OFFICE OFTHEAmORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS 

AUSTIN 

x=z 

mn. 2. 0. Allen 

Dlrtrlet Attorney 

OQiBiOB Of thill 

atters, haa been 

the title 0r "County Audiked for all 8UpFlfbtt 

0 blanks, reoorda, 6nd 

de rariow afflaera for 

tive deelaratioa requiringf oaqetitive bids QIL all ptxrohae8 by the Qounty Of thr ited deaoribed. The rtetde, 

however, doe8 not psrt16ularfze aa to the aanaer ar &cram 

o f l fr eutfueug o h. 

ktiale MS9, Revieed Civil Btatuteo of Texas, 

wur llkewiae orig¶.aally enaotad by the 8tme Legidfituro, 

under tbr 6aIUe tQtle, eontainiag the esaargenoy provlnion 

rllawing pwOhaae# by the Oowty, Wltbouf adVerti&Ig t0r 
Ron. 2. D. Nlsn, Page 9 

coarpetltire bids, when not In exoesa o? #50.00. 

This latter a?tlolo was amended by the S7th 

Legirlature In 192J. (Ada 19t1, page 16S), whareDy the 

snerganoy p?ovIdIon now allow6 purohaaea by the oounty 

not iu exoeaa of $150rO0, In 06aea of an 4morg4aay, 

without 4dv4ttIaIng ror ooapetitive bids. 

Art1014 1659, aupra, 001 raada: 

.*Sugpllea of ever7 kind, road and btidge 

aatsrial, or 6~ other amtarial, for the me 

of aald county 

partments, or I 

or my 0r its offioera, denatItutIon8 mumt be purohased 

on oompetltire bids, tha contra& to be awardeh to tha pa?tl who, In the judgmnt of ths 

oomlaaianera oourt, has aubzitted the laeat 

and beat bid, The oouaty auditor shall adtsrtiae for a period o? two week8 In at least 

one daily mmapape?, published and elroulated 

In the County, for auoh 8upplIsr and rmterIa1 

aooordlng to apeolfioatlona, giving In detail 

wlmt la medad. Suop advertisements shall 

state where the apeoIilioatIon6 are to be found, 

and shall gIr4 the tIm4 and plaoe for reoeiving suoh bids. Nl auoh acrr~etltlve bids 

shall be kept on file by the oaunty auditor 

as a pert or the rsaorda of his cbflce, and 

shall be subjedt to lr&pdotIon by any one 

desiring to see th4m. Copies of all bid6 reoslrsd shall br turrIl6had by the aounty ruditor 

to tha aotmty judge snd to the oomalsaionsfa 

oourt~ and whhen ths bids reoefvsd are not 

64tiEfUOt3v t0 th4 66Id judge O? 4OWt;l 

oumIe8fonare, tho auditor ahall rajeat said 

bids and re-advertlsa for n4w bids. In oasss 

of mergenap, purohasea not In exoeaa of one 

hundred and fifty dsllarn may be ma68 upon 

requIaItIon to b4 approved by the oomhaslonera 

oourt, without adve?tIsIng for ompetltire bids,* 

It is observed thst Artiole lbS9, aupra, I6 a 

general st8tute, a:plyIng to 6upplIea of ers?y kind, purabased by the aounty, and providing for the memar of pur- 
Han. 2. ??. Allen, Page 3 

ahaaes thareof by ocap+tItIve b.iJs, and providing for 6n 

enarganoy. R4no4, In the abaenor of ap4oIf IO afp’tutea 

applying to legal blanks, statIone?y and alail~ SUpplleS, 

and providing for the amine? a? purohase thereof by ampstftlve bids, this gansral atatut4 would ooBtro1 the 

mttar. The oorreot rule of atntutory oonstruotlon~ In 

such 0asea, Is stated In the opInIon of Z;x part4 Townsend, 

144 t3Y 628, 641, as r0iicrmt 

“It, Is also well eetabllahsd that, where 

one statute deals with a aubjeot In oeeprshenaive tema snd another statute daala with 

a portion of thr aam aubjeot In a more dafinIto way,. the two should bs reed together, ii 

poaalble, with a rlbw to giving afloat to a 

consistent legirlatira pallay. H&aver, If 

thers Is anjr maemar oonfllot'betwc~n two 

auoh lawa, the aaola I wIl1 prevail ovc)r the 

general statute. Where ths apeoial statute 

is later, it ~111 b4 regarded as an rroa~tlon 

to, or qualIiiastIon of, tht prior gene?al 

one, and, when ths general eot is late?, the 

ap4oIsl will b4 oonatrusd au remaining an exoaptlon to Its terms, tit&64 it 18 rspealed 

la e=reas words or by iprplioation, t Cyo. 

SF, 1151; Rod&era vs. United Statsa 2% U, 

S. 83, 2.8 Sup. ct. sari, 48 L. 96. 818; Roa4narms vs. U. S., lb!3 u. 9. 257, 17 sup. ct. 

302, 41 L. Ed. ,700t Lazonby vs. SmItheg, 1Sl 

Yo. App,. zas, 131 3. *. 708.’ 

