OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTlN 

on the. quastion 

this offlea. 

l r of tha bard 

unty hospital.* 

man the eoraisslanerl3 oourt shall haTe 

l oquirod a rite for swh hospital and ahall 

bake awarded OontrMt8 iOr the neoersar~ buildLags and lmpro?amsntrthereon, it ebnllappoint 

six realdent property taxpaying oitlzens af the 
Eoa:BJa ?. oolmmn, Jr., Pagm 8 

eouuty who r&l1 eoaetltutm 8 board of mg0r6 0s 66id ht76pitti. m0 km or orrio 

or l aoh aabu al said boarb 6hall be two 

JJJrJ, UJept #at ln ykim# ths flrrt 8ppolJtaat8 dter thlr Act taka offoot three mabare ahall be appointad for one you end three 

rembua for tm mm6 Jo that tharoattuthrea 

mea&err of said board wl3.l be appointed nary 

two ;Jenre. In aase of a tie rote OS said board 

the ,deadlook my ba rotod off on. way or the 

othir by the oounty judg6 of the oounty. Appointmoats to illlraoaaele8 ocourrlng by 

death, roa~atlon or othu oause 6h~ll be 

made for the unexpired term. FallUlv OS any 

nagor to attend three oonwoutlve meetings 

of the board shall oauae a saoanay in his oftloe, 

UJhJJJ said abwnoe i8 6ZOtlJ.d by form1 aotion 

oi the board of 8ma6ar6. Th6Mnag.rJ Jhall 

roosito no oap6666tlom for their 66rrloe6, 

but 6hallbaall~odthelr6atual andnamssa~ 

'. traveling and othu expenses wlthln thlr State 

to bo auditod aad paid by th6 ~orPiarionJr~* 

!!F 

in the sams maa#r as other erpeIure6 of 

l horpltal. Any v titer kln43 olted 

ry at e8y tl88 ?or Oman0 %e roaovod tror off100 

by aaId wurt.- 

&tlJle 4430, Rorl6& Clril Statutes, reads a6 

tollarnt 

uoae 

%I. b o a r or d 8aaa g aJhr J a ll l lest r r a 

it6 maber6 6 pmJldJnt, Jad on. or. 806% 

rlo6-pm6ldwktr urda uontary and 6 treasurer. 

It shall appoint a rupuintenbnt of tha hospltal uho &all hold offl~~mt the plaaJur, of 

reld board. Said 8up6rfntsadant 6hall zmtb6 

a member of the board and shall be a qual3lsd 

praotltlozmr of redlo&, or be 8poolally trained 

forwork of 6oohoharaotJr. 

+he board ahall ala0 appoint a etaff of 

<lng ph@elanr who shall 8-e rlthout paf 

frcllr the aounty, ad who aball ridt and treat 

hospital patlonte at tha repmet l ithu of the 

nanager8 or at the superintendark. 
Eon. Ta P. Colman, Jr.. M S 

%aIdboard &all?lxtha l alarlu o? 

the superintendmat and all other o??Ieu~ 

aad WAplO~J dthb thS 1iMit d the Jppl’Qprlatlon rado thenfor by the oLa6fonen 

oourt and l uoh 6alarIsJ shall be a~pensation 111 ?ull for all JUViOeJ rendor.6. ml. 

board shall dotoral- the amount of timr, requlred to be sp6nt at the hospital by said 

superintendent in the dlaoharge of his dutiaa. 

ma board J&All halO tha gamml ana&aent 

and control o? the said hoa Ital. grounds, 

bUIlding6, OffIJJrJ and np P opea thereof? 

of the inmates therein, and ot d.l matters 

relatlw to the govennent, dIJoipllne, eontraots ard ?iJOa 6on6erna th6r6of: uxd mk~ 

Juoh rule8 and re@atio&J a6 may -4461 tothsm 

ILbJJJJJTJ iOr JJrrybg OUt the PlQoJeJ o? 

Juoh hospital. may JhJu Mint8iIl ~8 J??Jotire inepeotion o? said hoJplta1 and kew 

theawelres Informed o? the attalrs and Jwagement tharoo?; shall meet at ths hospital at 

ledat onae In every month, and at Juoh other 

times am mar be pr66otib6d in the by-laws; 

and 6hall hold an annual meeting at least 

thrw WOOkJ prior to the metlw o? the 0-0 

6d.ssiorwr6 wurt at which approprlat ions r0r 

the onsuing year are to be oonslde~d.a 

Artlal642M amd 4SS'of the Penal Code road a6 

?ollouJ: 

