OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN tRUDC.MucN -0s
Honorable Ben J. Dean DietriOt Attorney ~okttnrldge, Texas DSar %rl oplnlon No. o-4279
Your letter of reaen of this department on the puss iollowr: "1 hare before Deaember 13. 1 District Attor a question and
t that the .eexaenas or and wtm reoallsa 49 (@enera ana We- By virtue of'B. C. R. the enrolling olerk orreot Ii.B. No. 161, '80 IUI to attaohea hereto* (Oeneral ana
atatute &I not be aruendedby reeolution. trebleBen J. D8an. Paa 2
*SeotIon 6 ai R. B. NO. 161 provides, *this sot shall take effeot and be In operation 011and after January 1, 1943.' Vases cited In the letter frorlMr. Lortin, Aeelstent Ciatrict Attorney of Young County, are to the erfect that wh8re the operation oi a stat- ute la postponed that It may be a law for the purpose 0r notice prior to tha postponeddate, but It aotually takea efreot aa of the date to whloh it vss postponed. "In tha oaae of Pophazav. Patterson, 51 C. W. (2) 680, cited In hr. Lottln'a letter, the oourt said In aohstzuingstatutes, *It Is the duty 0r the aourt to osaertain the legI8latIveIntent, acd, when suoh Intent Is onoe arrived at It shall be given erieat; In raot, such Intent is the few.* "It IS my constructionthat what the oourt mmnt by sotlae was that a oItatIon tar Instanoe, sey IA a taz suit returnableto the next torni, riled say Dsoenbar 20, 1942. would eomasd the derendant to appear before the 90th JudIoIal DIetrIot at Its next terr in February, 1943, and would hot hate the errect or aotucrlly enlargI8g the 90th JudIoIsl DIstrIot to Iaolude young County until the erreotire date 0r the aot. *ArtIale 5, s80ti0n 21, 0r th4 constituti0n provides that the Leglaletttremap protIde for the eleetIoa oi DIstrIot Att0rney.s. *Artlole 322, R. S., provides that a Dlstrlot Attorney shall be eleotsd In the 90th Judlelal DIatrIot. Ii.B. NO. 161 sakes no provIsIon for th8 eleotlvn of District Attorney bilierent iram the provIsIons eontafned In ArtIale 322, R. S. *It has b~sn held that the Legislatureha8 power to postpone the taking eireot or a law. Chambers V. BaldwIn, 274 R. 'd.1011 (reversed on another point, 282 .7.T:.793); to the same 8rr4at 39 Tsr. au-., p. 50, 51.
k BacwahleBen J.Ik%an, Page 3
"71th reierenae TV the oonstruotion of 4 utetute:
s*PrImrIlp the intention and manlng of the L8~i9laturePlustbe asoertalnedfro& the language of the statute read as 8 whole, t&t Is, rror;the entire context of the law. If the statutorylangua~e'alearlyend &IetInotlyre- veals the legislativeIntent, there Is no ou- oaslon to look elsewhere.* 39 'Pex.hr., p. 176 (Sea. 931.' *'intent Of the ~8&318tlir8iS the prLntrX'y considerstlonIn the oonstruotlonat a statuta. But one 0r the oanona or oonstru4tionIn arriv- ing at intent Is to ettrlbnte some i&gDifIoanoe to eaoh ?ert of tha aat under oonslderation. "It Will be noted that L B. No. 161 pmldear "*The DImt*letJudge and Distrlot~Attorzm~ 0r the Mnetieth 'JudlolelDletrlct now sleded and