The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-31
From Fridays Daily ;!

From Fridays Daily
Gov. Ireland, Comptroller Swain
and Land Commissioner Walsh, are
still absent.
Secretary of State Bains returned
yesterday from Monterey, Mexico.
THE UNIVERSITY LANDS.
We are gratified to note that there
is considerable inquiry for the univer-
lands. One gentleman we hear OF
wants to lease one hundred thousand
acres, and we understand Is willing to
pay four cents an acre. They Will
not be opened for bids till advertised
by authority OF the board of regents
of the university, which Is having
maps of them prepared in advance OF
of the date the law goes into opera
ton, which is not till after July IL.
The university board is expected to
meet as soon as the president, Capt.
Ashbel Smith, returns from Nash
vile, Tennessee, about the 4th OF
June.
ATToRNEY-GENERAL DEPARTMENT
Acknowledgement Templeton yes.
terday received the following tele
gram referred to him from the execu-
Eve department in the absence OF
Gov. Ireland:
BIG SPRINGS, May 23, 1881.
Gov. IRELAND:-Thirteen days ago
ISSUED an order as county judge
S-1rantining certain portions OF our
town infested with smallpox and ap-
pointing an officer to enforce same.
DIR. Stamford was granted permission
by said officer to visit said infected
localities to attend the sick as prac-'
hug n. nrNlu nn6 mt a
health officer. Tonight the said DR..
s. became intoxicated and by false re-
presentations induced the parties re-
strained to evade or bulldoZe thu
guards and dispose themselves about
the town. / have had DIR. s. arrested
and order restored. What shall do
in the matter with DR.. s.
GEORGE HAGG,
County Judge.
The encouragement replied that
as the recent quarantine regulation
law wa, not yet in effect DR.. ). cannot
be punished for quarantine violations.
COMPTROLLER'S DEPARTMENT.
The following important commu-
nication touching the assessment of
railroad property, was addressed from
this department yesterday:
0lr. =. l.. NOEWOOu, ASStSSOE Vi NlCLcuudn
county, Waco, Texas
d ar Sir-Iu reply to yours of the
21st inst: The road-bed of a railroad
should be assessed as land valued as
other lands adjacent thereto, and
should not be valued at the cost OF
construction. (See section l, article
1895 revised statutes, which requires
every railroad corporation to render
, each year 1.-THE whole number of acres
of land owned, possessed or appropri-
ated for their use, with valuation
affixed to the same"
There is nothing in the tax laws
which requires railroad company to
render cuIverts, bridges, trestlewurk,
embankments, etc. and 1t would not,
In the opinion of this department., be
lust to require a railroad corporation
to render road-bed for taxation at
the cost of construction. as the
amounts paid for large embank
ments, tunnels. cuts. ETC., do not
actually enhance the value of
the land, but on the contrary,
really render that portion of the road
so worked on less profitable than
other portions of the road which do
not require such heavy outlay OF
money for grading, etc.
The comptroller further rules under
article 467l. revised statutes, in an
swer to inquiries of the assessor, thai
all moneys. credits, bonds and other
evidences OF debt owned by citizens
of the state, whether the same be in
OF out of the state, shall be taxable as
personal property, and of the interest
bearing mortgages on land referred tc
in your letter as being in Chicago OF
Scotland, belonging to citizens of this
state, they are clearly taxable under
the law above cited; but if such mort
cages belong to parties living out of
the state, being mortgages given TO
secure the payment of moneys loaned
they are not. under this law, taxable
From Sundays Daiiyl
Gov. Ireland and Comptroller Swain
had not returned up to the closing OF
business hours yesterday. Land Com
missioner Walsh returned from Bur
net. where he went with the capitol
contractor and building commissioner
TO look at the granite 10 that section
There Is plenty of it. of good quality
but the commissioners are not likely
to change the contract at the expense
of the state. Nor are the contractors
disposed to make the substitution OF
granite for white limesto le rock
without such concessions rs Wouic
enable them to make the change with
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