The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-02-05
Governors Message ON Appropria-
tions and Expenditures Under
Control of ihe Governor.


sembled
There were several appropriations made by
the sxteenth Il gislaure, which Tero to be ex'
pende under the direction OF the governor,
which 1t ispToper 10 give some ex planatl9h Oh
In regard 10 the manner ia when ihey nave
been acted on.
LAND FoRCBHIEs.
In the deficiency appropriation, an appro-
prlaiion OF $1,000 wa made for "payihsnt OF
the services of detectives, attorneys, lhlorih-
ers and prosecutors employ Ell IN the detection
and prosecution Of land i0rger!es. IL was
provided that the governor should make final
setIl menC VITA such ,rsons, ana Oolaln thelr
reoeipt and release OF the stare upon MS APP
pioval OF their olaiml which Was zone as
shown in the annexed statement III 'rKea OK
Judge A p. Foster was the detective pre-
yiously employed TO trace out these fOrgtfle
and aid In piucarng tue evidence To estaDii II
them MessrS sheekS Il SnCed were the attOT-
news ernpioyed } prosecute the cases for the
state 1 AID of the county attorney OF travis
county. Said star exhibited his contract Of
empu ymsnt and tho expenses incurred by him
In the prosy cuti0n Ol hi said employment ana
ths amounts ia TO HIM therefor.
Messrs rheeks 6 Sneed did the snme, they
having prepare n | rge number ofinl ctmehts
agaiust number Of pers0Gs, secured me con-
yicton up 10 that time of numbe OF theup,
leaving the larger number btlIl blan0l Z Tor
trial for all of Witch they mad Received bus
small compensation.
They belug The persons IN inly Interested In
the mount appropriated n The deficiency blIl,
and /. being Satisfied, after full stlsntion
of their claims that said amount was not an
excessive compensation for Ihelr btrVlcea re-
queSted them, 10 my presence, 10 nuke u lhu'
tual adiustmen Of their claims so 40 TO leave
small am unt TOR any possible claim mat
might be presented, which they dbl ana their
accounts were approved BY me upon lhelr eA-
eoutihg full receipt and release 70 the state
for al servlcsI res pegiYvly rende ed by tht IN
In al pI upl 1 4. uu
1879. A small smounl ON the same terms, was
allow Il to j. n. Lucy as balance due linn Tor
services In the same matt 4.
The amounts respectively pald 10 each ep-
pear In The annexed exhibit, marked EEK
hibit A."
EXHIBIT A,
Statement of amounts drawn against appro-
pri8t.on for payment OF SERVICES OF detectives,
attorneys, informelS, c c.
1919. July 2i-A Z. Foster 800 90
She4ks Il Sneei, ......, b, 90 90
1880. April 27--J. Il. Lucy ..,.....".., Is SO
Total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $50 50
BY appropriate oa..,.,....,..,", -. lO,VUO 10
Correct, ~rEru. IL. DARDEg,
Comptroller.
There was another claim presented for 81, 900
by Mr. Hugh lhittick, for ''fervlces rs de-
tective In The arrest Of one John Il Strong, and
SELLING and taking fr0m his possession and
sending TO George Clark, nttoIney-ge eral of
the tate ofIeXas, large number Of forged
deeds and material for making for !erles, aflaCt-
Ing titles to 4 s1H ltnds which iruishod TO
the authorities Of Texas tho ilrst clue 10 the
combination of torgers otttlas to Texas land,
which has baHu BROUGHT TO light since March,
lS75p This claim, though come cOmpensatt0u
might have b On deserving rs bounty for
gratuitOuS setVioie, hat were sArve able 70
the state, could not b. allowed by me under the
law, because said Chittick was nat detective
employed by .he authorities vi Texas, ard
what he did was not under 60 tract from the
state.
