The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-10

Curieus Conduct Of Tom scott's Majority In
tho Legislature In his Interest.

UousToN, Texas, Aug. 3.-Tom SCOTS
disturbing influence has made itself manifest In
this State OF late, Ono Of the provisions OF tho
Texas land grant TO the Pacific Railroad Com
p,ny was to the effect that, should the corpora
t,on fail to construct Its road to a certain point
before the adjournment OF the fifteenth Lcgs-
lature the land so granted should revert to the
State. This was done to hasten the work. Sew
eral weeks ago the Legislature nxed upon July
81 as the day of nnal adjournment. As that date
approached, the company realized that II would
bo impossible to complete the road to the re-
quired point within the specified time, and q
resolution WINS at once introduced In the Leris-
lature to rescnd the adjournment resolution, In
order that the body might be kept In session
until the danger OF losing this immense grab Of
1000 square miles Of the best land In Texas was
aveHed. The RESOLUTION, though stoutly OPP
20 ed, passed the Senate, but hung nre IN the
House. The friends OF the road In this body,
too, were In the majority but they were resisted
BY resuectable minority, determined TO con-
test the issue. Other important and necessary
LEGISLATION became OF secondary importance in
the minds of the friends of the road, and day
after day went nv with II still Enacted upon, so
absorbing was the Interest in the resembling res
olution. which the minority by superior tactics,
prevented from coming TO so vote; rms WAS uns
being then under call with one member unac-
counted for The House remained In the custo-
dy OF its officers until sunday morning, when the
contending factions entered into an agreement
to take a recess until Monday morning, the stu
| alton to remain the same.
| On Monday morning the Senate met, and dis
regarding the fact that the resolution rescind-
ing the vote bv which IL o'clock, NJ, of that day
| had been fixed upon as the hour for the closing
OF this session o. the Legislature, had not been
| passed by the Housed adjourned until $3.50 y.
| NJ. The majority In the House finding them
| selves no better on than before the recess, fol-
| lowed the example OF the Senate, and adjourned
| till afternoon. The minority entered n protest,
| declaring that the speaker should keep his seat,
| and adjourn the House sine die at IL O'Clock.
| But II awaited nothing. An Indignation meet
ing was held. and the action OF the majority Sc
| verely criticised. Upon reassein bling, the As
| semblv placed the minority under arrest, upon
| their refusal to attend the session, which was
founded upon the belief that the Legislature no
longer leg lliv existed. They admitted that 1t
was i'm pefatively necessary that the appropria-
ton bills, and like i'm portant mensures. should
be passed, but they held that In order to do Thu
| an extra session must be called by the Govern
| or. However. the Governor, United States Sem
| ntor elect Coke, seems to be on the side OF the
majority, for ne has written to tho Legislature
n letter congratulating the members Tor their
wisdom In prulonging the session. since then
designations have been in order. and but little
else has been done besides acting upon tn 4.
| Thus we have the probably unparalleled specta-
Gle OF a legislative body disiegardine It's resolu-
| ton OF adjournment, and proceeding to
! business, when by its own act, II has ceased to
| exist.