Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-27
for cutting his way out.

III NtiiNiuB iliN ~ ay ouN'
Cravens spoke against the position
taken by MIR. Patton, and ridiculed the
idea of making trespass felony.
Dir. Hill replied, and showed the in
consistency of such reasoning, and said
1t was for the legislature to say what
.hould be trespass and what should
be "a felony.
At this .iuncture petition WAS read
from number Of citizens of Brown
county detailing the depredaiions of
the fence cutters in chat section, and
the document created q ute sensa-
ton, and gave an opportunity to the
opponents of Mr.. Pattons substitute
to assail his side of the case
and advocate the penitentiary
Ter the fence cutter and "a
mere line for the individual or corpo-
ration who illegally fences in the
small farmer.
Mr.. Chenoweth took advantage OF
the occasion and delivered one of his
most tiOwery addresses against making
the Enclosure of another's land fell
ony, and in favor Of sending to the
penitentiary every fence-cutter in the
land,
Mr.. Armistead and Mr.. Stagner
urged in strong terms equal punish
ment for both parties to the present
trouble.
After stirring speech from Mr..
Mckinney in favor of the committee
bill, Mr.. Patton had read as an
offset 10 the memorial from Brown
county storOng petition from
the people of Wheeler county asking
that the legislature put down wi h no
uncertain voice the encroschment
of corporations and large pasturemen
against private rights, and averring
that the whole cause of fence-cutting
lay in the oppression Of the rich over
the poor and the unlawfu fencing in
OF the small farms by the landed aris-
tOcTat.
Mr.. Upton said the discussion had
now taken such wide range that IL
looked AS thou Oh members were get.
ting up little corner on political
futures"
Mr.. Patton again spoke on
the question, and fought his
side Of the measure with
all the force pos sible. He again urged
on the house the necessity and the
Justice OF making it IA penitentiary of
tense to unlawiully inclose the lands
of another, just as much as 10 make
fence-cutting felony. They were
both wrong one was born of the 9th
er, and both should be punished alike.
After desultory discussion n divis.
ion was had, and the vote resulted for
the adoption OF Patton's substitute, 3S
ayes; against 1t, 80 noes. The substi.
tnte was therefore lost.
frha ppnnnlpnnpt ~ NJ, q
Limestone was then discussed. fixing
line OF fifty cents and not
more than one dollar an acre per
month for all lands uni .wfully iu-
closed, ana making tie agents Of cor
porations personally amenable for all
such infringement. The same amend
ment makes each such otiense punisha-
BILE on conviction by imprisonment In
the county prison for period not
greater IMAM two years at the discre
ton of the, jury. The first portion of
the amendment relating TO fnes was
carrlt 10y vote of so 10 %.
The second portion OF the amend
ment relating 10 imprisonment was
then put 10 vote and was also carried
by ayes AZ TO noes %.
The following letter was then read:
oENENAb LAND OFFICE,
AUSTIN, January 20, 1884.
lfbu. G. IL. q BISON. Speaker OF the House n,
Representatives. ~
Sir-l have the honor to hand YOU
herewith In response To "a resolution OF
your honorable body of the 18th inst.
statement Of the lands granted bv
the state Of Texas for works of inter.
nal improvements. Sheet No. shows
u total grant to railroads of 60, 1876 sec.
lions; sheet No. 2 shows a total grant
10 contractors for clearing rivers and
bitches OF 1855 sections.
These give "a grand total
OF Us, ia sections or 43 GIG, $50 acres
Under the act Of July IA, 1870 known
as the "5o'cent law, firms or corpora.
lions bought about one million acres
We have no information NJ 10 tha
reaideuce Of tho patentees. nor f., 'ae
KNOW whether they ARE citizens Of tna
United States or aliens. Alter issuance
Eof patents, we have no advlces as Ia
Gales by the patentees, and conse.
quenty do not know the present own
ers.
/ lSlgned.l w. q, Walsh,
Land Commissioner.
The house then adjourned To IN
O'Clock Monday. ~
Death OF GOV. Letcher.