The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-10-07

say luEt II the ODuttulQu Icluecu 10 pro
vide for the maintenance OF free schools it
would retard immigration, and there would
be no influx of people to develop cur vast
resources. Let them stay at home. he
did not want such population. We did
not need population VINO desired TO have
their children educated out of the hard
earnings of their neighboFs, and he would
further assert that il would be . long time
before TexaswOuld be benefited by this class.
of + Die, but her progress would be re-
tarded. The same party that organized the
| free school system in this State also organ
| lied the miserable and infamous police sJs-
tenn, whereby citizens were iEsnlted, robbed
and even murdered, and al power placed IN
the hands of one man.
Nj. Alternately moved to lay the amend
ment on the table for the present until the
Committee on Education could report.
Adopted.
| Section ffty-one provides .the Legisla-
ture shall have no power to make any grant,
or authorize the making of any grant of pub
lie money to any individual, association of
individuals, municipal or other corporation
whatever; except in case of aid in public
calamity"
Mr.. Arnim moved to amend, after the
word money" the words '.land or any
thing of value"
| Mr.. Robertson moved to amend the
amendment by inserting the word public"
before the word ''land," so as it would
read: THE Legislature shall neither grant
money or lands" The amendment was ac-
cepted.
Mr.. Reagan was opposed to the amend
ment. He asked members not to allow their
prejudices against railroad corporations to
cause them to refuse aid to works of inter
| al hat nm nnr
highways, and of our resources, and make
our State great and glorious.
Mr.. Darnell was in favor of the amend
ment, and said he was not in favor of Civ
ing away any more of our lands to railroads,
but to reserve it for the benefit of the State
public schools, State debt, etc.
MIR. Mccormick said he was in favor of
the amendment. That nearly every foot of
| public land had been squandered on rail
roads, until there was scarcely any left; that
the Fourteenth Legislature had squandered
with u lavish hand the public domain of
the State had squandered whole sections for
i cleaning out the Bernard and Angelina
| understandable for boats" and now if
there was one acre lett that was any &C
coant, he desired it to go to the education
of the children.
Mr.. Russell of Wood thought that the
greatest curse that ever befell Texas was,
her Legislatures lavishing and squandering
on them the public domain. He said that
he and twenty one Others had endeavored
to stay the tide in the Thirteenth Legisla-
ture, but that they were overpowered. and
then the fioodgates were thrown wide open
and the State ieeced by Shylocks of neatly
all her rich domain.
| Mr.. Ford was in favor of giving the pub
lie domain to railroads, and let the Iron
horse" come tearing over the beautiful prai-
| ries of the west. The public domain had
been given away until all the east and south
had railroad facilities, while the west was
languishing for want of the same. 1t was
very nice to get all the railroads they
wanted and then cut off the west from their
benefits. He desired a meeting of the
members of the west this evening to see
what they would do.
MIR. Lynch asked, as a matter OF justice,
that this matter be postponed for day or
two until consultation Can be had.
Section 4S provides ''that the Legislature
shall not have the right to levy taxes or i'm
pose burdens on the people, except to raise
revenue sufficient for the economical admin
istration of the government, in which shall
be included the following purposes" and
then names the different things upon which
they may levy taxes.
|
the word ''shall" and insert the word
''may," leaving it discretionary with the
Legislature. Adopted.
Line 24S of the same section, in its emu
meration of what the Legislature may levy
taxes for. says: 'sThe support of the elee-
mosynary institutions of the State"
Mr.. Wright offered to amend by striking
out the line and inserting ''the Blind, Deaf
and Dumb, and Insane Asylums," SO that
there would be no clubbing as to what
the appropriation was intended for. Adop-
ted.
Mr. Wade moved to amend by inserting
after the word debt, the words land for
payment of the floating debt of the State. F"
Withdrawn for the present.
Mr.. West offered to amend line 246 by
adding after the word schools" the words
land colleges and institutions under the
control of the Srate."
\ Mr.. Martin of Hunt moved to strike out
the words 1.-THE protection of the frontier.
Withdrawn for the present.
Mr.. Ferris offered the following as sub
stitpte for section forty-nine: ''The aggre-
gate amount of debts hereafter contracted
by The Legislature shall never exceed the
sum OF 800, 900, except in case of war, to
repel invasion, or suppress insurrection
and in no case shall debt be created, or
bonds issued, except by vote of two-thirds
of both houses of the Legislature"
Mr.. DeMorse opposed the substitute. He
said our bonds had been hawked about in
the markets of Wall street at, virtually,
sixty cents on the dollar; that there may
have been some necessity for this heretofore,
but there was no use for it any longer. The
people had been taxed heavily long enough,
and it was high time to put an end TO it.
Mr.. Stockdale moved to amend the sub
stitute by adding the words ''except in the
renewal of existing bonds, when they can
not be paid ut maturity out of the sinking
fund, or other resources Amendment &C
cepted. a
The question then recurring on the adop-
ton of the substitute as amended, it was
adopted by q vote of so to 26.
Mr.. Mccormick said he was satisfied that
many of his brother Changers did not un-
derstand the question, and he would, there
fore, give notice that he would move a re-
consideration.
| The President decided that as Mr. Nc
Cormick voted in the negative, his motion
for reconsideration was out of order.
Mr.. Reagan then offered the following as
a substitute for the section just adopted
"No debt shall be created by or on behalf
of the State, except to supply actual def
ciencies of revenue, repel invasion, suppress
instruction, defend the State in war, oil
pay existing debt; and the debt created to
!, supply deficiencies in the revenue shall
never exceed in the aggregate at any one
time $500, OO0."
) Mr.. Mills Offered an amendment to The
! substitute by adding the words land fol
: school purposes
Mr.. Mccormick moved to lay the amend
ment of Mr.. Mills on the table. Carried
Mr.. DeMorse opposed the substitute Of
fered by Mr.. Reagan, and charged that an
opening was provided for on unlimited pub
lie debt, and called on Mr.. Reagan to an
! swer.
! Mr.. Reagan admitted that this might fol
low in case of an Invasion.
, Mr.. Mccormick asked the member from
J Red River how he would defend the Stats
II invaded.
! Il NJ. ~ -