428 

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

T- AUSTIN 

a- c. nAm 

~aolau 

Honorable Ton Saay 

oouaty Attorm f 

pottrr county 

Amrlllo, Terar 

Dear Sir: 

Wa hart oara 

1940, In whioh you 

qurationr propound 

your lrttar or April 25, 

oi thir drpartmnt on 

aI r0iiowrt 

with thankr your rblr di#oursion of 

on of authorftirr set forth in your 

283, Penal Coda, Vernon’s Annotatrd Statutes, 

01 to work on Sunday, rrrdr: 

*iny prreon who shall lhbar, or ooapel, 

tome, or oblige his aplOyes, IIC)T~IMII, or apprsntiorr fa labor on Sunday, or any prrron who 

shall hunt gamr of any kind whatsoever on Sunday 

within one-half ail. of any church, school hous*, 
429 

- 

Honoreblo Tom Seey, Fags 2 

or private rseidenoo, rhall be fined not lose 

than tan nor nora than rtrty dollars. Act Dec. 

16, 1863, Aot Deo. 2, 1887. Aote 1887, p. 108.~ 

Art1010 284, excepting osrtain types and kindo or 

work, rredr I 

“The prrosding artlola ehall not apply to 

houerhold dutlar, works of neoeealty or oharlty; 

nor to neoeaeery work on ferme or plentatIone In 

order to provent thr 1060 of sny orop; nor to th8 

runnlq of etesmboate end othrr wstrr orafte, rail 

oar8, wagon traina, oo.mmon oarrlars, nor to thr drlivery of goods by thorn or thr rrooltlng or rtorlng 

of raid goods by the partlse or thsIr agents to whom 

eeld goods are drllverrd; nor to stagse oarrylng the 

Unltrd States mall or pasaengars; nor to foundries, 

sugar mIlla, or hardrr; who have a hard of stook 

actually gathered end utier hard; nor to prreone 

traveling; nor to ferrymen or kaepara of toll 

bridgea, keepers oi hotels, boarding houses end reataarente and thrlr servants; nor to keepers of 

llrrry stables end thalr esrrants; nor to any person 

V&LO ooneolentlouely bellrvee that the aavanth or 

any other day or the wark ought to be obsarvrd 88 

thr Sabbath, and who actually rafrelnr f’xm bualnrse 

and labor on that day ior rellgl~ua reaeone. Aot 

Deo. 2, 1871,‘Aotr 1871, p. 62. Aarndad In rulelag 1879.” 

Artlola 286, prohlbltlng thr salr oi goode on Sunday, made: 

wAny marchant, erocar, or daaler In werae or 

merohandisa, or trader In any b.ueInser whateoayar, 

or the proprlrtor of any plaoe of pub110 amusemant, 

or thr a&ant or enploya of any euah parson, who 

shall sell, barter, or permit hle placr of buslnaas 

or place or public amusement to ba opan for the purposa or traffic or publio amusement on .%ndey, shall 

be CIned not laar then twenty nor more than fifty 

dollars. Tha tarra placr of pub110 amuaa>snt, shall 

ba oonetruad to mean olrcuaae, theaters, varlrty 

theaters and auoh other amuaaaents as ara axhlbltad 

and for whloh an ad.nlsslon far la ohargad; and shall 

also include danora at disorderly housrs, low divas 

end places or like oharaoter, with or without free 
430 

tinorrblr %a Srry, Pa60 ) 

i&r rtiaalon. AOt I)rO. 2, 1671, Aotr 1883. D. 66, 

.Aots UN?, p. 1OP.” 

rente,, llrrry qtab\ra, bath houara, or ior doelera, no* tor$ole6re$h o?‘ trlrphonr ~OfrioeL, nor to 

+@S.'Ol 6erOfiM, 0, Othir SOtOr f'1Irlj~~O~30-~ . 

tehlolo lubrIceata, fior to aotlon piotore: l h6ra - 

0~ theetrra oprzatrd in dnr inoorporetra rlty 

or tow, thrtrp one 0~01ook P. lib 

. . 

