Texas Almanac, 1947-1948 Page: 85
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STATE CONSTITUTION. 85
Article XVI.-(Continued.)
homestead, or so long as the guardian of the
minor children of the deceased may be per-
mitted, under the order of the proper court
having jurisdiction, to use and occupy the
same.
Sec. 53. Declaration Validating Process and
Writs.-That no inconvenience may arise
from the adoption of this Constitution, it is
declared that all process and writs of all
kinds which have been or may be issued and
not returned or executed when this Consti-
tution is adopted shall remain valid, and
shall not be in any way affected by the
adoption of this Constitution.
Sec. 54. Indigent Lunatics.-It shall be the
duty of the Legislature to provide for the
custody and maintenance of indigent lunatics
at the expense of the State, under such regu-
lations and restrictions as the Legislature
may prescribe.
Sec. 55. Pensions.-The Legislature may
provide annual pensions, not to exceed $150
per annum, to surviving soldiers or volunteers
in the war between Texas and Mexico, from
the commencement of the revolution in 1835
until the 1st of January, 1837; and also to
the surviving signers of Declaration of Inde-
pendence of Texas; and to the surviving
widows continuing unmarried, of such sol-
diers and signers; provided, that no such
pension be granted except to those in In-
digent circumstances, proof of which shall be
made before the County Court of the county
where the applicant resides, in such manner
as may be provided by law.
Sec. 56. No Appropriation for Immigration,.
-The Legislature shall have no power to
appropriate any of the public money for the
establishment and maintenance of a bureau
of Immigration, or for any purpose of bring-
ing immigrants to this State.
Sec. 57. Land Set Aside for State Capitol.-
Three million acres of the public domain are
hereby appropriated and set apart for the
purpose of erecting a new State Capitol and
other necessary public buildings at the seat
of government, said lands to be sold under
the direction of the Legislature; and the
Legislature shall pass suitable laws to carry
this section into effect.
Sec. 58. Management of Prison System.-
The Legislature shall have full power and
authority to provide by law for the manage-
ment and control of the prison system of
Texas; and to this end shall have power and
authority to place the prison system under
the supervision, management and control of
such trained and experienced officer, or offi-
cers, as the Legislature may from time to
time provide for by law.
[Note.-The foregoing Sec. 58 of Art. XVI, an
amendment, was added to the Constitution, and
subsequently altered, for the following purposes:
(1) To provide specifically for a Prison Board.
Submitted by the Thirty-Second Legislature
(1911), ratified in an election Nov. 5, 1912, and
proclaimed Dec. 30, 1912. (2) To give the Legis-
lature authority to provide for prison manage-
ment, as stated in section above Submitted by
Thirty-Ninth Legislature (1925), ratified Nov. 2,
1926, and proclaimed Jan. 20, 1927.]
*Sec. 59-a. Conservation and Development
of Natural Resources.-The conservation and
development of all the natural resources of
this State, including the control, storing,
preservation and distribution of its storm and
ood waters, the waters of its rivers and
streams, for irrigation, power and all other
useful purposes, the reclamation and irriga-
tion of its arid, semiarid and other lands
*The resolution submitting this amendment was
headed "Sec. 59-a," followed by paragraphs
"(b)" and "(c)." Obviously, the first heading
should have been "Sec. 59 (a)," the parenthetical
(a) referring only to the first paragraph.needing irrigation, the reclamation and drain-
age of its overflowed lands, and other lands
needing drainage, the conservation and de-
velopment of its forests, water and hydro-
electric power, the navigation of its inland
and coastal waters, and the preservation and
conservation of all such natural resources
of the State are each and all hereby declared
public rights and duties; and the Legislature
shall pass all such laws as may be appropri-
ate thereto.
(b) There may be created within the State
of Texas, or the State may be divided into,
such number of conservation and reclamation
districts as may be determined to be essential
to the accomplishment of the purposes of
this amendment to the Constitution, which
districts shall be governmental agencies and
bodies politic and corporate with such powers
of government and with the authority to
exercise such rights, privileges and func-
tions concerning the subject matter of this
amendment as may be conferred by law.
(c) The Legislature shall authorize all such
indebtedness as may be necessary to provide
all imp rovements and the maintenance thereof
requisite to the achievement of the purposes
of this amendment, and all such indebtedness
may be evidenced by bonds of such conserva-
tion and reclamation districts, to be issued
under such regulations as may be prescribed
by law and shall, also, authorize the levy and
collection within such districts of all such
taxes, equitably distributed, as may be nec-
essary for the payment of the interest and
the creation of a sinking fund for the pay-
ment of such bonds; and also for the main-
tenance of such districts and improvements,
and such indebtedness shall be a lien upon
the property assessed for the payment there-
of; provided, the Legislature shall not author-
ize the issuance of any bonds or provide for
any indebtedness against any reclamation
district unless such proposition shall first be
submitted to the qualified property taxpaying
voters of such district and the proposition
adopted.
[Note -The foregoing Sec. 59-a, obviously meant
to be Sec. 59, (See footnote) was added to estab-
lish a conservation policy Submitted by Thirty-
Fifth Legislature (1917), and adopted in an elec-
tion of Aug. 21, 1917, and proclaimed Oct. 2,
1917 ]
Sec. 60. Texas Centennial.-That the Con-
stitution of the State of Texas be so amended
as to authorize a Texas Centennial, com-
memorating the heroic period of early Texas
history, and celebrating a century of our in-
dependence and progress, to be held at such
times, places and in such manner as may be
designated by the Legislature of Texas.
That the Legislature of Texas be author-
ized to make appropriation for the support
and maintenance thereof; provided that this
authorization shall not be construed to make
appropriations for any other future exposi-
tion or celebration of any kind or character.
[Note.-The foregoing Sec. 60 of Art. XVI, an
amendment, was added to provide for the Texas
Centennial. Submitted by the Forty-Second Jeg-
siature (1931), and adopted in an election Nov.
8, 1932.]
Sec. 61. Salary Basis for Some District and
County Officials.-Al district officers in the
State of Texas and all county officers in
counties having a population of 20.000 or
more, according to the then last preceding
Federal census, shall from the first day of
January and thereafter, and subsequent to
the first regular or special session of the
Legislature after the adoption of this resolu-
tion, be compensated on a salary basis. In all
counties In this State, the Commissioners'
Court shall be authorized to determine wheth-
er precinct officers shall be compensated on
a fee basis or on a salary basis; and in
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Texas Almanac, 1947-1948, book, 1947; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117136/m1/87/?q=%22oil-gas%22: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.