OFFICE 

### OFTHEAT?'ORNEY~GENERALOFTEXA$~

. '.

. _'.AUSTIN ,: . . 4-o.MUWN ~noauT-

. ..Ronoreble

Will IA~~JRIchardson Asslstont Seoretarp:or state Austin, Texan.

.

of the Rev se lcakeavailer ArElO1.e5949 ended dealing
ntin,gnotaries 'atthis . ersona .towrlta tom ntnent.c.Xs then notinot feal that It would be togthe best interest of the public lf we did.give out eueh ti list ~8 It wuld be aontuainp;to s great many pop-. sons whowould amme that any person so named was already eaotary public. I’ :7

### gonorable Vi’ill l%nn Riohardaon, Page 2

The eOrpOratlOn steten speoifiicallythat the only reason they wish this informtim 10 in order that it rap write to those pereons.slidtry to obteln the business of furnishing 6notary bond. VCe60 not feel that that I.8sufticlefitreason for giving out thlo lnfomatlon or allowlnt:the aurporetion aaeess to our reaorda to compile such e

. llat.
'. @Wewould sppreolate an opinion from your Copartnent as to ðer our reeords should be open to the bonding eoslgmiy

### before ths notary quelffioation has been kompleted.w .

reads: Article 5949, 

### Vernonva Annotated Civil Stetutes,

"The Foaretary ot State of the Etete of Texes shell appoint a ooryenient number of notarios publie for egoh cour.ty. Uotaries publlo zey be eppointed at any ~tlm, but the terns of .ellnotaries pub110 shall end on June 1st of eaoh odd numbered

To be elle;ible.

for appolntroenta8 notary g%o 6 pereon.shell be at least t\;-enty-one(21) years of age and a resident of the county for whloh he 1s apii

op;ea. PO 498, . ” ‘(+IemelidedActs 1939, 66th Leg.,.

.. Nothing la found iu. Title 99 of whloh the 

### above Article la apert tilch ne&r;s, a list of notaries pabllo appolnteea a pub110 record. ~~iiragrsph $iof drtiale 4331, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Ftetutcs, makes it the duty of the Cemetery of Sate to “keep in a separate suitable book a aomplete reglater of all the oifioers eppolnted or elected~ inthis Ftete, and oomisslon then when not otherwise provided by law.” A notary public has been held to be e publlo. officer. 

### 20R. c. L. 226. Eenoe we believe it to be the duty of the Fearetary.of State to prepare and keep a l.ist of allnotaries publlo. One I.8not a notary publia nor a. public oftioer, ho’riever, until he heo, pursuant to his appointazent,taken his oath, ereouted bond ezd been granted his c~lasion end the Seoretery of State viould-notbe required to prepare his list until the oomplotlon of the pm-~ 088s of quallfioation.

IRonorable Nil K&n Richardson, Rage 3 i

.
After 

### the oompletion of 

### the tiotary ’s quelirioation '. the Seoretary of State is 

### required by Artiale 5950, 

### Vernon’s Annotated Civil LPtatutes,to prepare and "furnish eaoh.oounty clerk e printed list 

### ofall notaries publio so appointed and qualified; th-t said olcrk shall preaoxve soid list for publio .- inspection and post a copy thercof on the oou.rthoussdoorw.

There ia no statute giving any person tha r&ht to reqoire you to furnish them a list OP the sppointaes nor none girin&members of the.publio the right of inspeotlon. A oareful ccnsideratlon of the authorities, hoqevcr, would lead us .' tothe conclusion that the publio would have a right ot aomman law to require a list to 

### be .fL-nlshed or toMike reason

### able inspeotion of such rooordo., Such line of oases could not 

### heregovern, however, bccouse you stat8 thet you havenot yet received 

### your foe inmany ~8900 and 

### have ‘not issued oomtissions; that your reoorda nro not so arron@d as to anablcyou to furnish a list ol those who have 

### been appointed but.not yet qualified. Such state 

### of tar%?,being 

### %su~,you could not be oom- '. pelled to furnish souething not yet available. ~,



### ‘It. is our opinion that you 

### ode not 

### bo required to " rurnlsh'the information requastcd by applicant,nor to permit 

### their cpm~s 

### to 

### exsnine and prepare 

### lists'froa yolrinoompletcd files if, In tha exercise of your discretion, you should oonelude that suohwould interfere with the orderly exc~oution 

## oryour dutios. Sour6 yery truly Ai3?ORlCt?GI?lB?& OF TliXAS 

# & - BY d ‘
. Lloyd Amstrong

Assl etant LA:l?lp