*Sao. 2. Tha ComIr~Ionr~e ir City Counoll 

91 ti' 80-6 OP iitka ia which adid siOti6n 

‘Qlotarr alloiva or :theatPaa are looetrd ‘ahmU ha*6 - 

the :right ,an&~~tiF b$ propor ordlnenor to prohibit 

or regulate the kerplng open or ehowlng of auoh 

motion 

B 

Irturr ehoh :‘br ‘.hhertrLr 611. hndny. Aota 

19ns, 3 th.L66., p; 347. .oh. 139, 1.11 Aofe 1931, 

42n6 L-r&; Qe 195,4n. 110 .- 

The ebovr quotwl ertloles he+@ eppeerad in prrrloua 

~~tloeti~nr :oi .thr Taxar Itatutes rnder the- ~artielo numbrra 

‘a Iedio+ea by tM -r0n0wiag teblrr 

Tha gsnsrel validity ot th; Sunday leas and the 8xztion of Orrtaln oooapatlone end l rtlolaa of nerohandiar 

‘* brrn rroognlred end uphrld by thr ooarta. 139 TOI:. fur. 
Ilonorablr Toa Sray, Page A 

$58, 0% @OQ.) 

Art1010 284, l a9ra, rrpr~eely rxorpte ima the progpon egelnet lebor on Sunday, wworke of nrooeelty or ohar- 

. It le to be noted, horsrrr, thet tharr le no euoh axraption oa l ooount or neosrelty from the prohibition against 

ealrr ot good8 oa Sundeyr. 

The raot thet Artlelr 267 roads mrrely. to l xoept 

l koe91re of drug l toree, hotele, boarding houere, roeteuraate, 

,...’ GO., wlthout rxorptlng e9oolflo ltrae handlad and rold 

by mob flrae, night, oa the fear of it, be oonetrued a8 a 

rnsrel l xoeption. 

L 

But l hletorloal eurvay mek a l e uoh e holdiapoeelblr . 

The Act of 1871 (Ooasral Idwe, Sroond Soeelon, 12th 

Lag., 9. 62) ( entitled, -An Aot co Pualeh Cartaln Offansae Committad on Sun4ay,W In Seotloan 4, makae It unlewful to oprrata 

a bualaree on Sunday, within thr olty limite, between 9.00 A.M. 

*Ia 4.00 P.M., “provided, that aothlq in this eot ehall be 

sonstrurd to prohibit ths sale oi drug8 and msdlolnee oa Sunday.* 

The Aot oi 1883 (Csnrral Lawe, 18th Lsg., 9, 66), sntitled, *AB Aot to ~msnd Artlolr 186 (oodlflcatlon of 1879) of 

thr Pm81 Code,* sootlon lr 

“Be it l naoted by the Legislature of the 

Statr of Texae: That Art. 186 or thr Pmal Code 

be amendad 80 es herrsitar to read a8 followe, 

to-WI t t 

*Art. 186. Any mrrohant , grooar, or doalar 

in wares or morchandlsa, or trader in any lawful 

bueiaaee whatsoavsr, . . . . who shall sell or bartar 

on Sunday, shall br finrd.. , . , provided thle Artiolr rho11 not apply to narkrte or dealsre In pro- 

~i~lo ne l e to tha ssla o? 9rorlel~ne bide by them 

“efon9.00 o’clook A.!d., nor the eals oi burial or 

shrouding matarial; provided, the Sal0 of naweice and milk at any hour dn thr day shall 

~:“;::~leeibl.. . . .” end al80 exempt8 the sanding 

or raaalvlng or t&graph nreaagss. 

ztitlrd, 

Tha Aot of 1687 (Gsnrral Lawe, 20th Leg., 9+ 1081, 

“Amandlng the Sunday Law - Additional ExaWtione 9 ” 

ArtiOlr 1868 (oodirloatlon of 1679) says: 
-_ 

432 

Eonorabl8 Toa 6say, Pa68 5 

“Tha proordlag artlolr (166) shall not apply 

to markets or dralare in provielons as to ealae. . . . 

brfora 9.00 ogolook A.M., nor to ths @ala of burial 

or ehroudln,f meterlel, newepepore, 108, lob #ream, 

ailk, aor to thr bonding of tslrgraph or t l lsphono 

mreeagee et eny hour of tha day, nor to kaapere of 

dru6 stores, hotale, boarding houses, raetaurante, 

llrrry l tebli~; barbor shops, bath houses, or loe 

deelere, nor to telegraph or trlephoae offloee.a 

The Aot of 1691 (General Laws, 22nd Leg., p. 173), 

roads the sane as above, l x o epthat t barbs? ehope arr omitted 

as bein l xasptad. 

