The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-07
HOUSE.
HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES,
AUSTIN, Ten, Feb l, 1884.

Speaker Gibson and quorum pres
ent.
Prayer by the chaplain.
Houes bill No. Is, the Browning
land bill and the Chenoweth substi-
tute, were resumed as the pending
business, being an act to provide for
the classification, sale and lease of the
free school, university and asylum
lands.
MIR. Ayres spoke against the bill.
Mr.. Scott moved TO postpone the
bill indefinitely for reasons which he
would subsequently give.
Mr.. ChenoWeth spoke fin favor of
leasing these lands, just as he
guardian of the school fund
and in favor of having board or su-
pervisor for their special guardian
ship. Who, he asked. if guardian
of them and permitted them to be
graZed upon, would not be amenable
for permitting treSpass, in the eyes
of the law ?. Not one foot of them
should be vested in anybody without
actual occupancy. Actual settlers
should and would own it all. There
should be a condemnation of free
grass in the future, and big pastures
must go, and they must be opened to
the actual settlers and the farmers of
the country.
Mr.. Scott changed his motion and
moved to postpone both the bill and
substitute.
Mr.. Thompson, of Bexar, said he
agreed with some of the statements
of the gentleman from Fannin, but
he wished specially to reply to the
sentiment which Mr.. Chenoweth had
expressed, that the days of free grass
were numbered, and that large pas
lures must go. He could not endorse
that sentiment.
say here to-day, he continued, that
such utteranceS are unfortunate at
this particular period in our history.
Whilst it may be possible for the agri-
culturiSts to gradually carve their
way into the distant west and make
it possible, by tickling the soil with
the hoe, to make a success of farming,
the time is certainly in the distant
future whenever it becomes possible,
whenever immigration comes to this
state in sufficient numbers, that will
bring the agricultural lands of West
Texas into cultivation, and then it
will be that pasture men will concede
to them the soil, yield to them their
land and sell their lands; because of
the enhanced value. and because that
grazing on those lands will not be
profitable, as if they had turned their
lands into gold. / say that it was I'M
fortunate that such expressions fell
from the lips of members on this
floor, because 1t was on this floor that
the fence cutting has assumed such
magnitude in this state.
1 say again that whenever the time
comes for the pastureman to sell their
lands to the agriculturist, he will
do it.
A great deal has been said in regard
to the policy of those who govern this
country and have parted with the
lands in large quantities.
This has been the policy not only of
our own government, but it was the
policy of the Spanish dominion. Large
grants of land were given to colonists.
Leagues upon leagues of land were
given away and without regard to
river points, and the policy has been
kept up by our own state government
Under the Republic of Texas
these, grants were made. and
under acts of the legislature
since the days of the Republic
these grants have been made to indi.
viduals and corporations. They have
| given lands away to railroad compa
MES; they have given away lands tt
private individuals; they have giveI
away lands tor clearing out of bayou:
and rivers in this state; and they have
pursued a policy that may be ques
| toned to-day. But 1 am not here to
day to question that policy. 1t is il
the past. We have nothing to do will
the past. The past is secure. We hav'
only to deal with the future. Let u
come up and act for to-day. Let IL
say by conservative legislation tina
we will protect those people who hav,
become the owners of these lands from
the sovereignty; protect them in thei
rights; protect the small farmer, ant
give him that encouragement neces
Sary to make farming a success.
| / appreciate what the gentleman
has said in regard to Texas and he
grand possibilities. l believe that
brighter day than has ever dawne,
upon our state will be ushered IL
when we quiet these troubles
brighter day than has ever ye
dawned upon the world will be heI
aided into existence, and our grea
empire state, orbed in the rainbow o
her own grandeur and enthroned il
celestial light, will reach a high cul
minating point, and from the galax
of states shed a redeeming light upo
| the world. / certainly favo
, the substitute and hope tina
our acts will be character
| lied by conservative legislation
/ offered by the gentleman from Far
, min, and oppose the proposition c
the gentleman from Kerr to postpon
: these bills, because l believe it rigt
and proper that they should be passes
: concur in what the gentleman sal
l in regard to free grass, and 1 beliey
l the time will soon come when the syl
TEN of free grass viii be a thing {
| the past, and that the private lands {
n non-residents and all others will l
d protected. and when every interest