoaordance with nw existing IAV~ governing the printonanoe of the offlae of the County SupexQ!&tendent. 

"Sec. 2. Jill laws Uld p4Wt8 Of 3AV8, c)bMP81 

and Speolal, in conflict vlth tM8 Aat are hereby 

repealed. 

"sec. 3. The great diversity of condition8 9x%&- 

ing in cot&i08 vlth a population of not 1~8 than 

tvdnt -seven thourand four hundred and forty-one 

(27&L and not more'than tventy-seven thourand, 
~0norable Andrev J. Hiob8~, Pago 3 

SOW hundred and fifty (27,&O), and in oountler 

vlth a popation of not 1088 than tvmty thou8arxl and fortyeIght (20,048) and not mom than 

twnty thawand and fifty-five (20,055), and In 

OOuIltl.e8 having a population of not leas than 

twnty-five tho;rwsd, three hundred ml ninety-four 

(25,394) and not more than tventy-five thou8and, 

four hundred (25,400), aooordlng to the la8t pmoedingFederalC~~~,andtbmlo~ amount of 

traveling and the expmms of 8uCh to the couaty 

&lp@Pint~ndeIlt in SpORdiq PU)8t Of hi8 th8 lr~ 

8Up~~l~~0~ Or 8Ohooti In 8UOh OOUtItl@8, nvn~ of 

vhlch are a 

E 

wt di8tUW• fz'cm the offlos of the 

OOuBty 8Up.r tWd.nt, ud the p949 added dUtIe8 

omatsng extra expenua 0r thm offioe, and due 

to the flmtnalal oondLtlon8 oi the dlffepent oounty 

Qoneral Fundrs, aountIe8 have not been able to purchue 8uppller Sor the offlee, and the further faat 

that the 8WI Of %'hPOe Hundred D011WS (4300)w 

year, nw allowed by General L&w to Suprrlntendontr 

Of 8wh OOullti08, 18 VhOllJ lasdequat. to Imat t,hr 

expenre of the County Superlntendont inoldent to 

the vork and traveling required, and thereby oaualng a peat flnazmIa1 burden to be rustalned by 

uld OOUnty 8U~PitddWit8, a@ in Psnp iMtW2UO8 

psterlally reduoiq the efflolenoy of the offloe, 

aonrtltute an emrgenoy and m lmporatlvo public 

UOCO88lty, and l UthOPiM th. 8WSpWl81Oll Of the Con8titUtiOILal Rule, ~%q~lHng bill8 to be read on 

three several day8 ln uoh Rowe, and Mid Rule 18 

hereby 8~8pended, and thI8 Aat 8hall Mke effeat uxl 

be in force from and after its pasug8, and it 1s 80 

enacted* 

"Approved April 9, 1937. 

9frectiv0 April 9, 1937." 

The populatlon of bUltt CoUnty,~ Ten8, according to 

the 1930 Bksderal Oemm8, vaa 27,441 inhbltante bnd v8a the only 

county ln Texaa, aaaordl.ng to the 1930 Federul Cenau8, oomlng 

vtthin the po lation braakstr of not 1088 than 27,441 and not 

mom than 27, r 50 J.nbabltants set out in the blll. 

The poptiation of VlotoPla Oounts. Tex@8, l oaordln& 
The papulation OS wuhlngton county, Texas accordlngto the lgJO~nlO~w,vu 25,394 lIlhlwM~*,~ 

VM the onl.yoounty ln2sru,afmmungt0ths1930- 

canaus, ac2nIng Ylthln the UbtiOtl bFMbt8 Of Xl& le.0 thul 

2!jr3gb aad IWt l0OPO t.hU2 2 00 inhb%t.&tlt8 8.t Out %ll t&J 

bill. 

The population of JuOc8on County, 10x88, 823oorUng 

to the 1930 Falaml Cen8ur, ~88 10,980 inbbitmt~, ad vu 

th@ anlycccnmtyinTO~,1100~t0~1930 %dom10enl wn oaadngtitunth8populBtlonbuok.to orIlotluathul 

10,975 udl not l8OW thM 10,905 bhbZtPnt8 8@t Out %ll th0 

bSl1. 

Thu dapartant'~ta8 held ranJ aata l USA? to flour. 

Bill 721, 8l@FI, t0 k UW~titUt.iOf& @Id Votd, WQ OWb8. 

horoulth a copy of Oplnlon No. O-1004 OS t&lo brputmmt vh&oh 

hold8 How. Bill 474 of the 46th tngl8lature, to be unoaoutltUt$.USlBl urd Void W 0 1Loool Of 8mi81 bV #t?iWl#~ tQ POgulate the affUr8 of oountlw. 

Under the authorities oited In our Oplaloa Ro. O-100$, 

we hold &WV Bill 721 of tha 45th fagirlatw of %x86, to be 

algoal or rpedal lm~atteniptlngto m 

P 

ta the aihlro OS 

oountlea and aohaol dlntriati in ViOlat tin OS Article 3, Seation 

fjs OS our stats Con8tltution, and t~mf~,~onrtltutiorul. 

Sims 8sid ant cl8 mwn8tltutioJvl‘aad void it never 

l pplbd to Vlotorla County nor to Dewitt, WashSqton, Jaolron 

noPany other aQuntyinth.l8 Mat.. 

Viotorla County, Texas, acoordhg to the l*O Faderal 

00118~8, aa shown by a publlrhed report of u?iw In the ILIll.aa 

x-8 dated Au 

Y 

t 11, 190, u ~lwed by J&n L. Lwla, U.S. 

Ce~u8 8uperv 80~. tns a population of 23,642 intubb~tant8. 

me population of Watt County* Taxa aoowd&ng to 

the 1940 Fe&tm;L Oeaaw, a'efemwd to obwe, 18 24,972 lahabiWt8. 
tantr . 

The population OS lia8hlngton County, Tex88, aooord1~ to the 1940 Federal Oenmus, resewed to rbovo, is 25,373 

mhabitanta. 

The polpulrtionofJealeronCountj,Texu,roco~ing 

to the 1940 Federal Cenaw rerexmb to 8bovb, is 11,710 inhabitants. 

Even if 8. 8. 721, rupra, lfere oonstltutlonal, 

(ohioh it is not) its provisions would not ol~l apply to 

Viotwia, DeUitt, Uu>on nor Jaabson Uountier, TOXU. 

Wo es.mlose herwith a oopy ot Opinion lo. O-2337 of 

thlr dapartarnt vhioh oonW.~ a oomprehennive dlsowsion w 

towhenthe1~0 Bbdenl Cenmw ‘bsoomer aontrollir@under our 

diatuter lllvolving popul8tion.