The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-08
VOL. XII.

are so many confllctlng Ideas on tne
subject.
In the event this bill is passed you
take the lands Off of the market, and
five fail to pass another law for the
sale or lease of the lands we will find
ourselves in condition to receive
nothing from those lands for the next
two years. This is what a large class
of men in the state desire. The man
who wants free range will he salts
fled and the man who has large bodies
of land for sale will be happy. When
this bill. in its present shape, becomes
the law, then you will see arrayed
against the passage of any bill for the
sale of these lands both the stock man
who wants free range and the land
man who wants To sell his
land without any competition
from the state; and when
we imagine that their influence Is mol
strong we make "a great mistake. i
| believe it is conceded by al that q
| change in the present law should Dt
made in some respects, but have very
serious doubts of this senate with all
of its wisdom being able to frame a
| better one. | for one am not here IL
condemn the existing law, but
think il needs amendment in some
respects; but rather than pass this
law and leave this legislature without
any law upon our statutes for the sale
of these lands, would rather hold
on to the old law. defects and
all. One of the first acts of this
senate was to pass an act to withdraw
these lands from the market for nine
ty DAYS after the adjournment of the
| legislature, which bill went to the
house and has not been acted upon
| Instead of passing the senate bill, we
have this bill withdrawing the lands
indefinitely and repeating all laws fol
the sale of any of the public lands. II
senators here want to pass this bill
and will limit its operation until nine
ty dayS from adjournment of the leg
islature. we will support it; otherwise
l feel it my duty to do all can to de-
feat il. | know that the people OF
Texas do not demand that all of the
public lands shall be taken off of the
market. 1t has been the policy of the
state ever since | have had any
knowledge of her history to hold out
inducements to people to purchase
her public lands, and still think that
is the true policy. Instead of the law
known rs the fifty cents act, of which
we hear so much and which was re-
pealed few days ago, being detri-
ment to the state, it has been a
blessing. 1t has advertised the
state more and brought more
money, capital and energy into the
state than any other act ever spread
on the statutes of the state. We have
repealed that act and now propose to
pslss this one, which. if il becomes Il
law, takes every foot Of public domain
in this broad land off the market,
This done. where Is your home IN
Texas for the poor homeless
man that you have been 81
long telling that Texas WAS the
land OF cheap homes. What effect
will il have upon the immigration
| tO this state when the truth goes
abroad that Texas has no more public
| lands for sale. Such law will close
| the doors of Texas To I'LL who are con-
| templating this for future home;
and all of that mighty tide of wealth
energy and population that has fol
the past four years been pouring
into our borders from all quar-
ters of the earth, will turn theiI
course to the northwest, where
they can find more profitable
| fields for investment and more lib
| eral government Let the law stand
as il is, or, if you want, suspend II
for ninety days after adjournment
and give us Il chance to p;lSS q law
covering the defects i'll the present one
III we cannot agree, we can still have
Il law for the sale of the land, which
is not Il bad law. and which is fan
preferable to no law.
Mr.. Pfeuffer said: The object OF
the measure is To withdraw the lands
from the market for the present; is
until some law that is just and fail
regarding these lands can he passed
| IL is useless to deny the fact that
there is a combination to deprive the
state of these lands, ana that to-day
! parties are waitinglfor returns tn at
least three hundred sections of land
the title To which will depend
on the action ot the senate
upon this bill. 1t is conceded that
these lands are rapidly enhancing
in value in the hands of spectators
then why should not the state take
immediate steps to prevent the eX-
| hauStion of her school domain and
thus receive herself the profits that
are being made by illegitimate specll-
lation?
Mr.. Matlock-DO you state that the
object of the bill is not to repeal al
laws in conflict with the provisions ol
the bill?
Mr.. Pteuffer object of the bill
| is to repeal all laws for the present, 81
that the state may have the whip
handle that they have held up to tn,
present time. We must do something
to stop speculation on the pub
lie domain. The state of Texas
is not getting the value of these lands
| If action is postponed upon thi
measure, and the bill is not passed
| over three hundred sections more vii
be gone without the state receiving
adequate value for them. The gentle
| man from Montague wishes to put i'll
amendment to the bill. What will b,
the effect? 1t will go back to tn,
house, and have to be returned her,
again for. perhaps. another amend
ment; and will backward and forwart
until the men who are taking VI
these lands as speculations have nc
4
when the land is all gone, as matte
of course this bill will go through.
state that know there are parties il
this town-whether it Is In eXistenc
in this legislature l do not know
who will endeavOr by every means t,
delay legislation upon this subjec
until their rights to nearly all the dc
main shall have been attached.
Mr.. .Shannon-Wil the gentleman
from Comal accept amendment takin.
these lands off the market for ninet,
days after adjournment of this session
Mr.. Pfeuffer-It has some objec
tions. The bill ought to be passed to
day in order to save these lands tina
are being taken without the state re
ceiving their real value. The accep
tance OF such an amendment woulI
be To defeat the object of this bill.
am perfectly willing, and / pledg
myself to support any measure eithe
To sell or lease these lands 50 long a
the state will get the value of thes
lands; but under the present law tn
state Is losing the great part of tn
value of them, and think the thin,
ought To be stopped.
Mr.. Shannon opposed the motion t,
take up the bill. lie thought tn
present law imperfect, but the bes
that could be enacted, owing to tn
diversity of views in the legislat ur
rs to what is best to be done in refer
ence TO the restrictions that should b
placed upon the sale of the publ
lands. He believed, however, that tn
law had been enacted in the best faitl
by its trainers and friends, an
4 thouorhf Gonna Of itc dafieianeaS aOul