The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-26
Capitol cuLLrNas.
Gleanings of News I'm and About
the Departments.

The charter of the cooperative mar
rage I'd birthday endowment associa-
ton of Corsicana, was filed in the secre-
tary of states office yesterday.
The charter of the Raines county CO.
operative association p. of III. was filed
In the secretary OF states Office yesterday.
The object of the asso iation is TO do a
general mercantile business at Emory,
Texas. Capital stock, SIC, 900.
Twenty-six railroad, telegraph and
steamboat companies have failed to make
reports of their quarterly gross receipts
for the quarter ending September 80,
1882 The comptroller has sent notices
10 the delinquent companies to report
promptly and accompany the report by a
remittance of one per cent tax on the
gross receipts as required by law.
The comptroller has written to Charles
Word, county treasurer Galveston coun.
ty, that he will purchase Gulf, Colorado
and Santa Fe railway bonds issued by
Galveston county to the amount of $12,-
600, bonds having been recalled by Gal
weston county to such an extent that he
can purchase that amount at par and
leave enough subsidy fund in the state
treasury to meet the January interest on
the bonds that will be outstanding.
The law requires all railroad compa-
mics doing business in the state to file
their annual report showing operations
up to September 80, 1882, on or before
the 20tn day of October. Many of the
roads finding it impracticable to furnish
full reports within the time required by
law, on account of the impOssibility of
receiving returns from officers at distant
stations, have asked the comptroller to
grant extension of time. The comp
troller replies generally to all interested
that he has no authority to grant an ex.
tension of time that would relieve
delinquent roads from the payment
of the fine in case of default in
filing their reports. the comptroller,
however, recognizes the difficulty sug-
gested by the railroads, and officially
states that if the reports are filed with
out any unnecessary delay nothing will
be done by him to embarrass the roads,
He suggests that il is important that the
report be based ON actual facts and not
compiled from estimates. Short line
roads can have no reasonable excuse for
delays. All reports should be filed by
November /, prox.
Attorney General McLeary received a
letter on the 18th inst, from Hon. VIM.
Med. Bowyer, complaining that the comp
troller had not furnished the assessor OF
Jones county with the necessary data ami
material required by law for making out
tax-rolls for back years (prevous to said
county being organized), from 1876 to
1881, inclusive, and requesting that the
assessor of said county be furnished with
everything required for the proper COL
lection of said back taxes. He stated
that the comptroller had treated all COM
munications anu inquiries on the subject
with 81 ence, and asks the alto ney gen
eral to make some inquiries in regard to
the matter. Mr.. Bowyer states that he
has bought considerable amount of the
county scrip under the impression thai
the county would collect all back taxes
this year and, also, that he is on the as
SCISSORS bond. Mr.. McLesry submitted
the letter to Comptroller Brown, and he
returns the letter of MIR. Bowyer, ana
makes a statement in connection
with the subject of back taxes as to
whether county which has been recent
ly organized has right to levy taxes on
the lands in the county prior 10 the time
of organization. In reply to the charges
Of Mr.. BOwyer he stated that the assessor
OF Jones county has been furnished with
all the information required by him to
assess the property in said county for the
years 1881 and 1882, and that his assess
ment rolls have been completed and filed
2 In the comptroller's office. He further
says that in proceeding for the forcible
collection of taxes due in said county up
TO the year 1880 he only sold the lands
for the amount due as state tax on
said lands, and left the question
open as to the collection of a
county tax on the land prior to the coun-
ty being organized /; but when a county
tax was received on land in unorganized
counties he had placed the amount in the
treasury for the county when organized.
As the state tax is regarded as the states
revenue, 1t would not be delayed in col
lection by becoming involved in differ
ences arising out of the collection of u
county tax. This question has frequent
ly been submitted to the comptroller for
an opinion as to whether a county had
the right to levy and collect county tax
prior 10 its organization, and the comp
troller has answered such inquiries by
stating that he neither decides that the
county has such right nor has he made a
waiver of such right, but has left it for
the counties to decide in their councils.