The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-22

receive compensation for money eX-
pended in the effort to check the
smallpox epidemic in Shackleford and
adjoining counties in 1882. Adopted
and referred.
BILLS REFERRED.
House concurrent resolution in re
gard to appointing COMMITTEES to
visit the grave of Ben Milan; house
concurrent resolution urging Texas
members and senators in the United
States congress TO oppose any meas
ure looking to the abandonment of
the military posts on the Rio Grande
frontier; house bill No. 25l, pro-
viding for the maintenance
of lunatics by commissioners
courts when they cannot be admitted
into asylums; and house bill No. Il,
providing for the surrender OF char
tiers of incorporated cities and towns,
and to authorize counties in which
such cities or towns are situated 10
become their possessors.
The chair gave notice of signing
senate bill No. 80, amendatory OF the
existing law in reference Is. Disturb
ing the peace
On motion OF Mr.. Farrar, Mr.. Mar
tin vas made member of the COM
mittee on counties and county boun-
diaries.
On motion of Mr.. Jones, Mr.. STRAIT
| ton was excused on account OF lmpor-
tant business.
On motion of Mr.. Gooch, Mr.. Mat
! lock was excused for the same reason.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Senate bill No. 1, relating to pri-
vate corporations; the following
amendment, 10y Mr.. Terrell, pending:
Add to subdivision 20, section l.:
But no private corporation shall
hereafter acquire title to real proper
ty in this state exceeding in amount
$40 acres in any one county, except
under laws enacted heretofore, for SER
vices or public work done in pursu-
ance thereof"
Mr.. Terrell moved a call of the SEN
ate. Ordered. Less than quorum
present.
Mr.. Chesley called up, under a sus-
pension of the rules, senate bill No.
2lS, transferring Washington and
Burleson counties from the Austin
branch of the supreme court to the
Galveston branch. The bill was en-
crossed.
The uneXcused absent members OF
the senate having returned, senate
bill No. /, with amendment, again
came up. The amendment of Mr..
Terrell was adopted.
Mr.. Davis offered the following sub
stitute for the bill as amended:
.'Be it enacted. That section l, arti-
Gle 565 to article GA, revised statutes
concerning private corporations, in.
elusive of articles SOS and GA, be and
the same is hereby repealed.
"Sec. 2. No private corporation now
in existence shall ever own more
than $40 acres of land in this state.
Lost by vote ~ yeas to % nays
The original bill was engrossca-A
yeas Ii. nays ..
Mr.. MartiaaGef led up, on final pass
ace. so-sa t resolution No. 10
providing that the state tax on pro-
perry, exclusive OF that necessary tC
pay the public debt, shall not exceed
thirty-fiVe cents on the 500 valuation
and no county, city or town shall
levy more than twenty-five cents
on the 500 valuation, except
for the construction and re
pair of public buildings, roals,
streets, sewers and permane Il
improvements. not to exceed % cents
on the 500 valuation, except FOL
debts incurred prior to the adoption
of this amendment, not to exceed q
ON the 500 valuation.
Mr.. Gibbs: Amendment, Except
as in this constitution otherwise pro
vided." Adopted. and resolution
passed.
Mr.. Terrell called up senate bill No
} 2l0, imposing penalty upon person:
who without authority pull the bell
} cord of q railroad train when thu
train is in motion. Engrossed.
Mr.. Davis called up substitute sen
ate bill No. Is, in reference to the
scholastic age, with COMMITTEES
amendment inserting instead of SLY
years, eight years. Amendment
adopted.
Mr.. Davis moved reconsideration
of the vote by which the amendment
was adopted. Lost; ayes Z, nays 8.
Mr.. Traylor: Amendment hy strik
ing out eighteen years and inserting
sixteen years. Adopted; IL yeas, /;
nays, the president casting the decid
ing vote in the Affirmative.
Mr.. Terrell said: Mr.. President
am compelled to oppose any extension
of the scholastic age until We have
! from some source. more money at oul
disposal. While sixteen as the maxi
mum scholastic age, is, with our lin
tied means, preferable to eighteen
: still think it unwiSe to extend thu
, scholastic age when it must increase
the scholastic population, diminish
the per capita scholastic fund, anC
make still MOI inefficient the present
: school system. If you want more
efficient school system it will not b,
established by this process. SpenC
, more money ii you want better pub
: lie schools, for you can have them il
no other way. This whole subject
{ was carefully discussed when thu
: present law was passed six years ago
+ and experience has not changed the
views l then entertained. The pres
, ent system is called inefficient, and |
: failure, and it will so remain until yol
spend more money. have no sensi
tiveness on the subject, for though
, had some hand in adopting the presen
system, | realize its imperfection.
and know that any good system mus
be the growth of time. / had hopeC
that the senator from Cooke, as chair
: m IN of the committee on education
who finds so much to complain OF il
, the present school law, would frame
a better one. hope he will yet, lat,
: rs il is in the session, and / promis,
, to help adopt any system he may offe
. to improve the great work of educa
ting the masses. But here let me sa,
! that it is easier to tear down than t
r build, and though we hear much tall
7 in the press and among public men o
our bad school law, no senator or rep
| resentative has ever offered bill 10
: six years in either house to take it
: place. Any one could frame bette
: law if he had more money to spend
, So far as this matter of extending
: the scholastic age is concerned, we ar
told that "a large school can be taught
} for nearly as small sum as small
t one, and that parents will supplement
, the state aid by themselves contrib
uting to help pay the teachers. Tha
, might occur in some portions of tn
state, but not among those who nee,
the state aid the most. The blacl
, population, whose ancestors lahore,
for our, race, are for the most par
, poor and ignorant; this is not so mucl
! their fault as their misfortune
They are poor and their chill
dren will not be elevated from
> their ignorance unless we help them
! To help them is demanded alike b,
duty and self-intereSt Now doubl
{ the scholastic attendance by increas
: ing the scholastic age for that popu