The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-05-03
The Seventeenth Legislature A Mum.
Der of Bills are Introduced in
the Senate - Subject Mat.
ter Of Them.
Citizens Of Austin Present to House n
Protest-A Committee of Inyes-
tigatiOn Appointed.
The Austin Il Northwestern Railway
Completed to Burnct..HoustOn's
Coming Festivities.
Reported Discovery of Silver Mines in
Menard County.
Dots from the City by the
Sea.
Other Interesting State News.
Other Interesting State News
Seventeenth Legislature


SENATE.
Special to the Herald.
AUSTIN, May 2.-The senate convened
pursuant to adjournment. The speaker
was in the chair; prayer was held by the
chaplain; the roll was called, and the min.
utes or the previous meeting were read.
A number of bills were reported fay
orably by committees. Looking to the
leasing of school lands; another to
prevent railroads, their employees or
others from making excessive charges
| another to withdraw public lands
from sale; another to lease the university
lands, none of which will be likely to
receive attention, owing to the lateness of
| the session.
The railroad bill, which was pending ad-
| ljournment yesterday, was taken up, and
the minority report was killed at engross-
ment.
The senate refused to recede from some
of its amendments to the tax bill.
The bill regulating the hiring of county
convicts was amended and passed.
Adjourned.
| HOUSE,
Baker, from the committee on finance,
reported favorably on the deficiency bill.
On resolution Of Taylor, Hon. ]. Estis,
from Hood county, was invited to seat on
the floor.
Bruce presented memorial from the cit
izens OF Austin, representing that the work
being done in the new addition
to the lunatic asylum, now in process
of construction, is not being executed
in accordance with the contract plans and
specifications therefor in the following ma
terial particulars: The specifications re-
quire that the foundation shall be
: built of stone equal in quality to that used
in the Travis county courthouse; that
every stone laid in said foundation shall be
a three-quarter band stone, that is,
three-fourths OF the thickness of
the wall. Your memorialists allege that
the stone used in the foundation is com
mon rubble stone, that is common lime
stone, which is wholly unsuited and anit
for the foundation of such building and
and not band stones as the specifications
required The specifications pro-
vided that both the stone aud brick
work Of said building should be laid in
Texas cement, ana the same shall be kept
and used Immediately after mixing. The
memorlalists allege that the cement being
used is not Texas cement, but lime cement,
which is wholly inadequate and unfit
to be used in such n structure. The
specifications require that the bull ling
shall be constructed in n workmanlike
manner. The memorialists allege that the
material used and the work being done are
unsubstantlal, unsafe and not according to
contract The memorialists further allege
that If the building is completed us IL is
being erected It will prove a dangerous
structure and little il any value to the
state. The memorialists further allege
that III their humble opinion II would be
entirely useless for them to lay this matter
before the present management OF the
lunatic asylum, and hence they come
directly to the legislature of the
state and present the facts
that they may take such action as may be
necessary to protect the state. They, there.
fore, request that committee be appointed
4 to investigate and report the facts, and that
such final action may be taken as the law
and facts warrant and demand. Re
spectfully submitted, Signed by Schuber
W. II. Brown, W. Keye, l.. Dalme, A. W
Bunsen and w. Atulbert.
Bruce said he was authorized by TIE
sigrers of that memorial to state that if II
is the sense OF the house to appoint q com
mlttee, they, as practical mechanics, will
render their services to the state free o.
charge. He moved that committee O.
three be appointed TO investigate the mat.
! ter. Adopted.
The speaker appointed Messrs. Bruce
Carleton and Gaithersuch committee.
The house took up the senate amend.
ments to the house tax bill, and lively
discussion occurred respecting the moral
and the economical effect of the amend.
ment imposing a tax of $500 on the sale o
the Police Gazette, Police News, and illus
,rated papers of their character The
amendment, however, was adopted by
large majority.
Ayers, by leave, called up the house
joint resolution providing for an election tC
versity for the instruction of the coloret
. youth. Passed TO enGrossment.
The house bill Withdrawing from sale IN,
vacant and school lands embraced in th,
public debt reservation and indicated in
supplemental acts was taken up with ma.
iority and minority reports.
, The majority reported rs substitute tn,
senate bill providing for raising the price o
the public lands and giving tn,
/. governor authority and means tC
investigate files. upon these lands In or
frauds. The minority reported fayorabl,
ON the house bill which withdraws In,
lands from sale without throwing then
back into the public domain,
The question being ON the adoption Of III,
majority report, the debate took nearly III,
same turn and was Joined In by the sam,
members as when Mr.. Hills bill, the sub
ject of the minority report, was before In,
house during the early days of the session
The only noticeable departure from IN,
beaten path to-day was provoked by an i'm
putation addressed against the east b,
Roach OF d sectional design TO withdraw m,
lands of the west from settlement. Tn,
gentleman from Henderson, he said, tool
a special delight In getting up this bill
while he left the timber land Of the cast 1,
be squandered and stolen.
The majority report was lost, and IN,
house bill thereby became the pendinl
question.
Mattlock offered an amendment provid
ing that oil persons, who have, before th
passage OF this act, made application 4
purchase any lands may complete the pur
chase OF said lands at the price stipulste,
IN said bill, complying with the provision
ofthe same.
4 Carleton objected to the amendmen
) uThere In no nccpssitv IN afYrn, = ,,.,,.,..-,