The Act of 1925 (39th Leg. pa 347, oh. 139, 1 l), 

adds to the oxosptrd artlolee wgaeol~ar or other motor fuel’ 

and *‘tshlole lubrloaate. * 

The Aot o? 1931, amending Art1018 267 (42nd Lag., 

9. 195, oh. 116). adds %aotlon ploturr shows or theatrae oparatod la an7 lnoorporatod city or tom artrr 1.00 ololook P.l4.* 

Thus whlla tha Act of 1871 epeclfloally rxrmpte *drugs 

and medlelnae,* end the Aot of 1667 simply exorpte “k80porSw Of 

drug etorse, hotels, end restaurants, yet in srarof vs. Stat., 

(1869), lairs, tha court lntrrpnted thm axorptlone es llmltrd 

to drugs and mealo’lnse~ e& ln Se&h vs. Stat0 (1922)) lnfra, 

tha court again axproeeod ltealr vary olaerly as ooneidrrln& 

that drug l torae ara llmlted to the eels of drugs end mediolnre, 

arrl raetaurants aAd hotels to thr ealr of foods, although in 

1916 (Orlmre tn. State, infir), tho oourt had hald that “la 

00netruillg thr etetutory *xorptlone, thr ordinary elgnifloatlon 

of thr mrde usrd oontrole.a 

~1 canoe oltsd horeln port-date the Act of 1867. 

With regard to tbr first part ot your pUa@tiOn, hsring to do with drug stores, hotrle, raetaurante, l to.r 

In Saaroy TS. Stata, 51 S. a. 1119 (Ct. Cr. App. of 

Taxae, JUM I, 16991, the arrandaat had born oonvlotsd of eslltne liquor on sunany, nnd appsalrd on thr grounds that the Sun- 

*ay law 18 ~dlaee 10g181at10n.” Ths oourt ruled thst tale 18 

cot so, and held ths t thr Legislature has thr rltzht to rxsmpt 

Oartelu articles, an4 said ln part: 

“mugs and msdlolnre war0 vary properly placaa 
Honorable Toa Seey, Pago 6 

in thle oategory, aad tha krapor of a drug l tora Is 

authorized to erll dm68 and modloinae, but not ether good8 that do not boloeg in this 01888.~ 

In the one@ of Selrh vs. Steta, 91 Tax. Cr. Rap. 316, 

(Ct. Cr. Ap9. of Taxae, Ldaroh 22, 19221, tha oourt held that 

Salah, the proprietor of a oold drink stand, did not rlolata 

the Sunday law In celling his ouetoaer 8 nllk ohooolato, whloh 

the ouetoner teetlfied ho bowht in llau of braakfaet es a 

froquont praotioo, boceuee, the oourt bald, milk was rxempt b7 

tha sot, and ohoooleta war hrld to be a food. :a rondoring 

the aooleloa, tho oourt sold la pert8 

“The artlolee in qaeetlon (Art10188 302, 303, 

Pan01 coda, codirioation or 1911) es oonetruod by tho 

oourt in searoy vs. State, 40 Tex. Cr. Rap. 460, 51 

s. W. 1119, are not latonded to Exempt rretaurant 

keepers’, hotel keaprre and keepers of drug etoree in 

the transaction of all buelneee whloh alght be ongaged la by them in oonnootlon with thrlr general 

occupation; but is lntendod to exempt hotel kropere 

and raetaurant krapere in tha sale of fOoda to the 

publlo, and druggists in the eele of Oruge and nedlolnre. 

lelature 

It 1s apparent that the pumoeo otwas to rxeapt the l rtiolre sold end not 

he seller by reesoa of the oharaotrr of business 

ho might be l ng a g aa in.* Umpheeie ours.) 

