The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-15


Senate bill No. "a, requiring the
printing of $500 copies of general laws
of general session of the sixteenth and
seventeenth legislatures and the call
ed session of the sixteenth legislature.
Senate bill No. 140, in reference to
the time when superintendent of
blind and deaf and dumb asylums shall
make their official reports.
SPECIAL ORDER.
Committee substitute for senate
bills Nos. 20, 80, 81, 124 and l54, pro-
viding for the sale of public school
lands.
Mr.. Coopey moved to postpone con-
sideration of the bill till Wednesday.
Lost.
Mr.. Davis spoke against the pas
sage of the bill, and in favor of its
recOmmitment.
Mr.. Matlock said:
In answer to the objection of the
senator from Cooke that the lease
system should be incorporated in this
bill and that the preference should be
given to the lease system, have a
simple mathematical proposition to
submit. The proposition is to sell for
not less than So per acre on forty
years time at per cent interest; and
in opposition to that proposition SEN
atOrs propose to lease at two cents per
acre for twenty years. Let us see the
result:
Six hundred and forty acres at two
dollars per acre, S12OO. This land
when sold becomes subject to taxa
ton:
$l2SO at 4 per cent interest S51 20
School tax at 10 cents. ... l 80
School tax at 80 cents . 3 80
County tax at 10 cents ........ l 80
lOIcl. ..'' goo oO
Received annually from the sale of
each tract.
Then we have $40 acres leased at
two cents per acre, $3.50, the yearly
income ON each tract from the lease
system, leaving Il balance in favor of
the sale system of $40 ON each
tract. In addition to great
difference in the amounts
to be received from the two systems,
a sale of the land will place it in the
hands of owners who will develop the
country and enhance the taxable value
to the state, which no system of ten
antry has ever done, and this lease
system is only species OF tenantry
that will never develop the country, or
be of any practical value to any one,
except those who may lease. What
we want is system that will secure
to the state and the school fund the
full value of this land. No system of
leasing can, in my judgment, be per-
fected that will be operative in those
unsettled counties. You may refuse to
pass a bill for the sale of these lands
and pass lease bill, and the result will
be that you will get nothing for your
school fund. The only reason to-day
that there is demand for these lands
is the fact that under the sale law
men are willing to invest their money,
and stOckmen have been compelled
to buy or leave their ranges. But
pass lease bill and no sale
bill, and you leave all competition
among the cattle owners and they
will so regulate that as to not effect
each others interest, and there will in
fact be no leasing done. The stock
interest of this country is among the
greatest we have, and it is our duty
| to see that it is protected the same as
the farming interest or any other
great interest in the state; but in do
| ing SO it is not necessary for
us to pass any laws that
will be injurious to the common
school interests of this state. They
do not demand that of us, and do not
expect it. There is within the dis
trict which L have the honor to rep
Mt Nr.fh of 10
alone, and L would be unwilling to
perjudice that great source of revenue
and wealth in this state. Now the
senator says in one breath that large
portion of these lands will not sell for
more than fifty cents per acre, and in
| the next breath he warns us not to
sell them but to lease them
for twenty years, and that the lands
will be worth then three or four dol
lars per acre. That would indeed be
a rapid advance in the price of the
lands but l think the time has come
when we can get the highest price for
these lands that they will ever bring.
| favor sale of the land at a minimum
of not less than 81 on 10 years time,
at per cent interest. favor allow
ing the actual settler on these lands
the right to purchase the lands at the
minimum price fixed by the legisla-
ture. 1t is due to them that this be done
| They went upon these lands at a
time when there was law authoriZ-
ing them to be sold with the expecta-
ton that they would be put upon the
market under that law, and it would
now be a great injustice to them to
not grant them this right. When the
actual settler is provided for the re-
mainder of these lands belong to the
common school fund, and are not en-.
numbered by the claims or rights OF
any one; and it is our duty to sell
them to the best advantage we can
l favor the 81 per acre, because
know from personal knowledge that
these lands are worth more than
81 per acre. | know that in my
county, where these lands have beer
placed upon the market under the ole
law, that every section, good, bad an(
indifferent, has been taken-taken MOI
by the farmer, who wants to settle OF
them; not by the stockman, who want:
to Craze them; but, as a rule, by mel
who are dealing in lands; anC
| llJcT buCN dlC ldhCll, IuC 1dA HlCl W
stockman has to pay from 81 to $2.5l
per acre for them if he gets them
Go to Montague, Baylor, Knox O
Cara, and see if you can lind an.
lands not taken at dollar under tn
old law, and then see what you will
have to pay for these lands that hay,
been taken. Parties cannot be eX
pected to pay more for the lands thai
the state asks for them, and it is lie
ultimate for citizens to deal in them
but /, as representative o
the people, cannot consent TO tn
state parting with these lands withou
getting something near their value
We have, it is said, 100000 acres o
school lands, and if by raising tn
price to So per acre and making tn
interest four per cent per annum, W
can save the state $40,0OO,0O0, this on
act, If nothing more is passed, wi
satisfy me. l can see no propriety L
recommitting the bill; the reSul
would likely be the same l hop
that senators will at least discuss tn
bill and give us their views, and If W
find it is the sentiment of the Senat
that there should be a lease system /
the bill, then if recommitted the CON
mittee will know the wishes of tn
majority and will prepare the bill az
{ cordingly; but unless hear better OF
. iections to it than are raised by tn
senators from Dallas, Cook and Hal
ris, l hope the motion to recommi
/ will be rejected.
Mr.. Gooch said:
The bill pending before the senat
q A.