**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 bythe Qounty Ofthr **ited** deaoribed. The **rtetde,** however, **doe8** not psrt16ularfze aa to the aanaer ar &cram 

### of l freutfug

euoh. ktiale MS9, Revieed Civil Btatuteo of Texas, wurllkewiae orig¶.aally enaotad bythe 8tme Legidfituro, under tbr 6aIUetQtle, eontainiag the esaargenoyprovlnion rllawing pwOhaae# **by** the **Oowty, Wltbouf**  adVerti&Ig **t0r**Ron. 2. **D.** Nlsn, Page 9

coarpetltire bids, whennot **In** exoesa o? #50.00.

This latter a?tlolo was amendedby the S7th Legirlature In 192J. 

### (Ada 19t1, page 16S), 

### whareDythe snerganoy p?ovIdIon nowallow6 purohaaea bythe oounty not iu exoeaa of $150rO0, In 06aea of an4morg4aay, without 4dv4ttIaIng **ror** ooapetitive bids.

Art1014 1659, aupra, 001 raada: .*Sugpllea of ever7 kind, road andbtidge aatsrial, or 6~ other amtarial, for **the me**  of aald county partments, or I or my **0r** its offioera, denatItutIon8 mumtbe purohased on oompetltire bids, tha contra& to be awardehto tha pa?tl who, In the judgmnt of ths oomlaaianera **oourt,** has aubzitted the laeat andbeat bid, Theoouaty auditor shall adtsrtiae for **a**period o? two week8 In at least one daily mmapape?, published andelroulated In the County, for auoh 8upplIsr andrmterIa1 aooordlng to apeolfioatlona, giving In detail wlmt la medad. Suop advertisements shall state where the apeoIilioatIon6 are to be found, andshall 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 byany one **desiring** to see th4m. Copies of all bid6 re**oslrsd** shall br turrIl6had by the aounty ruditor to tha aotmty judge snd to the oomalsaionsfa oourt~ andwhhen

ths bids reoefvsd are not 64tiEfUOt3v t0 th4 66Id judge O?4OWt;l oumIe8fonare, tho 

### auditor ahall rajeat said bids andre-advertlsa for n4wbids. In oasss of mergenap, purohasea not In exoeaa of one hundred andfifty dsllarn maybe ma68upon 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, andproviding 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 ap4oIfIOafp’tutea applying to legal blanks, statIone?y and alail~ **SUpplleS,** andproviding 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;xpart4 Townsend, 144 t3Y628, 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 amore 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 anjrmaemar 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, 

### whenths general eot is late?, the ap4oIsl will b4 oonatrusd au remaining an exoaptlon to Its terms, tit&64 it 18rspealed la e=reas words 

### orby iprplioation, t Cyo. SF, 1151; Rod&eravs. United Statsa 2% U, S. 83, 2.8Sup. ct. sari, 48L. 96. 818; Roa4narms vs. U. S., lb!3u. 9. 257, 17sup. 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, andalso for ths sumhas of auohsupplI4s **by** the rsrlous cbfioera of the county with the requimmsnt that auoh **roust be**  **approved** by the Comlsslonsrs' Court.

%4shall fiwt discuss the statutsa pertsluiug ~o&uhasea of l u0hauppll4a bythe 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 23813andZ3S9, 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 maybe required by 1awto be iurnlahed the oounty ofilelalr. *Art. esao. Theacrnmlseionsre 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 auahoontraat, and Shall reoeive smpereta **bids too**  the dlffmrent Olaea&e bereinaftsr **deaignatsd.** Suahadvertisement she11 be medb by the oounty clerk, whoehall notify **by** re- &Wn+ed lsttor, each neviepaper and jab printing house la thr oaunty, and et least three 8tSitiOn8~ and jWinftill5hoU8e8 in the St&e, of the tiB8 **said** aontraot fs to bmawarded, an&of the **probably** mount of su3pllea needed.* These st~abuter **being** speoifio enRotineUt6Fe&iting to hlsnk books, all 18ga1 blanks, ana atetionery, the prOVisiOn thereof wcUld COntral the method Ofpurohaae byths **CaElmiB8iOners ’**  **COUrt Of**  **8UCh 5Uppli88,**  togather with the Eethcd of securing competitive bid8 therefor.