-Art. 468. 100 of? low’ of thi6 Ftate or 

any offloer of any distriat, aountp, oity proolnot, J&ho01 dlatrlot, or other mualolpai Subd1r16106'0~ thl8 St&J, or my offlou or member 

o? any stat@, dlstrlet, octnty, oitr, sohool 

dlstrlot or other munlalpal board, or judge of 

any oourt, onatad by or under authority of any 

gemxd or rpooiml &w O?.t’hiJ &ate, or UrJ 

member oftho tegishttWa, Jhan appoint, or 

rote for, or oon?Irm the appointment to any 

o??loe, position 

of any person rm i 

olerkship, anployment or duty, 

at6d within the eeoond degrao 

by affinity or within the third degree by 
ma. Tom?.colr* Pa@4 

o o mmg u lnlt to tf he person 60 l ppo lmtln or g 

so vo ting, or to a ny 0th ~ raber 0s a ny l uoh 

board, the Lsfrlalatur8, or court & whloh suoh 

peraon 60 appointlag or voting rry be a maw 

ber, when t lm salary, few or oompansatlon of 

suoh appoiatea 16 to ba paid for, dlreatly or 

~lndlraotly, out or or rropl pub110 Bunds or ?beJ 

of offloe of any kind or oharaoter whatsower.w 

‘Art. us. Tha lnhlbltlons set forth In 

thir law rhall apply to and lnolude the Oovemor, 

Lieutenant 0ovunor, Speaker 0s the House 0s 

RepreJontJtireJ, Railroad Camatsalonere, h d 

0s deppnrWenta of the Stntm government, ju a0 6 

andraberr ti any6ndallBoard6 uid oourt6 

e6t6blI6hed br or rrad~r the authorlt7 of l w 

goner61 or 6pealel~ law of this atate, m-box-a 

of the bgiJktuXw, mayors, Owmiasionera, 

roaordan, aldamon and mmbbrS Of Johoo& board6 

o? Incorporated olties and tam6, pub110 ahhool 

twtsos, oftloua and Habers of board9of mmager6.d the State Unirer6lty and of Its 66renl 

branahoa 6nd of the rarIous Stat0 eduaatlmal 

inatltutlolu~6M 0s the varioti Stat0 81~08~ 

hJtitUtioll6, and of the pbaikntiariaa. 'Thir 

anumemtlon shall not bo held to exolude ?rom the 

OpbtiOb Mb OffOOt Of thi 6 h Uv pWJOn inhldd Within it6 @llJl-Ihl p~OliJiOllJ.w 

'II. quota from ‘hXJ6 Jurlmprudenoo, Vol. 10, 

pa&e lCll'86 follasr 

l Contnotr oalaulated to de8tx-O~ or 

lntufua with the free axuolae of the 

dlsontlon required to be enrolaed br pub110 offlaera In the performmoe of their 

duties are an intorferenoe with the a&Inlstratlon 0s government, and hanoe aontmcf 

to pub110 pollay.... Contraat whloh glra 

a pub110 o?floor a parso& Interoat in the 

o??laIal aats to be done by him are contrary 

to publlo polloy and void." 
. 

Bog. To8?.columa,Pa&a s 

ThiJ 4mrhJat hol& in aonforrnaa opinion Ho. 

lS74, book 80, paga UI, that: 

l A ooatraet for th6 ulr 3 J~pli@J 

toa JtJtO mnvlsahoolmade (: ya oorporatlon, the praa 

ad 

*at 884 (16noti mnn6pr 0s 

whloh I8 prad ent or the atato nonal aahool 

Edr&;g PJ@JJ~J is contrary to pub110 polloy 

. 

*8tJttiJJ pmhIbIt%ag oftioialr troy 

Jontntraotlng oa babul? Of the state with t&amselves are deolarstory 0s the aaamon law. 

Yhot a member of an o??Iolal board did 

not aast hi6 vote Ia favor 0s lettiw the 

ooatraot to a aorporatioa in rhloh a Jtoakholder would not rallsva tha transaotlon trim 

the operation of the rule." 

The reports abound In Jam6 baasd upon statutes 

prohibit- offioiais baooalng interested In OOLbttaotJ o? 

the ate. Statutar of this olnu-aotar howret, are nothing 

more than the adoption of the oamoa iaw ruli to the offeat 

that ea. eamlot in hi6 orrioiai aamolty daalwlth hlmsalf 

a6 an IadIrIdual. Sea tha oaso 0s Smith 16. hlbuay, 81 RI 

a, diJOUJ6ing thf6 -0. 

In the aas0 o? the City 0s ?ort Wayna vs. Rosoathal, 

73 Ind. ll50, It wq6 hold that an eaploymont'by a board at 

health or om or Ita maabus to raoolnate pupils in a puUlosohoo1 

was void. '&a wurt Jaidr 

-As agad, ho oannot oontrast with him&l? 

