&Stateof Texas, in addition to all other powere oonrerred by lawAm hereby given au- Zhority and shell hereafter hare.-* in the manner hembaiter provided to eogulre, ,purohase, oonatruet, enlarge, extend, repair, malnUtOI operate or develop wharves, dooks, ~t:~~-:%eabi~ everything appurtenant the,reto, fogether.$l,th all other radlitier or eLda Fooldent to or useful in the operation or dereloprnent ol,,the dlstrlotts port6 and waterways or In aid or navlgatlrm * * *."
genate BU No.222, Sea..2, passed by the 40th Legisle- ture in 1927, provides in part'60 followrrr
"The navigation distriot, or it8 aueoeaaora, is hereby grant& the right, power and authority to authorize. eatablieh. oonatruot, purchase, own, --~~. . ate end leans ha. drr d&ka. marine waya end
--, --- &e between the main lan- d end _-- -islands and to 'ill1 area8 for whervea, piers, km. arv doe--, -. dagke, --. marine ways and for all other atruotums and appllanaes for raoilltatlw ._ .
Eon. H. L. Washburn, page 4
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. r&m. ii. L. r'iashbum, !atJe 5
The law ia well aettlea that county ~odaaIoners oourte amy exorcia~ronly auoh authority 88 conferredby the Conetl- tution and atatutea of thle State. rhle dapartmnt has in many opInnion8 ao held. see OpIhIOn Ro. o-1001, and authorltlae therein Oltsd. A oopy of said oplnloh la herewith enoloaed. ~a have mado a dillgent aearoh and am unable to find my ltatuta au- thorizing the lxp6haItuce or donation of oouhty fund8 by the Commlralonors~Court for the purpore above dsaorlbed. 'X0 therefore awwer your fIrat question In the negative. Iiianewer to your seoond quaetlon, It la our opinionthat HarrI8 County Houston Ship Charnel CavIgatIon DIrtrIot Ia clearly euthoriad to oxpond Ita funda ror the purpoee of dredglhg ohmnels, oohatruotingwhariae and other faoIlItIeaor alas whatsoever to navigation or oommeroe. A8 7.0whether the dradging of the ohannel and oonstruatlngwhurver and oth6r faollltis6 fnoldental to the borthIng of the united Sates, tiattleshlpWTLf;fGfinwould be nreoIll- tisa or aida to navigation or oomeroe n Is largely a raot question and one to be determined prlmrlly by the navigation dietriot In the exerclee of It.8sound dIsoretIoh. It is our opinion that you- third queatlon ehould be anmeraa In the negative and It IS 80 anawemd. we wl8h to oxpxese our slnaere appreciationfor the able briefs mubraittedIh this matter by Lion.L).A. 3Ink!non#~ OA behalf of the navlgatton dlrtrlot and by Lion. Yrnsat A. KhIpp on behalr of %3rrIs 0ouAty.
JOILJ enal.