Thee attn, at the date Of said settsm be-
Ing lArgenuahhr faAid indictments p1ndng
in court, and other indictments for similar
offenses in contemplation u 10 illod, en-
pl1yed Mesirs. SheeEs& Sneod 10 continue the
prosecution OF them, and agreed to pay them
an additional emOunt of Sl00 for each pGr-
son finally convicted, which contract was
entered lutte on the I'D Of May, 1879,
Under said contract, five other pc sons have
been convicted and the amounts paid therefor
out or the regular annual n pprop rlatiOu for re-
wards and tho employment Of attorneys to
prosecute and sefend suits for the state, as
shown In ExhibitR
THE BELL PuNCHLAw.
Under the appropriation last referred to, ]
employed l'wyers 10 aid In prosecutions and
In defense of suits to enforce the execution Of
the law f the ,ixteenth Legislature commonly
known MS the bell punch law, under advice
of It's necessity by the local attorneys repre-.
senting the stat G, and with the approval of tive
attorney general. In the Galveston district
court suit was br 'ught to eNjDm the tax col-
lector from pay lng into the treasury, and for
the recovery back OF largo 0mounty of
money paid by various persons undersGid law,
the object being 10 test the cOnsti tionality Of
Baid law. In this suit employed Messrs vii.
lie u Cleavelnd and Mr.. George T.. Flnlay
The law having been declared TO be cOnstitn.
uonal by the courta,an effort was made TO have
II enforced by criminal prosecutions, and for
hnl anl1 az u trkF IN hal
representing the state, where Il was shown 20
be necessary For this purpose | employed
Messrs. o. NJ. watkins, At Galveston,
and JohnW r. bert on, at Austin. l acted In
this under the belief That IL was my duty
to see that the law was executed, IL 1t could be
done by the means placed at my command. In
order to call attention TO these violations of
the law the following proclamation was Is
sued:
"PRooLAMATIoN.
"Whereas, 1t having been made known to
me that In many portions of the state, and
especially In the larger cities thereof, powerful
aud influential combinations have been formed
and entered into to prevent the execution of
the revenue laws, the effect of which has been
TO detraud the state OF her legitimate taxes
and bring reproach upon those CHI .rged with
execution OF her penal laws;
And itappearlng that In several localities
OF the state tlese combinations have assumed
to openly and VIGOROUSLY violate the law, With
out the proper fort being made by the local
oilic Is to punish them aud ylndlcate Its maj
esty, thereby In effect educating the people 10
open resistance TO the authority of The state,
which, II not checked, may lead TO more Sc.
rious and dangerous consequences Ia the flu
ture;
"Therefore, 10. NJ Roberts, governor of
the state OF Texas, do by virtue Of the au-
therity vested In ms by the constitution and
laws OF TINS state, Issue thls my prool smation
calling upon and requesting all ihs good peo-
pie tnls state TO render such aid aud assist
ance to the onicers charged with the eniorcA-
ment Of the revenue and other laws OF this
state as may be necessary TO the accomplish
ment OF the same.
sand hereby earnestly urge district attor
neys, county attorneys, shorlns and tax oollec.
tors TO taxa Immediate m ensures TO prosecute
and pualsh all persons engaged Ia violating
the law, or report 10 me ali cases where they
are unable or unwilling to perform this duty.
"ihe lAlthfal execution of the laws In re-
publican government must depend upon the
moral supp 1T a dphysicAl AID CT Its good cit
liens, which they VIII seldom fail u Give il
the prosecuting oficers VIII lead the Way I'm
an avowed aud fearless effort TO eXeolte laws
In testimony whereof, hereto sign my
name and cause the seal OF state to 10 All xedf.
at Austin, this 10Th day of November, A. ID,
1879 -
las o. NJ. RoBRRrs,
f'T. II BOWMAN,
"Actirg Secretary OF State"
Ii Ia notorious that the law was not psner.
ally executed. It's prospective Importance is
not such as to render IL necessary for mo 70
comment on the causes Of Its failure or tho
mode Of Its amen ment, further than To saw
that IL WAS an sxpt riment that made indivi.
duals tax themselves, and has excited SO great
o pref udice Ms to make an amendment mi
probably practica'. Inc amounts paid to at.
torneys arc shown In Exhibit b, hereto al
fnoheu -