The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-03-29
Special Correspondence.
AUSTIN, March 25tb. 1879,


AID appearing to so much advaa.
tage both in type and matter, and
as | think its numerous readers
will be glad also to know how tho
present legislature is getting along,
| embrace an idle moment to give
them some intelligence in relation
to this important body, from which
the people expect so much. The
good Lord grant that they may not
be disappointed. At least | am
happy to say the Constitutional
Amendment has been adopted. AZ
ter the emphatic declaration of tho
people on that question. there
should have been no useless en-
ponditures of time nor money upon
it, but u few ambitious individuals
thought otherwise, and fought it as
long as they conld. The final vote
against it in the House-only 10
showed the utter weakness Of the op-
position, But certain gentlemen,
who it may be are looking forward
for Office of some kind, have from
the beginning of the session been
manifcsting decided hostility to
internal improvements, though
they are in tho habit of commence
ing all their dcmagogical speeches
with the assertion that "they arc
not opposed to railroads 0, mol
they are very friendly to railroads,
if capitalists will build them, but
opposed to any aid or encourage,
ment-indeed, they are for throw
ing such impediments in tho way
as will effectually prevent them.--
For instance, since the adoption of
the Constitutional Amendment, the
latest hostile movement has been
made by Judge Smith, of Colorado
to ingraft upon any new railroad
charter, or supplement to an Old
one, theright of the legislature to
repeal it at pleasure. Any man of
sense ought to know that capital
it's would never think of investing
their money on the uncertainty of
Legislature action. Besides, it
would, if carried out, produce q
system Of corruption far beyond
anything yet known in legislation.
At cacn session, tho different rail
roads, trembling for their existence,
would have on hand any quantity
of agents and money to buy up the
members. 1t would work wretched-
ly, and such men rs Smith and Ire-
land ought to know it. 1t is a
principle of common law that any
corporation may be looked into on
writ of quo wdranto by the courts,
and if a charter has been violated,
it may be annulled by them. The
friends of railroads ARE perfectly
willing tha.a general law shall BIO
enacted by which proceedings
against corporations may be institu.
tod in the courts; for charters,
while they are contracts under the
Constitution of the United States,
must be faithfully carried out by
both parties. | am happy to in
form you that the attempt of
Judge Smith to ingraft this right
Of appeal by the legislature under
charter of the East Texas railroad
was a failure. A decided majority
Of the lower House are right on al
most all matters, but they are re-
tarded in their action by the per-
sistent affairs of the impracticbles
and the old corduroys and "stick-
in-the-muds." The members from
your district are all right, and good
sound working men. 1t is said
that the new registry and election
laws will receive the Executive
sanction. They have been modi
fed and shaped 30 as to avoid the
Governors veto, and | am told
that they will be great improve
ment on the present system and
We can get along with them very
we'll The house has already acted
on the contested election case from
the Harris and Montgomery dis
trict and the Democratic members
are now in tho seats they were en-
titled BY :he evidence. What the
Senate may do with Tracy, on the
same evidence, | cannot with GER
tainty say, but presume he will be
unseated. The action of that body
in the Tendick case is not to be ia.
ken as Indicative of their conclu-
sion in this matter. | think there
were reasons for not going so far
back in the former case, and that
certain democratic Senators have
been too warmly censured for their
conduct in relation thereto. "A great
many private bills are being in
troduced and nassed on. Int il in