PzsOgUr. Ha mot buy what ho Is -ployJd 

. I? aployad to proow a s6n4&0 to bo 

dam, ha 6armot hire hirs6l? to do lt. ‘!!hiJ doa- 

-trlno 16 galpsclally l ppllaablo to prlrate l g sntu 

snd tl=UBtOJJ; but tb6publlo oitio6r6 it 8pplle6 

with graatar r0r00, and 60rmd pollay raqulrar 

that thera be m mluatloa 0s it6 strlnuenoy 

in any aaao whloh Joma within it6 maJon.a 
I+. ?a P'. colu, Jr., Pa(E 0 

xath use 0rUaM' 

p3,-tbf oour) In ho!dly void a 

n.Pmsll, 108 In& 

eontraot bstweon the - -. 

ware or aounry oc6uss~0~r6 ana ona u mm ~wus, 

Slid: 

'%a law rrin not pomit pub110 JJTrants to plaos thsmsslves in a Jitaatiall 

whers t&y ~7 be t-ted to do wron& and 

thi6 it 8oOOmp~iJhhr8 by hold- ti1 JWh 

6aployasnt8, whether mda dlnatly or indlreJtly, utterly rold4w 

Uo’quote fra the aaw of dhoney VS. Unroe, 

lad Ind. 550, as Sollama 

*It 16 mll JJtabllshsd asd Jalatary 

dootrlna.. . . that ha who i6 sntru6t.d with 

the buslassm o? othora aannot bo allosad 

to m&o mah businemaa objoot o? peounlary 

pwit t0 hb~a. ThiJ lUb dOJ6 not depond on raawrnlng toohnloal lo its oharaotsr, 

and It 16 sot looal In Its l pplloatlon. It 

16 baJd 011. priIlUipli6 Of I%%JOn, Of MI'dity, 

aad 0s publla pollo7. It ha6 it6 fOUUdati0ih 

ia the 10~~ JOBIJtibItiOFA OfOUT EJtU?J, ?Or 

lt has authorItatlvolybasodsslardthata 

Ban OlUlUOt 66-O tW0 RlJtm6, ad i6 IrOt@- 

alaed and eaforaod whanovsr a mll regulated 

aystr 0s jurlapru6amJ prevails.* 

The Suprae Court 0s Texas Umueaetd tha ruu 

in willi VS. Abbey, m TJX. w)& Wying: 

“p-0 PO1107 FJqUi?JJ that the O??ioera ohasan to looata and JPrrJ7 the pub110 

lands should not be psmittsd to swoulats 

In them, or to aoqulre lnterart in them, 

whloh would present to auoh o??loer the fomptatlca to take adwant- a? the lnronmtlon 

whloh their posltlom l x k a b#am ls 

to l o q ulr oto , strlmant o? the holdus 

of 
. 

, 

Ban. 'Ibr t. Colrra, Jr., -8.7 

C7e. 4e8 aa r0iw6t 

,A people oan have no hlghor pub110 intera8t;exoept the pnaonatlon e their llbeTtIas, than Integrity Fa tha l dwlnlstmtlo n 

Of tholr ~verxmont I6 all it6 dJpmtmnt6. 

1t is therefore a prlnoIpU o? the ooramon law 

that It will not lend Its aid to enforce a 

oontraot to do an aot Which tmds to oorrupt 

or oontamlnate, by Improper and slnI6ter 

In?lwmaa, the Integrity of our soolal or 

politlaal lnstItutIon8. Pub110 otfloers should 

aot tra high sonslderatlon Of pub110 duty amd 

every l grsemnt whose tendanoy or'objeot 16 

to sully the purity or tielead the Judgment 

of those to wti the higher trust 16 oonflded 

Is oondomned by the oourts. The o??ioer rmy 

be an exeoutlre admlnI8tratIre,'lagIslat$va 

or judlalal officer. The prfnolpld Is the 

8amo in l ltlur 0ae.e.. 

In view p? the r0rsgbing authoritIeJ, you are 

r&peot?ully a&vie&d that It 16 the opinion of this dipartaentthattha boardo? ma M 

would w rlolats the wpotI@m T 

Of 8 OOlUltf hOJpitti 

m OS the 8tat6 by a-- 

lng a oontmot for the hospital lsundry work to a laundry 

whonono cfthoamra of the l~uadryl~ a dootor and 

a member a? the botm of unagor8 of the aounty hospital. 

Youan ?urthorrdvlmd that suoha oontraat wouidbo 

oontrary to publlo polIay amd void. 

we rentala 

Trustingthatthe rorogofiy an8wers your laquiry, 

?ery truly yours 

APPROVXD JUL 6, 1939 

Ardell William8