There a?4, howover’, epeoitio statutes nlating 

to this subjeot, providing both for the purahaae of auoh 

auppllea by the Commlsaioners * Cou?t Itself, and also for 

ths sumhas of auoh supplI4s by the rsrlous cbfioera of 

the county with the requimmsnt that auoh roust be approved 

by the Comlsslonsrs' Court. 

%4 shall fiwt discuss the statutsa pertsluiug 

~o&uhasea of l u0h auppll4a by the CommIaslonera~ Cotmt 

l 

In 1907 thsra was enaoted by the 90th tegIalatu?e, 

what are ROW Artiolea 3388-2359, Re?Ired Clrll Btetutea of 

Texas, inoluaIre (Aota 1907, peg4 ?.!M-2341, under the title, 

WCoumianionera* Court-Authorlzlng the purahsse of Stationory, Eta., By”. A?tiolas 23813 and Z3S9, thsreo?, read as 
Hon. 2.. il. Allen, Page 4 

follovm I 

“Art. W38. The oommissioners aaurt .riy 

cn order entered of reoord, my oontraot &J 

hereinafter presoribed, with some sultaple 

person or persons to rupply the couuty with 

blank books, all loge1 blank6 and stationery 

aa may be required by 1aw to be iurnlahed the 

oounty ofilelalr. 

*Art. esao. The acrnmlseionsre oourt ahall 

l dvertlae, at least onoe lu every twa peers, 

for sealed p0pOtWd8 to furnieh blank books, 

legal blankr, stationery and such other prlntlnfl ea my be required ior the county rar the 

term of auah oontraat, and Shall reoeive smpereta bids too the dlffmrent Olaea&e bereinaftsr 

deaignatsd. Suah advertisement she11 be medb 

by the oounty clerk, who ehall notify by re- 

&Wn+ed lsttor, each neviepaper and jab printing house la thr oaunty, and et least three 

8tSitiOn8~ and jWinftill5 hoU8e8 in the St&e, 

of the tiB8 said aontraot fs to bm awarded, 

an& of the probably mount of su3pllea needed.* 

These st~abuter being speoifio enRotineUt6 Fe&iting to hlsnk books, all 18ga1 blanks, ana atetionery, the 

prOVisiOn thereof wcUld COntral the method Of purohaae 

by ths CaElmiB8iOners’ COUrt Of 8UCh 5Uppli88, togather 

with the Eethcd of securing competitive bid8 therefor. 

lirtiolet! 238P-2367, iIlO1UZdV0, SWm, do not 

however, contain emergenoy prcfvisione ee are round in 

ArtiOle 1639, SUjWQ~ yile than have the quastion 88 to 

whether or not the emergenoy prorislone of Article 1659 

would apply to purohasee of euoh supplies by the canlEiB8iOner8' COUl?t Of thhe OOUllty. It io mealiest, that 

it we8 ths leglalati.ve intention that Article 1659 was 

to apply to the purchases Of 8upp1ie8 of every kind by 

the county, in thb absence of speoifio statutes, draling 

with portions of the II~IE~ oubjeot, As we have noted, 

ArtiOle8 2358-2367, inclusive, supre, deal with a portion 

of such aubjeot as to the manner of puroheae and of cieourlng ouiqetitive bide. Such 8tatut.88, however, do not 

deal with suoh portion ot the subjsot a8 to an emsrgenoy. 
. . 842 

Han. 2, I). Allen, Pam 5 

Eeaoe, ar to such, the gsnerel statuts, Arti ie 1659, 

supre would apply, and the emrrgrnoy pro~is P oas of 

Artioia 16119, would bo applicable to puroh.ases by the 

OCmati8SioaerS~ aourt of the oounty of stationery, 1s~1 

blsnks, and liks supplier. 

lta than hare the quest ion asked br you bs to 

whether of not the hwdiete oesd oS unavailable eupplies 

b the aouaty is aa mum eaoy, wlthln the purview oi Artia I e l(189, aupre, warrant L a pumhazo of awh supplies 

by the oonaisslaaers~ oourt without amplying with the 

re 

P 

uirement 

bl a. 

of the statutes pertal- to aompetitivo 

'It is our opiaion that suah a situation 1s an 

emergbnoy, within Artiolr 1659, suprii, but that the 

oorPmlaylandrsc*aaurt would ba authdrlree, without aomplying with the rsqulremnta of Artiales e568-ZS67, lnoluslve, 

supra, to pumhass only suffiofent supplles to smet ths 

emergenay need8 of the aouaty, during the tima neuessarily involved in purshaslng auoh supplies in l ocor deno e 

with the statutory nqulreaents aa to the method of 

purehaae end a8 to the scouring oi ooapetitlva bles 

therefor. 

We am turn to the statute authorizing the 

purohase ot ruoh supplies brtbe officers of the uouatp, 

rubjeot la thr 8ppIW61 Of the OOEd68iOnerS’ OOWt. 

