### 77

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



### Iionorabls

hanalaQ.Markls,Chalrr~on 

### cr:eeittce

onCon6tibutlo&ull

Alxendwntr tath&~.aloturo **Austin.** 

### Tsrm

**Deer** 

### I.%.

Marklo:

UpGQ **the abar.**  our request **for** im 

### opI::lon

**r** 

### es 10114118:

,hss inotruotrd 

### ma pinionon 8. J, 

### R. lb. I em enolo8lng.
sirea **to** know whothor., lY a part or our Coartltutlon, **requlro** 

### bhaconsolidation o? dbtrfot an4 cbunty olerka Ia rll 81 than 30,000 peraon#, or whotber ,ptmm ~36ththe inaiviauai 00mie8. t be naor5sary lar thr Lo&8latun to neblina **Aut to**  **put into**  ePfeat the aonstltutional provl8,lon? *In this sosneotion, tbs CWmittee OS116 your 

### littcntlon

to %o. 20 of i&t. 5 OS the Con8titution, 

### onthe aubjoot 

### of **iiouatp Clrrks,**  end to 3ea. 9 of the mm8 brtiale, on the mbJe,ot oi Distrlat Clerks. 

### :'e notothet thelrttapr ~~eotloil

### doa*not 

### oontain theeraeption oaritdlnsa ia ttifi **fornar,** WIth mgrra tQ OOlutti,e8 Of WW3ll ~O~Ul~tiOfi.”

### Thrrcsolutloasaritlrned 

### omsnds.%ctlon 20 o?



### krtlaloV, c?thoConotituticrn, ao45 to 

### reedas?t;llowsr
m%Otlon 20. Than shellbecalacted ror eeab oounty, **by** the 

## quauriea voters, a oounty olerk, who 4hsll hold h18 oftioe for two earn’, who 8k411 bmolsrk oitha Bounty rnd cram%48 onem* **i aowt8**  

### ma reoorder o? t&4 aountf, who84 duties perqul**sit04** ana r-4 or ori s&811 ba prr4oribea br the trglslrture, 0na a voaonoy in whose 0rri00 rhall be ?lllOa by the 001PPi8410Dbr8' Oourt, until the next eoaeral al*otlon ?or oou4t ana 4t4tr oifloarr: provlaaa, that In oountlea L

### vlng9 popstm 0r **1let38 th-**  thirty **tm44*a** **(30,000) p~40fi4,**  to k detormlnea **st** rng **tlm by**  the 184t preoedlng Federal oen4u8, thbre sly k 80 ale4tlon or 

### a 4inglle olork, uho shall pU?Orm the duti48 o? Dintrlot tubaCounty Clorkm.*

%tatlon 20 o? Artlols Vof th6 "tata Constltutlon, as It now **rxlsts,** la on ?oll4w4r

*******‘ lhere**  4h811 b4 &8oted ?or 

### uah ao&mty,**bl** th0 gU8iifi~a VQtU4. IIOOUUtYOiUk, Who4h4ii ho14 t?i4 Orrio r0r tu0 yoera, who 4hal.l b4 the 

### olorko?the oounty and oamml4#lorAu4* oourto end rooortlu of the oount$, u&one dutlrs, porqul8ltar saa **re64** or orriae 

### shallb0 **prosorlbd** by tibrr 

### lo~i~l~two, end**4 veaona~**  

### in **rho40** 

### o??tfoe a*11 bs ~.fUlcd

by the ooti841ts&er8* OOU?~, **until** th4 next **gencrrel** elooticn ror oo4z~t7 and **8tok** orrioer4; provided, that in oounti44 troving 

### a **popuhtloo** or ietw than 6,000 percPo::r, **tbsre may**  **ba en**  

### aleotion ofa singlealrrk,wbo 

### @hallpar'tomthci dutle8 G?dl8triat **and acunty**  ale**.*

**m3** raroglng **pmmimioa** 0r **the** 

## oonatl **tution** 1s **a** pert or 

### theComstltutlon or 1876 a@ ho8 not Baea 8mendad. The 

### 78Ron. Doneld Lf.Uerkle, paga 3



### 4e.74 ie tri.4

OS ':satlcn

9, 

### !wtloleV,of thefteteConatitueon. 

### '4ction9, Art1414v, of tha it now &late, providea: State Conatltutlan 88

*There ate11 be a olork for the dlatrlot oourt ofeaoh

c ounty,

who8ha11

k llaotttd by thequelifled ,voterr oi the atatb and ocmntg **oftioera,** who ahell hold hfa otfloo ior two yeera, 8ubJeot k, removal **by** infonmtion, or **by** innblotamnt of thy #and Jury, and oonvlotiou by 0 p&It Jury. In oaae of vrroenoy, tbr Judge Of the 418triOt court ah011 have the pomr to **appoint** a dlork, *ho uhall hold until the oiiioo oen be ill104 byl leotion. *
Art&ales 189&, 1903, and 1935, 

### Vsmonsa &mutated Civil Stetutea, prevlde 

### a8 iollowa~

*.Art . 189b. The crlerk of the blatriot aour o? l aoh 

### oounty

ahell be 01eo~4 

### eteaoh gOrural eleotlon 

### fore 

### tars!

o? 2 yeara. Blob auoh alerk aball hero **powor**to **edmial8t~r** oaths sad atfinn irauwme required la **the dlroharge**  **Or** their OfilOIal Uutiea, $0 take tb 

