The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-06-09

Mexican boy near the fort some weeks
ago. They are still in the mountains
north of Fort Davis. The letter states
that the opinion obtains that the South
ern Pacific will be completed to within
twenty miles of Fort Davis by August,
and that the Texas Pacific will reach the
Pecos by that time.
The following are the bids for convey
ing prisoners from the different counties
to the penitentiaries: Slaughter q Co..
, $3.50; Cunningham & Ellis S26.75; z. N.
Cung and NJ. A. Harvey S2S 90; w. b.
Gregg and K. b. Ash SPOIL; Holland,
Wright & Bailey s2s.45; j. P. Kirk $3.50;
G. r. Baty $500; Richardson, Brown &
McClennan S34.75. The above amounts
are for each prisoner, the contractor to
give bond in the sum of $4,000. The
contract was awarded to Slaughter 81 Co.
The Attorney-General has rendered a
decision that the Muller grant OF nineteen
leagues of land in Medina county is null
and veid, and it is now open and subject
to location.
The Commissioner of the General
Land Office, in answer to certain ques-
tions, has written the following official
letter to a firm in LAGRANGE, which will
be found of interest to all concerned:
Gentlemen-As the act of March 10, 1881.
granting land certificates to the veterans
| of the Texas revolution places the adj
ministration of the law chiefly in the
| hands of the county judges, and in this
| office, the Honorable Attorney General
has referred your letter of the 18th inst,
on this subject, to me for attention.
To your first question-"Win evidence
taken before July /, 1881, when the law
takes effect, be valid y''-I will answer, it
will not such evidence would be with
out authority of law, and would have to
be repeated at that date, to show that the
applicant was still living.
| Second questiOn-"Where the only two
/ witnesses. by whom the necessary facts
can be proven, live in different counties
| from that in which the applicant resides,
/ can they make the necessary affidayits be-
| fore the county judge of the county in
which they live, or must they go
before the county judge of the
| This question is predicated on the as
| sumption that the two witnesses must
have known or served with the applicant
i i'm the army, and such may be the ruling
/ OF the county judges, but / do not so I'M
| derstand the requirements OF the act.
For instance, the records of this office,
/ and the ComptrOller's office, will show
| that John Smith served for a certain
period in n named command, and if living
i lin the state) is entitled to u certificate.
/ Should he make application, he must
satisfy the county judge by creditable
citizens of the county that he is John
Smith that they have always known him
i rs one of the Texas veterans, and believe
him to be such. Should such testimony
| fail to satisfy the officer, think he could
/ require IL TO be supported by afidavits of
/ nOn-residents of the county who were
| comrades of the applicant. This whole
/ question, however, must be determined by
| the county judge.
Third question-"HOw can a person
| living outside the state get a certificate p'
A nonresident of the state can
not get certificate under this
act. The law requires the testimony
to be taken before the county
| Judge, and while such an officer, or some
/ one dlscharglng the same duties, might
| be found in other states, yet, section 4
/ of the act directs that any suspected or
| discovered fraud be reported by the
i Land Commissioner to the county or dis
| trict attorney of the county where the ev-
/ idence is taken for Investigation and
prosecution. Such report would be idle
| ifmade beyond the jurisdiction of Texas.
Fourth questiOn-This is inclosed in
| answer to second question.
Fifth question-"Whena person has the
sworn testimony of parties, taken under
former laws, to the same facts, and these
parties are since dead, can this testimony
be used TO establish a claimp
It might be used as a collateral or cumu-
/ lative evidence, but would not be suffi-
cient of itself. The present act is sepa-
rate distinct proposition, and proceedings
must be had as though no previous law
/ had ever been passed, except as is spe-
Il II. a Ia NtnNa ali
be called to the fact that those who re-
/ ceiVed certificates under the last law, are
not necessarily entitled to the addi-
/ tiOnal $40 acres. Under this law three
months service in the army must be
shown, while under the last, one days
i service prior to April 81, 1886, was sufii-
i Client. Yours respectfully,
| w. G. WALSH, Commissioner.
The following is an act passed by the
last legislature:
'sBe ii enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Texas, That all lands which have
been sold for taxes and bought in by the
state shall be restored to the owners of
the same, If, i'm twelve months from the
/ passage of this act, said owners or their
agents shall pay to the state the original
| taxes due thereon. and taxes due for each
year since said sale, with eight per cent.
interest thereon per annum from the date
of the accrual of each years taxes, and all
L COSTS WHICH uuNt buClCOhs
| such rules and regulations as shall be
prescribed by the Comptroller the state"
Under its provisions. the Comptroller
says, owners of lands sold to the state
prior to February 8, 1881, for taxes due
| thereon, can redeem the same at any
time before the ifth of February, 1882,
by payment, to the collector OF the coun-
ty where the lands are situated, of the
original taxes due thereon, and for
| which said lands were sold, anG of all
taxes due upon said lands for each year
since said sale, together with interests
upon said amounts from the first day of
March following the assessments to date
of payment, and all costs accrued.
| When lands are redeemed the collector
will issue receipts in duplicate-one copy
to be delivered to the party redeeming,
and one sent to the Comptroller's
office. A certificate of redemption
will be issued by the Comp
troller and forwarded to the collector,
| who will deliver the same to the party
who redeems the land. The receipt must
show the separate amounts received in
| redemption and for taxes due for each
year, and the duplicate must be forwarded
to the Comptroller's office as soon as
issued.
The following blanks with instructions
have been sent to the assessors by the
| Comptroller:
Form {" B." regular assessment roll of
property owned by residents of the
county. Form "C,n roll of property
owned by non-residents. Form I'D, !" roll
of unrendered property, owners known or
unknown. Form &C." assessment roll
for special property and telegraph COM
panies, steamboats,, vessels, ETC.. If the
number sent is not sufficient, assessors
will mt once make requisitiOn for the addi-
tioual number required.
| The following, with instructions, have
been sent to tax collectors: "Blank deeds
| to the state; blank forms for reports Of
sales to the state and to individuals
blanks for delinquent or insolvent tax
PAYERS :" list of errors in assessments
reports of amounts collected on lands re-
deemed from sales to the state.o
| The rate of dd Udl0renl tax for 1881 is
fixed at forty cents on the one hundred
dollars.
The state school directors claims will
be ready for payment by Friday. Z
The scholastic census thus far shows
very little increase over that of last year.
The San Antonio Shooting Association,
with a capital of $685. 900, fled a charter
yesterday.
Col. Norton, one of the capitol commits
sioners, has had sent him from New Mex
leo, a couple of wonderful idols. One OF
them is unique and intensely interesting.
Ad;utant nanaral InnaS WAS out YES