Artiolr 3899b, Seotioa 1, Vatnon’s Annotated 

Civil Shtutes, reads es follows~ 

*There shall be alhfee to County Judges, 

Clerks OS the Distrlot and County Courts, 

3heriffs, County Trsasur~rs, Tax Asssasors 

en4 Colleators suoh books, stationery, inaluding blsnk isi bones find blank aaaplelnts, 

aad oirlee Ournlturs as my be neaeasery far 

their offices, to be paid for on the order or 

the Commfr8fowre Court out of the County 

Tmasury; and aultable offiarr shall also be 

provided by the Cosdssionets Court for said 

oifioera et the expense of the aountp. And 

such books and statianery 68 are neaessary 

in the psrfarmsnae of their duties shell also 

br duruishsd hBtiO88 of the Peeoe by B~tAid 

-.. 
843. . 

XOII. Z. D. Allen, Page 4 

C~ssioners Court, Pravlded all purehsbs:, 

herein must be appzvved by Cotissie?Wr8 

Court, and must br lsade under the prorlaions 

of ArtSoh 1659, Revised Civil Statutes oi 

mxas, 1985,’ 

Thlr statute coats&u late6 

tl 

the purshass of the 

stems enumerated therein by e offlorrs al the runty 

as is showa by the requirsslent that all of suah purchases 

must be approved br the CencnlssIoners~ Court. Wthermore, that all suoh purohases must be in aaoordanae with 

the prmIsion6 of Artlole 1650, supre. Suoh statute, 

last mentioned, aats out the~manner 0.f l freoting the 

ecmpotitlra bid roqulramants, and 5110 provideis for an 

energeaay. It Is our opinion that the laPadiete mod of 

unavUlable supplies is an smerg8nay and that pwhases 

o? ls&al blaake statIonerg an4 s&as ~uppllss sould 

be made wlthont’oom lying dth the oompetitire bid mqulremsats of &tIa P e.1559, Supra, but that only euftioieat supplies aould be purahased in suah manner a6 are 

waesaary to meet the emergenay need of the ofiiOar during the time neoeesarlly Involved in purshasfng suoh 

83311SS in acoordanae with th8 S8@.TSIQ8lit Of ArtIsle 

1658 as to the mnner of eff6atiqg the rtatutory ocanpetltive bid requirements. 

In your letter you a611 our attention to Artiale 3899, SeatIon (b), Vernon’s Annotated Cirll Statutes, 

whioh I8 applioable to MohIta County, a salary oaunty. 

It is our opinion that this artiole does not oreata a new 

end a different method of purohaee by the oounty, or its 

offiaera, of legal bkmks, stationery and similar eupplies. 

The statutr does not treat a 

f 

eolfioellg oi legal blanks, 

atatianery, and siailar 8upp is* es ars speoIfIoally 

enumerated in Artiole 58QQb SeatloU, supra, l?or does 

the statute make any provldan tar oo&etitIte bids and 

$0 8OWtI'W it a6 psrnritti~ 6 OOUBty OffiOSr t0 purshase 

rtatlonory, lsgl blanks an8 sisdler auppliss, an e lnonth 

to month basir, would abrogate the oompstitlve bld atatutea 

hersinabovr aottrd. It is signliloant that Artiole 3899, 

SsetIon (a), Vernon’9 w30tatee Civil Statutes; SpeoliI0614 mention6 UtatiOnery WbsIWM &tiOh 5899, 8eCtiOn (b), 

SUpIU, dOSS UOt d0 SO. 

You ere therefore respsatful a&viPed that it 

Ia the opinion of this Departmeat that 11 the purohase 

o? la& blanks, 6tatIoneTy end similar SUpplilS by the 

~wmisaioners~ OOIl& Of thr OOUnty, itrelf, ii3 OOntrOlhd 
. 

lion. z. 33. tilesn, Page 7 

by the prorlslons of Artiolss 235%~2367, lnoluslre; 

rupre, aa to the manner of suoh purohaear and t+’ man1181: OS ambating 0t85pditfrr bid8 thereunder; 

Y 

u htrther that the emergenop pro~lsfana of Artiole 659 are 

applicable to purohasea by the ocmmisnioners.* court OS 

rush rupplcs~ and (a) that the purohnaa of suoh supplier by the aounty ottiaere is eontrollea by Artlola 

3899b, Sootion 1 supra requiring euoh purohaees to 

ba approved by tim ooa5ls*ionere’ oourt and to be Qado 

inm~oonformity with tha provisions of Artlole 1589 supra, 

and rurthsr, that the emrrgenoy pwiaiona of Arth 

1659, supra, are applioable to suoh purohases by tha 

offlaera of the oounty, eubjset to the approval of the 

ocemiseionere’ oourt. wu rurther paint out that it is 

our 0 laion that the emergenay purohesea allowable would 

be o n! y in 6uoh amounts a8 would be ne6esoarg ta meet 

the neaqs of the- oounty, OP of an imS’lrldual officer, 

during the time nsaemarily involved in the purchase of 

ruoh supplies In eoafdnaity uith the. rtatutory requiremnts. In no event 00tia such euuergenoy purohasaa exoeed 

tha sum o? One ~unUred and Fifty Doollarr. 

We trust this ratisfaotorlly answers your 

questlona, and we rmain 

Very truly yours 

Asrletwt 

ZCS rAU APa;3d