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

lands.
The governor signed the following
bills yesterday: Senate bill No. SO,
'i fry ing grand Jurors 50 per day; SEN
ate bill No. 1870, app7opriating $500
for the support OF tbs supreme
court at Galveston; senate BIZ pro
yiding for the establishing OF q
branch lunatic asylum in North
Texas; senate bill allowing defend
ants in a trial to sever where two or
more are jointly prosecuted, provided
such defendants agree, by a request on
the part of one Of them; senate bill
providing that no one On murder in
quest shall ask questions of witnesses
except the accused or his counsel, the
justice, the counsel for the state, or
the jurors; senate bill appropriatiDg
$4,000 for improving the lunatic asy-
lum and charging the grounds.
Comptroller Swain, in speaking of
needed legislation, says:
81 would therefore recommend that
the act of April, 1879, be amended by
the legislature at the present session
so as to permit the owners of lands
which have not been rendered for
taxes to render the same for all back
years to the assessor of the county in
which the land is situated.
1T is believed that a considerable
sum will be realized to the state by
adopting this method. Under the
present law no person can pay their
taxes, however much they may desire
to do so, until all the forms prescribed
by the act of 1879 are complied with"
The commissioner of the general
land Office has shut off all business
except routine work in the land
Office, for the purpose of catching up
with the general file of business
Capt, Walsh is in receipt of numer.
GUS letters from parties asking opin-
ion as to the effect on files and sur
veys of the law Withdrawing the
public domain from market. To these
the commissioner replies that the an
swer of such questions belongs to the
pcc =,
- "-' iCtroller's Office is run to its
utmoSC .,at.'Gtv these days, on ac-
count of all otetA2dance of work
The comptrollerl -, deposited
in the treasury $23,111.87, received
from tax collectors, to the account OF
the general revenue and for schoo
and poll tax Of 1882.
The following pointed letter ex-
plains itself:
AUSTIN, Feb. II, 1888.
Hon. John ireland, Governor:
SIR have the honor to call YOU
attention to subject of Importance
to Il large number of the officers Of
this state directly, and indirectly Of
interest to the people. i refer to tn,
compensation of assessors and collec
tors of taxes.
AS is well known, these officers re
ceive as compensation for their ser
vices a certain per cent of the take.
assessed and collected by them, anC
hence their compensation is dimin
ished with each decrease of the ratt
of taxation.
The fees received by these offices
prior to the reduction of the tax from
fifty cents on the hundred dollars
was not considered an extravagan
pay for the services rendered. Tn,
labor required now Is greater thar
the labor required then, and, consider
ing the remuneration at that time just
it would be but right that the per cen
received by them as fees for assessing
and collecting should be so increased
that the compensation of these officer
should, at least, equal what it wa
before the rate of taxation was re
duced.
The burdens of these officers as /;
class should not be increased will
every lessening of the burdens of tax
alton upon the people.
The records of this department show
that of 169 assessors, 10 receive from
the state for their services less thar
$50, 80 under $500, SO under $500, anC
only % counties in which the asses
sors receive from the state a
much as $1,000. This does not il
clude the amount paid by tn
county, which, in the proportion u
the amount paid by the state is a
three to five.
The state is losing many goo
officers for insufficiency of compensa
ton, and to employ an unfit man in
responsible position because he cal
be had cheap will result il
damage to both private and publ
interests, and great inconvenience T.
the department having control Of thi
branch of the public service.
The same remarks will apply TO tn
fees allowed collectors of taxes. Ii
many cases these officers are require
to give heavy bonds, and the handling
of the states funds imposes heay
responsibility; and an intelligent an
honest discharge of these duties un
derlIe the welfare of the state.
In counties having population o
less than ten thousand, the collector
also sheriff. His duties in the court
and in the pursuit and arrest o
criminals render it impossible for hin
| to give that attention, to boil
branches of his duty that they shout
receive. Often when his reports a
tax collector are due, he may be ava
from his Office in the discharge Of hi
duty as sheriff. Hence these colleC
tors are not unfrequently compelle
to employ clerical aid to attend to tn
collection of taxes whose greatest II
commentator is their willingness {
work for the compensation allowet
the sheriff. meanwhile, carrying a
the responsibility and reaping n
benefit.
With these suggestions 1 woul
most respectfully recommend ths
the matter may be brought to the al
tention of the legislature for such &C
ton as they may deem proper.
Respectfully,
w. j. SWAIN,
Comptrolle
The Sabine and Northwestern raj
way company was incorporated yes
terday, with a capital stock of te
millions of dollars. The road Is
begin at or near the town of Kaui
man, and extending eastward to. tn
Gulf coast at or near Sabine Pass, !
Jefferson county; passing throug
Kaufman county, 1t Is to continu
through the counties of Anderson
Cherokee. Houston, Angelina, Trir
ity, Polk, Tyler, Hardin and Jefferson
northwesterly through the countit
of Dallas, Denton, Wise, Cooke, Cla,
Archer, Montague. Wilbarger. Cottl,
Childress, Motley, Hall, Donley, Arm
strong, Collingsworth. Gray. Pc
! ter, Oldham, Harvey and Dallan
thence by the most eligibl
route to Trinidad, Colorado. tn
principal business Office will be In ii
town of Kaufman. The incorpori
tors are John b. Stone, Jenot Lon
w. D. Wylie, j. 5. Woods. j. III. Bri
ton, W. {. Conner, II. G. Coke, j.
Bennett and II. j. Swan.
The governor granted a cond
tional pardon to Caleb Co