In Orlaos vs. Stata, .200 8. U. 376 (Jan. 16, 1918)) 

thr Texas Court or Crlmlnal Appoale quoted from 37 Cyo. 546, 

68 rollowea 

Bare the statute oontalne A0 l xOeptione, 

tha naturo or tho bueineee or aeranaant 18 lmuiatarlal, and tho raot that it is 8 work of nooeeelty, or oharlty, or that it is not unlawful in 

lteelr, oonetltutee no aarenea. In oonetruing 

the statutory exoaptlone, tho ordinary eignification or the words urea controle.W 

Tha fact that tha Leglelatura in on4adlng from tima 

to timr th0 Aat or 1671, prorenting thr sale or 80048, to exl mPt oerteln ertialae, has in eaoh 0168 eddrd exproes rxoeptione, trnds to bear out the oontmtlon that the sale of aDy 

artme not 8X00pted 18 0 tlolatlon 0r thr law. Yhlle the 

Phraseology was somawhat altered in 1867, the wording of thr 
434 

Rcnorablo Tom Sony, Page 7 

l ot has not boon ohenged l lnce then, l xoopt to add l peolrlo 

exeeptloae as to l rtloloe (6aeolln8, 011 and rahlolo lubrloonte, in 1925) and one buelnaee (notion ploturoe, 1931). 

For further referenoee, sea 39 Tex. Jur. 656, at seq., 

60 c. J. 1042, at @a~., 59 A. L. R. 1547, et req. 

IA regard to the queetloa whether garegee and tilling 

etetlone ma7 ball automobile parts and l ooo eeo r leer 

Ia Orimee vs. State, eupre, thr oourt upheld 8 ooarlotlon oa the grounds that “a ealr of enulna 011 br a dealer 

la automobllo l upplloe was not rxO8ptea as a work of neoseelt7, 

where there was nothing to prevent the l oquleltloa of the 011 

flea e prbtlslon dealer or drug l tore....W 

In Johnson vs. Btata, 216 S. W. 1033 (Ct. Cr. A9p. of 

?erae, 192)), the oourt uphold the oonrlotlon of Johneon, even 

though ho tostlrlod that ho had been told by 8 proseouting offioer that the selling of gasoline on Sunday on17 to aare oompolled to hate gasoline to reaoh their deetlnetlon would not 

llolato tho law. The court raid in part: 

aArtlole 303 (codifloation or 1911) oxsmpte 

from the prorlelon persons l r ig a in g oertaln o d 

olaeeoe of business, but the uomptloa door aOt 

inolude the keeper of a gerege xior name gasolina 

08 an article whloh may be eold.W 

In the amended Artiole (267, Panal Coda, peered b7 

the 39th Logioloture, 1925), gaeolina and "other motor fuel* 

*nd “Tehlolo lubrloants* a r e l xprosaly exoepted. If the Log- 

~lature had meant to l xoept parts and eooossorlee, it would 

acubtloee have so stated. 

This lnterprotatlon of the ~etotutoe as appllad to 

~*raI3er and rllllng stations la further substantiated by the 

‘*ee ot Doniolo gt. al. vs. Southern Surety CO., 40 S. W. (26) 

209. In this oaoe the widow of Daniela woe ruin6 the Southern 

t$*tY Company for compeneatlon benrflts, rhloh the UompanY 

refuaod to pay On the ground that the deoeasrd wao emplOyOd 

‘y the rliiiW station on Sunday, and wa.n engaged la ohanglng 

’ tira when injured. 

The court, while holdliog thot whether thlb constituted 

4o*asarp labor was a 

JUY~ added that, 

q uoetion Or fact to be aotemnlnod by the 

“It 1s aleo true that it (the eerrioe station) 
^. 

435 . 

Hononble Tom Sony, Pago 6 

hod for sale automobllo tires, taboe, and aooreeorlor, but 

thera is no lntlmotloa that anyone oonnooted with the buebee, either as owner or oaployeo, sold or ooatrnpleted 

-king eoloe ot outomobllo tires, tubas, or any other antoxoblla eoooeeory oa Sunday.. .~.* 

Clearly the oourt 1R)uld hold the sale of euoh artloloe 

on Sunday to be lllegel. 

The forogolng authorltloe lndloate, thorafore, (1) 

that drug storer are prltllegrd to sell only drugs end nedlolnoe, foods, end newepapore oa Sundays, and thet hotels end 

reeteurente era prltlleged to sell only foods; (2) that 6uegoe 

and tilling etatlone era pormltted to sell gaeollnr, 011 en6 

lubrloante on Sundays, but not ~ooeeeorloe or pert@. 

Vary truly yours 

ATlW’ilGY OWERAL OF TEXAS 

Woe COMMITTEE 

APPFKWETMAY 16, 1940