The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-25

menL OF witnesses IN CRIMINAL cases,
and request $50 copies printed.
Unfavorably on house bill 63, to
amend article 1866 revised statutes,
relative to mode of paying jurors.
Report adopted
Mr.. Tilson, for committee on educa-
ton, reported unfavorably on house
bill PA, prohibiting sale of liquor in
two and one-half miles of the Camp
bell school, in Hunt county. The
majority of the committee believe the
proposed bill is unconstitutional. Re
port adopted.
The committee on contingent ex-
penses, Mr.. Frymier, chairman, re-
port and approval of sundry accounts
of the STATESMAN, News, Herald,
Post, Gazette, Examiner and Times.
newspapers, amounting in the aggre-
gate Sl231.21. Report adopted.
| Mr.. Thompson, for committee on
lands and land office, reported favora-
bly, on the bill to withdraw the|uni-
versity lands from sale, with amend
mentS, inserting ninety days after adj
| journment of the legislature and the
usuul emergency clause suspending
the rules for its adoption. Report
adopted.
| WI. DOdSAe1oo, lOl On
counties and county boundaries, re-
ported favOrably on house bill No.
116, to create Upton county. Report
adopted.
A minority report was presented.
The committee on penitentiaries re-
ported favorably on the concurrent
resolution for committee to visit the
penitentiarieS with an amendment to
include such convict camps as the
committee may deem proper. Report
adopted.
REGULAR ORDER.
Senate bill No. Z. to amend articles
245 and 247 revised statutes, relative
to county attorneys, was considered,
the bill being from previous action of
the house on its final passage. The
bill the object of which is to make the
law apply only where there is no resi-
| dent criminal district attorney finally
passed. 1t affects only the Galveston
district.
/ House bill No. IA, to amend article
1865, chapter s, title 20, revised stat
utes, the object of which is merely to
correct typographical error in the
existing law, was next considered and
| finally passed.
House bill No. "a, to amend article
1852, title 10, chapter 2, of the code of
criminal procedure, was also conSid-
cred and finally passed, as previously
amended in section 2. 1t relates to
tees of district or county attorneys.
The vote on its final passage stood:
Yeas 90, nays 30.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Mr.. Hill, chairman of judiciary
committee No. 2, reported:
Adversely on house bill No. ~, to
amend the law so as to punish hunt |
ing with gun or dog on enclosed prem |
Uses.
Adversely on house bill No. 203, to |
amend article 1894 civil statutes. |
This law was amended by similar bill |
of the seventeenth Legislature, regular |
session.
Adversely on house bill No. 66, to |
amend article 1927 civil statutes, so as |
to require vote of commissioners to |
lie recorded by yeas and nays.
Reports adopted.
The committee reported affirma-
lively:
On house bill 162, to provide for for
fixture of bail bonds taken by exam |
lining courts. Report accepted. There |
was a minority report.
Afiirmatively on house bill %, to |
amend article $50 penal code. so as to |
punish any person for wilfully burning |
any woodland or prairie not his own. |
Aflirmatively on house bill II, to |
amend article 1865 civil statutes, in |
creaSing the allowance for feeding |
prisoners in Jail.
Affirmatively on house bill 70, to al
low fee to county attorney in repre- |
senting the state in larceny cases,
Reports of the committee adopted. |
Mr.. Taylor, chairman of the COM
mittee on rules, reported, recommend
ing that rule 81 be amended so as to |
allow twenty members with the |
speaker to have call of the roll, the |
call to be suspended us soon as a
quorum is ascertained to be present, |
and the Sergeant-at-armS to be re-
quired to bring in absen; members |
unless excused by two-thirds vote |
of those present; and to amend rule |
5S merely so as to require the bills as |
presented to the house to be regularly |
numbered by the journal clerk in the |
order of their presentation.
On amending rule of the house 81 |
Mr.. Hill said:
/ can see no virtue and much evil |
in the proposed change of rule 81 by
the committee. The house of repre-
sentativeS of the United States, with |
more than three times the members |
of this body, by rule "a, fifteen men,
berS can move call of the house, and
compel the attendance of absent men,
berS, and now we are asked to make |
twenty the number with us; and this
great boon the committee propose to
confer upon us will absolutely not ap-
ply when quorum is present. Now,
sir, why this strange innovation is de-
sired by any one can not
imagine. The right of the minority
to move call of the house and force
absent members not excused to be
brought in and vote is rule of parlia-
mentary bodies of one hundred years
standing and intended to protect the
minority against the majority who
can rotect themselves. If members
absent themselves without leave, and
parade tn, streets when they should
be il, their seats, say arrest them and
force performance of their duty
pending important measures. Abolish
the rule as it aforetime existed and |
you encourage corrupt legislation by
giving thirty-siX members the power
to pass any bill. L hope the amend
ment will be voted down.
Mr.. Taylor argued that it was too
arbitrary power under the existing
rule TO arrest member merely to see
how he might stand or vote on any
question. This was a matter for
which he was amenable to his constit-
uents. The power to arrest man for
any purpose was a harsh measure and
should not be exercised without Just
cause. 1t was well known fact that
legislation had been INSTRUCTED for
many days in the seventeenth legisla-
ture while the sergeant-at-arms was
securing the country looking for men,
bers. The object of the amendment
was to prevent this.
Mr.. Labatt-Under the call don't
we proceed regularly with the general
business?
Mr.. Taylor-The obstruction was to
measures under immediate considera-
ton. The only reason alleged for OPP
position to the amendment is that it
the minority to obstruct the
will of the majority. But majorities
are always well guarded and can pro-
tect themselves, especially under the
rules requiring three days reading of
bills and then having to go to the
other house. 1t must have been in
tended that majorities as well as mi
norities should legislate, and one or