### bepoaition8 of wItneeao8, 

### 4nUgaturally to p~rforsl all rruahUutloa aa em or met be irap upon hla by law.


### “Art. 1903. Xn oountlea harIng a populetloa oi leas 

### than 8,000 peracm, aooordiag to the preaOdir?g Federal Conaua, OZQJone clerk a&e11 ba eIooto4. Re *haSi teka the oath an4 glvr t.be bun4 

### requirraof olerka of both the Ulstrlot end county 

### court*, em4 shell have 

### theporora en4 parform the 4utImr of 

### awh olorka r(lapeotlvely.w
*Art. 1935. k 014rk 

### or th0 

### 43arnty

0Olirt 0r la0h muntr aha11 be l

leotsd 

### at l

Ooh

### general l

leotlon ror a term or two yeera. Xaoh auo)?clerk ahe bo cuthorIacd to issue all mrrirge LIalill~eS, to **adainiater** 

### 411 **oaths and**  rffirmationa, **en4 to**  take erri4mlta On4 depoaItIon8 to he **use4** 

### 88 **protic by**  law In any of 

### the0abrta.*
The s&y matsrlal ohange the propoaad amendment makea ir ‘eotloa 20 ir thet It raiaw8 the llmlt OYthe populationHon. Ikaald 1. Markle, page 4

or those oountlea In whloh %here may be an 

### l leotlon of a single clerk” rrau *leas then 8,000 

### persOnam to a1eaa than 

### 30,000 pera0na.~

Artlole 1158, Revised Statutes of lq9, provided: “Qi eountiea haviag l population of 

### leas than IS.000 persona, ohly one elork shall **be** eleete4,who ahall take the oath an4 **bond** required of elerka of both aZ the **4latrlot** and oounty 

### eourta an4 rho ahal& have the. powara ad perfern all the duties of **au&** alerka 

### roapeetivelg.w
The provIaIcma ab said Artlolo have ken brought torwar4 **In** 

### l

abatantlally the amae ~lengumge In a11 mbaeqa*nt 

### rerlafona of the statutes. TJie

### pnaonb **statute** Is Artiole 

### 1903, **quote4 above.** 



### By the l ~otmant of **Ad&.** llSg, a 

### short tire d8 r the Oonatitutlon ml adopted, the 18gfalature eon#trueU’the;,. onatltutlonal gemI aIon wader 

### eoMid4rBtiOa not 

### l 4lf-auou$l.i&. guoh 

### hasbeen the 

### eonatruotlon of a11 leglalaturea whloh hare oon- ~,ened alnoe 1879 for the statute has not **been** materially e’hmged.

It la stated’ In Texas furIrpru4rnoe, Vol. 9, **pega** 423:
While e oonatltutI0~ la tamally a me19 deolrretlon of prlnoiplra of 0rganIe 

### an4tuadamental law, In au* raahion that a oonatltutlonrl 

### proriaionmy be ortablIahe4, an4 yet remain wIthoist forae or 

### l otivity until the 

### 'adoption

cb l~gislatlon whiuh sarrlea it into eiieat, yet ft 

### Is entirely wItbIn the poarra ot wople 

### to adopt provIsiona whleh are ~aelf-ex~outlngl or whloh are operative wIthout legl@LatIon.

***A** oonatltutlonal provlaion may be aaI4 to k. #elfexaoutlpl 

### ir It supplies e auifieient rule **by** 

### m44n4 **or** tiloh a right 

### givenmey be enjoy04 end proteeteb m a duty imposed way be 

### l nfcxee4; It la not aelWexeeuting where It 

### merelyindiaate a prinoiple, without ley%ng down eagrrules by mama of whIuh the prInolple may b4 given the fores of law. **A** provision wbiob **dedlarea** thet *eaoh **shore** holder
. . . . ahell be paraamlly liable **ror** all the debts of woh 4orporst4 body
....* I* *elf-oreouting. gut a oonatItutIoaa1 InhibitionRon. Donald Y. garkls, Peg6 5 

### 8t ,..A,

# 1

against usury condemning *sll 00ntreot.s ror a greater ret4 of Interset than ten psr oentum p4r annum’ aa uaurloua, Is self-exeoutlng only to the extent of rendering usurious oontraota Illegal. The power end duty of fixing penalties ior vIolatIona of the oonetitutlonal provlai~on is delegeted to the legialeture.a 

## Art4roarefully oonaIderIng the toregoing proposed amendment to S4otIon SO, Art1016 V, at the State Constitution, It la our oplnlon that said provlaI0n la not eelt-ex4outIng in that It merely IadIoat4a the principle, without leying down any foroe of law. The proposed emendment la e mere dealantlon of prlnolples of orgenlo end fundementel law end remeina without foroe 

### oraotlvity until the edo tion of leg5aletion whloh oarrlee it into 

## 0rr40t. st4t4a diterontly, It 58 our opinion that In the event the propoard ammdment to raid SgetIon,zO la adopted en4 boo-8 e part of 

### theUonatItut5an, that before said provlalon b&owes ot iOr or 

### l otITe, It would be necessary for the legialeture to enact **proper** legIalatlon k, oarry said provIaIon 

### Intoeiieot. (See Corpus Jurla Seoundum, Vol. 16, 

### tiger 100-110 and authorities oited therein). ??abelieve t&et-th6 foregoing statement disposer 0f both qu4atIona under oona5deratlon.

Xoura vefy truly,
ATTOBaBYOEiTlZRAL OPTFZAS