Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

i i .,/‘. :~ OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN GROVERSELLERS E ArrORHrv Clc?4LIN. 1 Dear 6irs opinion HO. o-bybg Hon. ii. i. Washburn, page 2 response to my request, whloh is ettaohed with the thought that It might be of aealstance. *2. May the liarrls County Navigation Distrlat expond its funds in dredging the ahannel and oon- atruating wharves and other facilltles for berthing the United States ~Battleshlp TIGAS which hae been donated to the State of Texas by the Seoretary or #avg aondltioned that the funds neaeeaary to properly berth the vesaeli end thereafter maintain it will be appropriated? Your attention la dlreated to the ract that the girt or the Battleehip is to the State or Texas; that it la to be berthed at a state Park owned by the State of Texan; and that It la to be maintained d operated either by the State or some mmlaipal unie Tfrom sources not yet detennlned. From newspapere., I understand that the Governor hae said funds are not available fron.State aouraea for any of them purposes. “36 Assuming that the Battleship aocaS la berthed and the. neoeeeaxy wharf and approaohes are ‘bomtruoted, may ths Harris County. hlavlgatlon Diatrlot thereafter appropriate ita funds ror the nmlntenanoe and opera- tion of the veeeel aa a muaeum?R Seation 52, Artlole 3 of the Constitution of Texas pro- vides in part ae follows: “The Leglelature shall have no power to authorize any oounty, alty, tow5 or other polltloal corporation or aubdlvlelon oft the State to lend ,lte oredlt .or to grant public money or thing of value in aid of, or to pf Edlvidual( asaoclatlon or aorporation whateoever, Artlolee Nos. 8198, 8229 and %!JJa, provide in part as roJl0wa; “Art. 8198. Eavlgation districts may be oreated 80 as to lnoludetherein the territory of not more than two oountles or parts thereof; and euoh dietriots may or may not inolude villagee, towne and municipal oor- pore tlona, or any part thereof. Suah dlatriota may improve rivers, baya, oreeke, atreams and aanala withln or adjaaent to suoh dietriots, and aonatruot Hon. ii. L. Washburn, page 3 and maintain oanale and watenvays to perrait of navigation or In aid thereof, and may leaue bonds in payment therefor aa heralnafter provided." *Art. 8229. Navigation dietriots provided for in thl8 ohapter oreeted for the development or deep water navigatlan, having e olty containing one hun- dred thousand population, or more according to the preaeding Federal oeneue, ark hereby granted, in addition to the power6 oonferred by thie ohapter, the right, power and authority to eoquire, purohaas, take over', 005atruot, melntain, operate, develop sod regulate wharves, dooke, * * end all. other taollltise or aids inoldent to or neoeesary to the operation or development or ports or waterwaya, within the diatrlot and extending to the Gulf of Maxloo,* * *u wArt. 8247a. sec. 1. Any navigation dietrlot heretorore organlzad or hereafter to be organiaed under any of the provisions of the Constitution or lawa or the &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 i . I. .: . 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.