The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-04-05

Mr.. tIlDDS lfONcu as dlutlitilllcu
that the appropriation bill be referred
/ to the senate finance committee with
/ instructions to prepare bill making
/ necessary appropriations to run thu
B state government up to July l, thu
I appropriations to be on the basis o
present salaries and current expenses
/ Giving AS reasons for the amendment
he said:
1. That the legislature being to ;
/ great extent responsible for the pres
| emit condition of legislative affairs
should not place upon the governor
the entire responsibility Of an eXtr;
| session.
2. That both houses were now
working with bare quorum, anC
will continue to do SO the rest of the
session, as at this season of the yea
every member has pressing private
business at home suffering from the
unexpected length of time we have
been i'm session.
3. At special session the legiSla
| ture could only consider the more i'm
portant questions and would dispose
of them more readily than now, will
! such a mass of accumulated miScel
| laneous business.
4. The action of the legislature on
| important questions would then be the
result of more matured Judgment anC
careful consideration, as the governor
would Immediately Indicate the mat
tiers to be considered.
.. The house and senate are not now
in accord on any of the more lmpor'
tant questions, and have about de-
! SPARED, in their present state of mind
of reaching any distinct agreement.
6. 1t would be more economical
than continuation of the present
session, as we would do twice the
work in one-half the time, and our
votes would be the result of careful
reflection and not the result of haSty
compromise.
Z. Every member would have more
leisure from private business and
, would be in his seat and at work.
| 8. Between now and July l they
J could counsel with their constituents,
10. The hot blood engendered by an
earnest contest oyer the penitentiary
lease and other important questions
will have cooled.
| The senator contended that a spe-
cial session would be necessary, and
that the land, the appropriation the
penitentiary and other important bills
should be considered ut that session.
He claimed that the present
requirement of the constitution that
a legislature should meet in regular
session only once in two years was
not in the interest either of economy
or careful legislation, if the session
had to be continuous one, the leg
iSlature being generally composed OF
new men and the interests of differ
ent sections being conflicting, and
the views of representatives being so
conflicting. He stated that if passed
to a vote that he should vote against
the whole appropriation bill rather
than support it with its many eX-
traYagant items.
Amendment !ost-19 nays and 4
ayes; Messrs. Cooper, Dayis, Evans,
Gibbs.
The motion of Mr. Davis to recon-
NIT was also lost by vote of IL nays
20 10 ayes.
The bill was lost on final passage
by the following vote:
Yeas-Buchanan, Chesley. Fleming,
GOoch. Houston of Shelby, Jones,
Nlt1tiONh. 1OpOs IL
Nays-Cooper, Davis, Evans, GetZ-
endaner, Gibbs, Johnson of Collin,
Martin, Patton, Peacock, Pfellffer,
shannon, Traylor-12.
Mr.. Davis entered a motion to re-
consider the vote by which the bill
was defeated.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. Davis withdrew the motion to
reconsider.
On motion of Mr. Patton, Mr..
Pfeuffer was excused.
The motion of Mr.. Davis to recon-
slider the vote by which the apprOpria-
ton bill was defeated prevailed, plac-
ing the bill on third reading.
Mr.. Peacock: Amendment for the
purpose of enabling the penitentiary
board to resume control of the state
penitentiarieS, and operate the same
on states account alOne-S35O,0 600 first
year. and S150,OOO the second year.
Mr.. Gooch: Amendment to Mr..
Peacock's amendment, by striking
out states account alone"
After discussion, Mr.. Gooch with
drew his amendment, and offered for
Mr.. Peacock's amendment the follow
ing substitute: "In case the state
shall resume, then, for the purpose of
resuming control of the penitentiaries
and convicts, and for buying machin-
cry and operating the cOnvicts by
lease, state account, or contract, or
part by one mode and part
by Others, as the penitentiary board
or legislature determine, there shall
and is hereby appropriated all the
proceeds and income of the peniten-
tiary conVicts and property, and in
addition thereto. for each year, $780,
COO"
At the request of Mr.. Shannon Mr..
Gooch consented to strike out from
his amendment ''for each year."
Pending discussion of the substi-
tute, the senate, on motion of Mr..
Pope, adjourned till Tuesday morning
ut 10 o'clock.