The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-09

Business in the state departments
yesterday was confined almost ex-
clusively to routine duties, and with
the exception Of the ruling of the
| commissioner of the general land
Office, given below, very little of i'm
portance transpired in any of the
offices. This in part was
occasIoned by the non-arrival of
important mails, and because
the wet, dreary, murky atmosphere
brooded everywhere, chilling the
energies and lettering many who
had business with the departments
from visiting them.
Ten miles OF the Austin and
Northwestern railroad having been
completed, the Governor yesterday
appointed Gen. w. p. Hardeman
engineer TO inspect the same.
SECRETARY OF STATE.
The report of the secretary of
state for the year 1881 is out, and
from it the STATESMAN CLEANS the
following items of interest:
During the year the governor Of
fered rewards for 116 criminals,
charged with various crimes, and
during the same time pardoned 1875
convicts, a largo number of whom
were under sixteen years of age,
while many were aecrepid and dis
| eased persons. In addition to the
above pardons, the following COM
mutations and conditional pardons
were granted:
NJ. NJ. Hubby, Milan county, murder In
the first degree sentence, TO be hanged (;
committed to confinement In penltentlary
| for life.
z. w. Brown, Kerr county, theft of
| cattle; sentence, two years in the peni-
tentiary; commuted to eighteen months
in the penitentiary.
William M. Burton, Parker county,
| murder; sentence, to be hanged; COM
| muted to confinement in penitentiary for
life.
L. 3. Bassham, Ellis county, murder I;
sentence, confinement in penitentiary for
life pardon, to take effect October 10,
1881.
James Fixes, Dallas county, theft of
horses sentence, confinement inpeniten-
tti GUSy pardon. to take effect January 1,
John Moore, Montague county, theft of
horses In three cases; sentence, confine
ment In penitentiary for fifteen years
eommuted to five years In penitentiary.
SamA. Boykin, Hill county; theft Of
mare sentence, confinement in peniten-
ttary for fifteen years; committed to five
years In penitentiary.
Saunders Griffin, Travis county; theft
Of q buggy; sentence, confinement in
penitentiary for eight years; committed
to five years In penitentiary.
n. b. Leverett, Delta county theft Of
| a mule; sentence, confinement In peni-
Tertiary for eight years committed TO five
years In penitentiary.
George Winsworth, johnson county;
theft OF horse; sentence, confinement
In penitentiary for seven years; COM
muted to five years In penitentiary.
Marke Peeler, johnson county theft
of q horse sentence, confinement In
penitentiary for ten years; committed
to five years in penitentlary.
During the year twenty-seven
railroad charters were filed,
with an aggregate capital
stock of nearly 100000, 900.
In addition to above charters
2S4 charters representing different
associations and companies were
filed. The following is the state
ment of Office fees received and paid
luUO Une bIdI0 lTtdSuTy.
For railroad charters ........ $500 90
For miscellaneous charters,
Certificates, etc. 4,437 Is
For notarial commissions. ..... 1,020 II
| Sale of Revised Statutes. ... 720 90
Total. .$10,877 80
The office fees for the two years
previous amounted to $11,216. The
In &c Il mn 70 hn ar nh
activity in railroad building.
CONTROLLERS OFFICE.
This Office yesterday presented an
animated scene, the chief clerk and
subordInates having their hands full
of routine business. The sale of
lands for taxes in unorganized cOun-
ties was concluded, the total re-
ceipts of the sale amounting to $685.
000s It will require some time to
foot up the number of acres sold.
LAND OFFICE.
Yesterday, in answer to letter in
regard to sale of school lands, Com
missioner Walsh rep he'd as follows {:
In reply to yours of 9th inst, will say
that under the present law governing sale
of school land no one person can file upon
more than seven % sections Of pasture
land. II GA" has filed upon that number
of sections, and has made first payment,
or has sold his "fle," no application
made by him for another section would
be legal, and could not, of course, pre-
vent any other legal file. The plea on
the part OF "a" that he applied for an
eighth section because Of improvements
thereon, and therefore had Q preferred
right of purchase for six months, would
not change his status. The same law
which gave him this preferred right Of
purchase forbade him to purchas, more
than seven sections. When he nled on
sought to be acquired, he made his selec-
ton, and by that act declared his
abandonment Of any other claim.
The receipt Of money by the treas
urer, and issuance OF o certificate,
by this Office to the fact that the treas
urer's receipt has been filed here does not
affect the legal standing OF any claim.
The treasurer and commissioner act upon
the face of the papers presented and
leave questions of legality for future ex-
animation and decision. The application
of GA" for the purchase OF an eighth sec
ton was improperly received BY the sur
veyor. and he illegally rejected the appli-
cation Of OBJ Very respectfully,
W. G. WALSH, Commissioner.
DEPARTMENT GOSSIP.
Mr.. Willie Lubbock has fully re-
covered and is at his post Of duty in
the treasury department. ,lgD
Judge w. q. Denny now figures
as one of the efficient clerks up
about the land Office.
The perspective of, the new CAPT.
toll can be seen in the Office of the
capitol commissioners in the Brueg-
gerhoff building, from 9 q. m. to 4
D. m. daily. 1t will be on exhibition