The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-04-24

the board. To Governor Irelan
inquiring if the price of beef did not e.
tablish the relative value of the land
j ldge Is. said the pasture men wer
b ought into competition with the cal
tie ranges and free grass in the terri
tories, and with the price of Northern
beef. The price of those beeyeS gov
erned our market and regulated thu
cost of ours. In some sections it re
quired twenty acres to Craze an AMI
NAL and yearlings had to be sold Of
every year. He admitted so far a.
buying was concerned that it wa.
cheaper to lease at eight cents OF ever
ten cents than to buy at 81 per acre
He diden't think the pasture meT
were any of themWanting to lease fol
mere speculation.
Gov. Lubcock-Some small bidders
are giving So.
Mr.. Temple Houston spoke next
He said he and Judge Brown repre-,
scented bids amounting to about 5000
sections. His constituents as citizens
of the state, residing on tie
lands and paying taxes
claimed that the state should be con.
siderate of their interests, and eX-
pected the same considerations as
extended to corroratio rs. They were
ready to pay the money required
which in tea years would be $780,
600. They would make the tender to
the state at cents, and in doing SO
they thought they would be protected
| by the statutes. In case the bids are
rejected, they will feel that they have
complied with the law and will be
ready to proceed as may be proper.
Mr. Daugherty, agent of the Cont
mental Land and Cattle company, read
a long paper arguing against.the gen
eral policy of the board as having the
| effect to draw the land from market.
| The raising of the lease price to 8
cents he commended, was injurious to
the school fund, and was an arbitrary
assumption of power. Such changes
and yacilation in their policy drove
men and capital away, and damaged
every material interest of the state. 1t
further kept away capital and invest
| ments. He proposed to tender his
lease money under his bids at 4 cents,
| subject to competition, and if the
board refused his clients proposed to
hold possession of the lands and test
the validity of the ruling Of the board
in the courts. Had the board, he con-
tended, proceeded under the law the
school lands would all be readily
leased, and would furnish an in
come of nearly two millions of
of dollars, sufficient to dispense with
the 12L cents state school tax. He
suggested that the board should fur
nlSh him with certificate of their re-
fusal to accept his offer and tender of
the money for his bids. In answer to
Governor Ireland asking if the six
and ten years leases did not keep away
actual settlers during the lease, Mr..
ID. replied that the lands would be
settled as they became too valuable
for pasturage. Other land men pres
ent contended that large pastures pre-
vented settlements. Governor Ireland
said he knew in fourteen or fifteen
counties large pastures had kept hun
dreds of small land men out of the
country. Mr.. Daugherty said the pol
kicy OF leasing large bodies with
out the Watered sections had
tended in such cases to prevent set
Elements.
The governor said he aimed only to
meet Mr.. DIS argument. Should the
lands all be leased under the 4 cents
minimum actual settlements would
certainly be indefinitely postponed,
not necessarily because large pasture
men kept away the smaller land own
ers, but that the latter would be so
embarrassed by them as to be com
PEELED to leave. Mr.. D. 1nstanced as a
case of hardship that some parties
who came here to buy lands in Pecos
to settle upon them, had been taken
by surprise by the changed action of
the board in suspend1ng the statute
and taking the Watered sections off
the market and had gone home.
Arguing that laws are to be inter
preted according to the intention of
the lawmakers, and the legislature
did not give the board the power to
raise the price of the lands, he said
that when the law creating the board
was upou the passage Senator Chesley
proposed amendments to it to give
the board the express power to change
rates, but the senate refused.
The board after hearing the argu-
ments iadjourned. They refused to
give Mr.. D. the certificate he re-
quested.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
Fort Worth sends an application
for the location Of summer normal
school at that place, and with it's
usual noteworthy enterprise offers to
furnish So to each dollar from the
state for its maintenance. This will
secure instruction in music, drawing
and callisthenics in addition to the
usual branches. Board is offered at
SIP to $15.
GAINESVILLE also applies for the loca-
ton of a summer normal at that
place.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
The comptroller paid into the treas
ury yesterday $2,70O for account of
general revenue and available school
fund. The treasurer received about
50, 600 on account of deferred first
land payments, under the acts Of 1879
and 1881.
CHARTER FILED.
An amended charter of the citizens
of Loan Company, of Galveston in
creasing It's capital from 100000 to
100000, was filed yesterday with the
secretary Of the state.
Gov. Ireland issued his proclama-
tion, yesterday offering a reward OF
5000 for the apprehension of the party
or parties engaged in burglarizing the
| niSpotob off 90 and domaCiDp the