The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-08
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

House met at 9:So a. m, Speaker Gibson
and quorum present.
Pray er by the chaplain.
Reading OF the journal dispensed with
At the instance of Mr.. Labatt, author
of house bill No. 522 TO amend the charter
of the city of Galveston, and on motion
of Mr.. Cochran to suspend the pending
business, the bill was finally passed.
MIR. Armistead moved to postpone the
pending business TO take UP joint resolu-
lions Al and AZ, proposing an amendment
to the constitution TO create a railroad
commission.
Mr.. Aeker hoped the motion would not
prevail, As the house had adjourned the
day before when Mr.. ChenOweth was
entitled to the floor on the railroad bill,
and was prepared to present his argu-
ment. He hoped the house would 90 on
with the regular business of the house.
MIR. Foster, OF GraysOn, thought it best
to proceed with the railroad bill, as the
discussion might throw light upon the
prOprieLy of submitting the proposed
constitutional amendment for a railroad
commission to the people.
After some further discussion the
anne dment was Withdrawn.
A message from the senate announced
that the senate had amended and passed
house bill 81, to amend article TAB of the
penal code, and house bill "a, to amend
article ls6 of the penal code.
Also, that the senate had passed house
Joint resolution (Mr. Brown's), for COM
mlttee to select bills; house bill 1906, to
reorganize the tenth judicial district, and
senate bill 221. TO organize a board OF
control, ETC., OF claims of the state OF
Texas against the general government.
for frontier protection.
Mr.. Rosenthal said he desired to with
draw his speech of the day before, as il
had done no good.
The railroad bill was now considered
Mr.. ChenoWeth, chairman of the com.
mittee on internal improvements, being
entitled to the floor as author of the bill.
Mr.. ChenOweth spoke at length, quot.
ing extensively from the papers, report
and the testimony taken before the CON-
mittee, the opinions of experts and legal
authorities. We have no room to follow
him further than to refer to some points
of his argument.
Mr.. ChenO eth argued that the com.
mittee, in accordance with the demands
ofthe legislature and OF the people, had
prepared bill which they hoped could
by proper amendments, be made satisfac.
tory. They did not expect to meet the
peculiar views of all, but hoped that the
committee, in their efforts, would be met
in spirit of compromise, as the question
was one of the greatest Importance to the
property interests of the people and to the
state itself. AS TO the proposed constitu.
tional amendment to create commission,
be- was not opposed to its discussion.
Such commissions had been created in
other states, but as to the constiiutiOnall-
ty of his bill, under the constitution OF
this state, that was a question to be de-
termined.
He referred to the operations oil
railroad commissions created IN
Georgia, South Carolina and Mis-.
souri, as being satisfactory a.
well to the people as to the railroads
themselves. Such had been the effect III
Missouri, SO smooth and satisfactory were
the workings of the roads the people
were scarcely cognlZant of any commits.
sion. The system of regulating railroad
affairs by law had long existed without
complaint in England. In France they
went SO far as 10 control by law all the
important operations of the roads, even
making regulations for the elections oil
their general officers.
As to the matter of rates Judge Woods
of the United States court, in the Ken
nedy case, decided il is true that the leg
islature had no right to fix them; but
while that Is to be regarded as authOrita-
tive, Mr.. G.. commended that we could Tx
maximum for reasonable rates and the
committee had attempted to do so. Many
seem 10 think we nave no power 10 10
this, and that 1t is some new question
never tested. The question has been test
ed in several cases, land Campbell Wallace
| one of the finest experts as to railroad
in the world, testifies rs to the benefits o
a wise and prudent regulation OF them b.
law. There were opposition to railroad
commissions in Georgia and in Missouri
as there is here. But now they say thel
are an absolute settlement in those statei
| of the difficulties between the roads anC
the people.
He read from the printed opinion o
Mr.. Hardie which was received too lat
to be embodied in the testimony OF th'
committee. In 1878 the classified
ton was reduced in Missouri
/ in conformity with law. He read ex
Ienslyely f. ON figures to compare rate
fixed by law IN other states with those
proposed by the. pending bill. In Mis-
souri, COMMISSIONER report of 1881 ant
1882. the highest rate per mile was S5-5l
per ton, lowest rate S1.10. average Si.33
| On the Missousi Pacific the average wa
$1.33; the highest passenger rate was
| cents per mile. lowest 1s< cents, average
2 6S-10O cents. On the Iron Mountain thu
! highest per ton was S6.67. lowest 81
average S1.76. Passenger, highest
cents, average 5l-l00 cents. Yet there
! are those here who are trembling 70!