lirtiolet! **238P-2367, iIlO1UZdV0,**  **SWm,** donot however, contain emergenoy prcfvisione ee are round in ArtiOle 1639, SUjWQ~yilethan **have** the quastion 88to 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 we8ths leglalati.ve intention that Article 1659was 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,** Aswehave noted, ArtiOle8 2358-2367, inclusive, 

### supre, deal with a portion of such aubjeot as to the manner of puroheae andof cieourlng ouiqetitive bide. Such 8tatut.88, however, do not deal with suoh portion ot the subjsot a8to 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 oas of P Artioia 16119,would boapplicable to puroh.ases bythe OCmati8SioaerS~aourt of the oounty of stationery, 1s~1 blsnks, and liks supplier.

ltathan hare the question asked bryou bs 

### to whether of not the **hwdiete** oesd oSunavailable eupplies **b the**  aouaty **is** aa **mum** eaoy, wlthln the purview oi ArtiaIe l(189, aupre, warrantL a pumhazo of awh supplies by the oonaisslaaers~ oourt without amplying with the reP 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** thatthe **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**  locordenoe 

### 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 OSthe Distrlot and **County Courts,**  3heriffs, County Trsasur~rs, TaxAsssasors en4 Colleators 

### suoh books, stationery, inaluding blsnk isi bones findblank 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 mustbe appzvved by Cotissie?Wr8 Court, 

### andmustbr lsadeunder 

### the prorlaions of ArtSoh 1659, Revised Civil Statutes oi mxas, 1985,’ 

### Thlr statute coats&ulate6 tl the purshass of the stems enumerated therein by e offlorrs al the runty as is showaby 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 bemadewlthont’oom lying dth the **oompetitire** bid mqulremsats of &tIa e.1559, P **Supra,** but that only euftioieat supplies aould be purahased in suahmannera6 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 ocanpe**  tltive 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, 

### asalary 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 andsimilar eupplies. The statutr does not treat a feolfioellg oi legal blanks, **atatianery,** and siailar 8upp is* es ars speoIfIoally **enumerated** in Artiole 58QQb SeatloU, supra, l?or does the statute makeany provldan tar oo&etitIte bids and $0 **8OWtI'W** it a6psrnritti~ 6 **OOUBty OffiOSr**  **t0** purshase **rtatlonory,** lsgl blanks an8 sisdler auppliss, ane 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; SpeoliI**0614 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 

### endsimilar **SUpplilS by**  the ~wmisaioners~ **OOIl&** Ofthr **OOUnty,** itrelf, ii3 **OOntrOlhd**.

**lion. z.**  33.tilesn, Page 7

by the prorlslons of Artiolss 235%~2367, lnoluslre; rupre, aa to the mannerof suoh purohaear and t+’ man1181: OS ambating 0t85pditfrr bid8 thereunder; Yu htrther that the emergenop pro~lsfana of Artiole 659 are applicable to purohasea bythe 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 euohpurohaees to ba approved by tim ooa5ls*ionere’ oourt andto **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. wururther paint out that it is **our 0**  **laion that**  **the** emergenay purohesea allowable would be on!y in 6uoh amounts a8would be ne6esoarg ta meet the neaqs of the- oounty, OPof animS’lrldual officer, during the time nsaemarily involved in the purchase of ruoh supplies In eoafdnaity uith the. rtatutory requiremnts. In no event 00tia such euuergenoypurohasaa exoeed tha sumo? One~unUredand **Fifty** Doollarr.

Wetrust this ratisfaotorlly answers your questlona, andwermain Very truly yours

**Asrletwt**

**ZCS rAU**  APa;3d