The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-07-03
House.
AUSTIN, June 80. 1879

A message was received from the senate
giving notice of the passage of Sen. te
DILL amending law encouraging stock
raising, also bill authorizing city and
county authorities to cooperate in
making public improvements; also that
Senate concurs in House amendments
10 Senate bill No. 8
Speaker. signed House bill No. G5,
diminishing the civil jurisdiction of
the county court of Navarro.
90 eur UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Appeal of Mr.. Coleman, ''That it is
the duty of the Speaker 10 decide the
previous question carried Mr.. Cole
man saiu the subj ct matter upon
which the appeal srose having been
decided, he withdrew the appeal.
special order postponed, being
| House bills Is. and 49, aud substitute
providing foEa the saleIOf alternate
sections of land sin1 organized cpun-
tfes,, as surveyed by Tallsoad compa-
aies and others. prosecuting internal
Improvements and set apart for the
bentf fit of the school fund. The SUBJ
stitute offered by Il 10 COmmitlee on
Edntafion was read. fa-
aic On motion OF Mr.. p ckett, the sub
stitute was adopted, and it was agreed
to consider it section by section. The
bill provides for the sale of alternate
sections in funOrganiZed counties for
the benefit of the school fund that the
Governor shall appoint two commits
slOnerc, for each county where such
lands. lie, who, with the county sur
veyor or deputy, shall be apprais-
err, who shall fix the true val
ue of each .unsoid section. Said
appraisers shall not, &C quire title to any
of these lands for twelve months after
| fixing values, and persons having inn
provements on any of these lands shall
have the first right for six months to
purchase ApprrisersL to receive 50 per
| day for actual service, to be paid out
of the first moneys arising from sale !;
provided only forty days are consumed
in making sppraisements. Appraisers
shall give complete intelligence in a re-
port about location and quality Of soil
aud as to water in .eacn section and
value and character OF different quar-
tiers Of the sections, all to be filed
in the county surveyors office.
No land shall be sold until reported to
the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, and until he shall N, fy the
surveyor. to proceed to sell. Not less
than one hundred and sixty acres shall
be sold to one person, and not more
than six hundred and forty when it is
arabic land and when it is grtZ ng
land in quantities TO suit purchasers.
Persons desiring desiring TO purchase
these lands shall make written appli-
cation to The surveyor designating the
tract of land he will purchase. One
third of the purchase money must be
| paid IN advance unless the
land be valuable alone for timber
when one-fourih shall be paid. The
balance shall be paid tor In ten years
In equal yearly payments, secured by
promiEory notes bearing ten per cent.
interest. The bill throws, besides
these provisions, tbe-usuaI safeguards
around the Stste's4ight to secure full
| payment to the lands, whether IN the
hands Of the original purchasers
or persons to whom they have sold.
A proposition to tx the minimum
price of these lands at fifty cents per
acre was being considered, when Mr..
Wurzbach moved to take mp the bill
making appropriation for the bebft Of
free sscnoOls, which was made the Or
der for July 2, and laid over.
Adjourned 20 p. n. .ai-le,t = q