The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-04-05

SENATE.

sixty-Ninth Days Proceedings.
SENATE.
AUSTIN, March 81, 1883.
The senate met at the usual hour.
Hon. "A. w. Houston presiding, and
quorum present.
Prayer was offered by the chaplain,
Rev. DIR. Smoot.
The reading of the journal was dis
pensed with.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
Judicial Districts.-Mr. Gooch, for
committee, reported favorably house
bill to restore jurisdiction TO county
courts of Comanche and Burnet coun-
ties.
Mr.. Kleberg, chairman of the free
conference committee on the differ
ences between the two houses on the
amendment to the Sunday law, re-
ported that the committees were I'M
able to agree and asked the appoint
ment of another like committee. Re
port adopted, and Messrs. Gibbs,
rfeuffer and Gooch appointed for
senate.
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. Peacock: A bill TO repeal the
sections of the law providing for or
ganization of penitentiaries that
authorize the lease of same. Re
ferred.
Mr.. Gibbs: A bill amending penal
statutes against gambling, making i'm
prisonment in county jail absolute as
well as fines.
SPECIAL ORDER.
Senate school land bill with twenty
two house amendments.
Pending discussion of the amend
mentS, the senate, on motion OF MIR.
Gooch, adjourned till Monday 10 a. IN.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
House met at appointed hour, Speak
ar Gibson and quorum present.
Prayer was offered by the chaplain.
The house took up house bill 15S
dMr. Browning's to amend article $50,
penal code. as amended by act of April
4, 1881, entitled an act to amend said
article, passed February 81, 1879; the
question being upon the pending
amendment of Mr.. Moore, of Nc
Lehman, offered on the evening of the
18th inst.
The bill makes it misdemeanOr for
persons to herd cattle, sheep, hogs or
goats on the land of another after
being notified to remove them.
The amendment provides for free
grass to drOVes WHERE the land is not
used for free grass.
The amendment was discussed by
Mr.. Robinson, of Jack, in its favor.
and Mr.. Browning against it, when
Mr.. Cochran moved the previous
question, and Mr. Moore spoke in favor
of his amendment.
Mr.. Browning argued that the
amendment would legaliZe robbery;
that the grass belongs to the owners
of the land.
= Mr.. Cochran thought the bill itself
mould tend to monopoly, and Mr..
Moore contended that the bill, without
this amendment, was virtually class
legislation in the interests of large
stOckmen.
Mr.. Robinson argued fully as to
the general effect of the bill.
The amendment was adopted, and
;the bill was ordered engrossed.
Mr.. Armistead asked for suspension
eof the pending business, to consider
house joint resolution Al and AZ to
samend the constitution, section ., and
No, to authorize the legislature to ere
ate railroad commission, SO rs to
prevent unjust discrimination and
ext0rtion, by amendment to be sub
United TO vote of the people.
Mr.. Foster, of Limestone, demand
ing a call of the house, Messrs. Cham
beers of Tarrant and Moore of Nc
Lehman were found to be absent.
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
Pending the call. Mr.. Chenoworth
suggested rs the matter of railroads
was in question, that the house take
Mp the bill substituted for house bill
.225, already passed to engrossment.
Mr.. FryImier acting on the sugges-
ition, called mp the motion of Mr.. Fos-
ter. of Limestone, to lay on the table
the motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill (the Gibson substitute)
was ordered engrossed.
Mr.. Cochran in the chair.
On motion of Mr.. Upton, the alb
sentees were excused. Ayes 40, nays
30.
The sending resolution called up by
Mr.. Armistead to create "A railway
commission was again taken up, and
lost for want of the two-third vote
for its final passage.
The railroad men were represented
in the lobby.
The vote was as follows:
Yeas-MeSsrs. Speaker Gibson, Alb
D0tt. Adams of Trinity, Armistead,
Ayres, Barrett, Barry. Brown, Burns,
Camp, Caven, Chenoweth, Cochran,
COffman. Cotton, Davis of Lamar,
Durant. Elliott, Ethridge, Finch, Fos-
ter of Limestone, Frank, Frymier,
Garrison. Harrison, Lakewood, Hen
derson. Hill, Hurst. Jones, Kendall,
Lindsey. McAlpine. Mcbride, Nc
Daniel. MCCARTHY, Nash. Parsons. Pat
terson, Patton. Pendleton, Phelps,
Robinson of Bastrop. Rosenthal,
Rushing, Sharp. Smith. Stagner, Steel,
Stringer, Swan. Taylor, Thompson of
eAustin, Tilson, Townsend, Watkins,
White, Woods, Workman. Wurzbach
60.
Nays-Messrs. Benavides, Brown
ing, Cundiff, Dennis. Duff, Foster of
Grayson, Graves. Hardness, Hearne,
Labatt, Latham, Matthews, Mckin-
ney, Merriwether, Moore of Eastland,
Moore of Washington, Moursund,
Newton, Odom, Peers, Robinson of
Jack, Stout, Tucker, Upton, Wilson
20.
Mr.. Garrison in the chair.
Senate bill No. l03 called up by Mr..
Browning was read a second time,
aaiended and passed to IL third read
ing. The bill amends the law rela-
tive to fixing county seats in unor-
ganized counties.
Speaker Gibson in the chair.
The pending business being the de-
1iciency bill, Mr.. Labatt moved to
postpone in order TO take up his bill
authorizing the city of Galveston to
issue bonds and levy tax TO build
and maintain harbor improvements.
Bill was ordered engrossed.
Under further suspension, on mo-
tion of Mr.. Patterson, the bill to reg
ulate tax sales of property was called
np and ordered printed.
On motion of Mr.. Armistead, the
house took up house bill No. 400,
making the last of several connecting
railroads responsible under through
bill of lading for delivery of goods
and freights of all kinds. Bill ordered
engrossed.
Mr.. Townsend called up house bill
No. 265. to pay county judges for
n, siding habeas corpus trials, for
whic,s they receive no pay under the
present law. Committee substitute
Mr.. Jones called up substitute
house bill No. 290, providing DAM