The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-04-12
"Wednesday, April -. ~
An Hour With the Legislature.

Yesterday we spent an hour with the legls-
lature, and we will try to give our impressions
gathered in that short space of time.
The burning of the old capital has forced
the legislature to occupy other quarters. The
senate is located over popular saloon upon
the avenue, and the house plays its part at
Millett's opera house little farther on upon
a side street; the two bodies being conven-
iently contiguous for all purposes of public
business. The proximity Of the saloons seems
rather suggestive,-if not appropriate-being
an assemblage of bourbon democracy; but it
would be next to impossible to secure quar-
tiers for the legislature in Austin without hav-
mo a saloon either next door, overhead or un-
derneath, hence we must acquit the law max
ers of the state of any design in selecting
these quarters.
As we stepped into the senate chamber,
slender, cadaverous, bilious looking states
man was making speech in favor Of reduc-
ing railroad from cents to 3 cents per mile.
This seems to be favorite occupation with
our legislature at the present time, and what
seemed strange, there was no railroad OPPOSE
ton; evidently the roads have concluded to
let the legislature make all the capital pleases
out of reduction of the rates of passenger
travel but thus far and no farther will it be al.
lowed to 60.
The cadaverous senator finally ended his ar
eument, and an amendment was offered to re-
strict the charges on freight, which brought
the senator from Travis to his feet, who Is evil
DENLY a friend of railroads, - he reminded
the President of the senate how they had stood,
like twin heroes, battling in the past against
railroad aggression,-and this was the thin
covering he threw over his motive IN asking
that the matter be delayed, postponed, con-
sidered carefully, in order that he might gather
data, etc Then up rose "the handsome man
of the senate" as he is called, and made
bold appeal in favor of the poor man,-we
felt the force of the fact that election time was
approaching, and already were these cham
pions Of the people-oi the bone and slne",
beginning to warm up in their affections Tor
the dear people, and that any amount OF
abuse may be expected to be heaped upon
the "graspng monopoIies" in the shape OF
railroads.
The senate seemed very listless, in fact
several seats were vacant, and the display OF
boots on the desk tops indicated feeling OF
a., in Il
dent, however, that there is plenty Of trouble
on the minds of these statesmen, all caused ny
the rediStricting business: every man OF them
wants his district preserved, and several OF
them want to carve out congressional districts
TO fit their own measure. The big fish plan OF
Of allowing the old districts to remain, and or. !
dering an election for five congressman at large,
so favored by the leaders of the democracy, |
will meet with strenuous opposition from the
incipient congressman now holding seats in !
the legislature, and we have hope that the !
small fish plan will eventually be adopted. .
Senator Romans has a novel plan to propose,
which addresses itself to the thoughtful con- |
sideration of the politicians on account OF its |
extreme simplicity, to. wit: instead of the
trouble of defining congressional district
constituting a number of counties, thereby |,
running the risk of gathering number OF
would-be congressman in single district, he !
proposes to declare Anderson county the first
congressional district with contiguous counties
sufficient attached for congressional purposes,
and so on. Bexar county being the eleventh
district with contiguous counties attached.
this would reduce the candidates to a very
limited territory and obviating the present
prospective trouble; for if a district should be
constituted Of a number Of counties it will take
IN an innumerable number Of aspirants and
thereby bring vexaton and grief.
And now it turns out that the famous
ST., 900 package of United States treasury
notes, usually placed in the hands Of fresh
young brides who visit the treasury vaults in
Washington, in order that they may be made
TO feel the happier for having handled SO large
a sum, is only bundle Of 100000 notes
upon which the signatures have not ye, been
placed. Hereafter the ''bridal package" will
not be called for SO enthusiastically.