**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**
**AUSTIN**

**/**

ion besod upon da **~fb reoeiVd,**  Op4Ad and road on a r6eton County, Texas, and 5b~~rt. Chadriok and Xlllama, 8 b.-about $l~,OOO.~O. T&at 

### dwiok and ~illlfama lnforsmd at they wished towith&-an their their bldder*s dqmsit. That he hl@way Departmmt, the oona Yearrs. Chadwfok and i+llliambut that outs the oontraot ecd bond and thct therepecezt war forood to award the oontraot

X&m requested to edrlae pa if in frlrneas to the stateand the other bidders, the Highway C’0mmk~~l0A should return the bfddor*il ohhaokte Jfmsra. Cbadwlok aAd Xfl3.im.a and permit them to withdraw their bid under tha oiroaastrnaeaoutlined above.__

Iionorebls Julian Uontgomery, Page E



### Forthe pour reuueet into

1. .Can**PWPOS~ 0r**  **thi8 0piai0n**  ***IO**

the following quaetlonsi are mwordiag

the Stata Hlghwat Com.laalon permit a blddrr to withdraw hla bid on a highway oonatruotloa projaot after tha bid hae been adrertlaad for, r8ceiYid, opanad and read, and the low bidder anaounoed7~

2. Can the Highway CoumIrslon CsturA a b1dder.a dapoalt upo,l default of the blddar IA exaoutlng the oortraot bid upon? Art1010 6674-h prorldoa thst all contraota **mado by**  the State Highway Dapartment for the Improvam~atof any sighW&y should ba aukaitted to OcmqmtitiYe bids. SO tar 68 We hare bean able to asorrtain the 

### oourtr hare not oonetrued thI8 artlola but-the Intention of the L8glalaturr, without doubt, wks to aocompllah tha usual purpoeo of all auoh proYilTiOASof law, that la, tha purpora ofmaking this artiole read aa it does was to preolude f’aVOritl8m and prevent exoosslra WpeAdItWS of pub110 funda and to prevent oolluslo~ between oontraotora and #tat@otflolalr.

Gaotlon 118, Chap+ 18, of Don~all.y~a"Tha Law OS pUbI. COAtrSOta"reads, iAput, a8 fOl~OW#t

It Is aeon that to pannlt a bidder to withdraw hla bid would defeat the ultimata purpoao of the law raquirlng compstitlroblda for the reason that to permit auohwould Eke it possible for a13 bidder8 

### towithdrawtheirbids and thereby make tha h&heat bid'tha lowestbid.

“The objoot of letting pub110 woikr to the lowest bidder after lnvitiqg pub110 blda la to preoludr faroritlam and jobbing on the pert Of pub110 OfiiOiaim iAwhom authorit tomsko oontraota la vested end towhom the superrlalonof the l xeoutlonof oontraota la entrusted,*

ha atatod above, thb rulra promulgatrdby lour department, aa authorized by law, require a doporltwlth a bid or a oertlfled ohaok 81 a guaranty of 

### the exroution of tha oontraot and bond. Thla oheakunder the ruler la llquidatod damage8 for auoh Sallure.- .

Honorabl8 

### fullanXontgomery,P-e 3

It has bean hold in 8sny other jurladlotlona that when the 

### ntstutea provldo that tha bidder on pub110

### works must make a depoalt with his bid that the drposit **oannot be**  returnrdafter tha bide have **been** opened Cnd read. wheaton Bulldln~ Oompeny Y, Boston, 90 W. B, 598 aAd BAltlaore v. t. L.~RobInaonCanatruotlon company, Ql.Atl. 688.

It is further hold %Athe oasa of West Tome Conpnaa and Warmhouse compw Y. Panband end Santa Fa Railway Company, 18 S. W. (8) 568 that a valid edmlnl6tratlro order o? 

### a legal and duly oonatituted

### adalnlstratlre body her 

### the same foroe as a like enaotpent by the Lqlalatw. >

Tharsforr, the 

### ordersof 

### theStat. Hlghwey Codaaion requiring e deporit as a guaranty of the l xeoutlon of the OODtmot bid upon and thedollvory OS tha bond has the same

### fopon and affeot aa a utatutaprawd by theLeglalatura.



### It la, thsrrfore, the opl~lonat thlr deqertMAt that the State Hi&way Commission oannot permit a biddrr towithdraw 

### his bid 

### atter the 

### camehem beon 

### reoelfed, opened 

### androad; thet thr EI@way %Ufni88iOAamriot roturn the blddar’s deposit; but that thebidder ir bound by the atrlotterma of his bid and tha atrlot ooAatruotlon of the law and rulra applloable.

You are furtheradvised that on June 16, 1936, Honorable Curtla E. Hill, AarlataAt Attorney GeAeral, in a letter ooinlcn toHonorable Glbb GIlohrlat. State KLshwaJrEnglnasr. "hild aiwe hAve in in all 

### reapeats.

Trusting faotorlly,we are this opinion and‘we oonour-in bald-opl&n

that thla will aAswwr your In~ulry aatla-