The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-13
DEPARTMENT NOTES.
THE NEW RENT RATE-LAND
BOARD REFUS ES TO RE-
CEDE A CENT.
Actual Settlers PrOnuncimentO.
RAILROAD RESERVATION.
The Board of Moses Taylor.
LAND DEPARTMENT.

obGllC 1etu - DOdiu yesterday W CO4I> illCI
the communication of Messr5. Simp-
son and Davis, committee from the
recent stOckmenS' convention at abb
lene, asking the board to recede from
its action raising the rate of lease of
school lands from four to eight cents
per acre, per annum. After some dis
cussion the board declined to recede
from its position, and instructed the
secretary to telegraph the committee
to that effect at once, as the commit
tee desired to know the action of the
board for consideration at another
convention of stOckmen being held
at Dallas. The motion as offered
by land commissioner Walsh
and unanimously adopted was that
the board saw no sufficient reason for
receding from Its action. Except as a
matter of courtesy to the committee it
was argued ny s sens of the members
OF The board that there was really no
| occasion for taking any affirmative
action. Acknowledgement Templeton
was the only member of the board alb
sent, and being without any adViceS
from him the board concluded to pass
upon the question for the information
of the convention at Dallas as stated.
The attoTney-generaPS presence would
not have changed the result, anG it is
not known what is his position.
In the matter of the Pacific railroad
land reservations, it appearing that
many of the sections already surveyed
and numbered embraced 712 instead
of $40 acres, the board, upon motion
of Land Commissioner Walsh, agreed
that the railroad should be granted
patents for the sections as laid out and
numbered without changing the size
! and numbers OF the sections, and that
the excess of 60 odd acres per section
should be taken from future patents
below the boundary line of the reser-
Walton. This would save the state the
trouble and expense of remembering
the sections in eXhausting other GER
tificates to which the railroad is en-
| titled.
A long petition was presented from
numerous citizens of Wheeler and
attached counties, asking that the
public school and asylum lands be
sold only to actual settlers, in quanti-
ties not to exceed 640 acres, and espec-
ially in the Wheeler land district.
This pit tition it seems was prepared
on the day the board took action up
on that question pretty much in accor-
dance it happened with the main
views of the petitioners. So there
was no occasion for further action in
the matter, though the subject of sales
to actual settlers was discussed in
general way by the board in connec-
ton with the views expressed in the
petition which is Interesting as a sort
of political pronunciamento as well as
1 bushes boomerang, Hear 1t rurther:
And we further ask that the sales
shall be so restricted as to prevent the
possibility of collision or avoidance, as
| that the land shall not be transferable
for five years from date of purchase,
that the land must be improved to the
amount of $500 within one Jear from
purchase, etc. How the frauds are
accomplished they say it is well
known. It is by the use of
names Of parties, who, after filing on
the seven sections allowed each man
| by law, transfer the whole to some
party who furnished the money for
| the entire transaction. And thus by
little circuity, hundred of sections
are brought up simultaneously by an
Individual or corporation. In point
they cite the Wholesale filing on school
lands in Wheeler county by Harold
| 81 lizard, and that of the Franklyn
! land and cattle company, in Gray
county.
Instead of such wholesale business
as this they want to reduce to a eer-
tainty the profe5sed policy of demo-
cratic conventions and break the hold
| of the beakS of the cormorants, which
have become so fixed they say in the
body of the commonwealth, than even
an attempt to loosen them, shakes the
state into commissions.
against those who have persisted
to the last in legislating in favor of
| the comorantS is the indictment drawn;
and already are the mutterings Of the
storm heard that viii relegate them
to the shades of private life
where it is to be hoped. no longer
disturbed by the demands of their
countrymen to serve them in public
they will have ample time to brood in
solitude the mischief their imbecility
and attempt at self ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
have wrought"
The petition is strong one and,
considering its fulminations, the land
board are fortunate in happening to
avoid the thunder stroke, by conelud-
ing TO retail the lands to actual set
tiers instead of wholeSaling them to
cormorant corporations.
After some other business of minor
interest the board adjourned.
OTHER MATTERS.
The comptroller having some per-
manent school funds ahead will finish
the purchase of $4,000 of San Saba
county bonds, contracted for some
time ago by the board of education.
The board will probably purchase
other bonds shortly.
A citizen of this state writes to the
attorney general that he can furnish
a certified copy of the bond of Moses
Taylor of New FORK for running and
keeping in good order the Columbia
branch of the International railroad.
The state engineer it will be remem-
bered stated he could not find the
bond. The original is supposed to
have been burned in the burning of
the old state house.
James 1. Perkins has been appointed
Judge of the Sd district, Palestine dis
trio, in place of Peyton F. Edwards,
resigned.