The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-05-31

w wv AUSTIN, MlY ~ I6IO,
TO the Editor OF The Dallas Herald


TO tho Editor OF The Dallas Herald;
The past week has been quite II busy
one In the Legislature. Several impOr-
tant bills have passed both Houses,
and considerable progress made In
others. Among the measures discussed
WINS one which was quite lengthily mr.
gued In the House on Wednesday, viz:
A resolution restraining amendments
to the Constitution by the present SEES
sion. There was n majority report
from the committee adverse to the res
olution and two minority reports sus.
taining 1t. The reports were argued
by Messrs, Chambers, Rust and Price,
against any amendments, and Ivy
Meesrs. WuHbach, Baker, Braziza and
Lang, In favor of amendments. LII the
vote to adopt the resolution, II was lost
by a vote of 80 to SIS. While this indi-
Gates majority In favor of some
amendments, 1t IL also considered
that II defeats any amendments In the
House, which you are aware will re-
auire a two.thirds vote to adopt them.
In the Senate the feeling, it Is thought,
IL different, and while there has been
no test question up, it IL believed that
n two-thlrds vote might be obtained
for some amendments to the judiciary
article. In the Senate the County
Court bill was discussed for
three days and finally passed
under u suspension of the rules on Fri
day, after very animated and lengthy
discussion principally upon the
subject of jurisdiction - some
wishing that the court should have
concurrent Jurisdiction with Justices in
cases where the amount In controver-
~ shall exceed 500, and not exceed
5000. This provision, which was an
amendment offered by Senator Storey,
was carried at one time, but subse-
quently reconsidered and lost. There
were some twenty amendments offered
by Judiciary Committee No. ., from
whom the bill came, all of which We're
adopted, with the exception of one
which proposed to make the jury fee
SIS instead OF $3. This one was lost by
O vote of 10 to 10. On Friday the bill
was amended In many places, and
passed under the suspension of the
rule. 1t went to the House, and should
IL be amended there, II Ia thought IL
will still be fought in some of its pro-
visions in the Senate, on u motion to
concur. 1t Is said to be good bill, but
not as good as Judiciary Committee
No. wished to make II. Senator Pr
ner, the chairman of the committee
took great interest in this bill, and
worked hard and earnestly for Its pas
sage IA II came from the committee.
Though there were number of slight
amendments put on the bill In the Sem
ate, about the only material change in
1t is the one taking away from the
court the enforcement of liens
upon lands The debate was
argued ably and earnestly by Messrs.
Piner, of Denton; iMartin, Of Hunt;
Guy, Of Dallas; Douglas, of Smith;
Grace, OF Fannin, and Others in favor
of the bill as IL came from the COM
mittee, and by Senators Story, Thomp.
son, Grain, Edwards, Ball. McIeary,
and others In favor Of various amend.
ments. i" h.VM tlH
An important bill was introduced In
VIC k1Chatc low uhl . otSot W hicuutuI
Terrell, providing Tor an intermediate
Court OF Appeals. Senator Terrell, In
presenting the bill, stated that he did
not approve Of the bill under ordinary
and II the Legislature
should pass law amending the con-
stitution so as to increase the number
Of judges Of the Supreme aud appellate
Courts, he would not press this bill,
but In view Of the fact enunciated in
the message Of the Governor a few days
since, together with the report OF the
Chief Justice Of the Supreme Court
showing the large increase of cases on
the docket OF the court, he felt that
some relief was needed, and he pre-
scented the bill as the best means Of re-
lief In the premises. l. e..ai = -
The Legislature Is working well now
and business Is being dispatched very
rapidly. There Is, however, a large
number Of bills on the tables of the
Speaker Of the House and the Presi.