The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-03-26
counties. passed-ayes 68. NAYS %.

, counties. passed-ayes 6S, nays %.
House bill 265, providing for man
agement of the State penitentiarie
was considered.
, The bill passed. It provides for ;
third member OF the board, instead OF
the Governor as a member and allow!
SO day to each member for actua
| service.
House adjourned till 3 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION: House Bill
4S9, the revenue and the tax bill, was
considered.
Mr.. Steele offered amending, chang
ing the ad valorem tax from 20 to
2215, and school tax from 1212 to 1C
cents on the 500 valuation.
Mr.. Lockett spoke in favor of the
amendment, and read from an editor
ial of the Express, of this morning, as
to State tax of Is cents.
Mr.. Linn, chairman of the COM
m1ttee reporting the bill, opposed the
reduction. He argued that taxable
values had deprecated so, that it
would not do to act upon the basis
of last years valuation of $500, 100000,
if we aimed to avoid deficiency.
The first proposition Of the amend
ment was lost-ayes "a, noes 81.
MIR. Yaeger argued that 10 cents
was sufficient for the school tax, or
rather that the aggregate Of 25 cents
State and 10 cents school tax was
enough to impose upon the people.
The second point of the amendment
was lost-ayes 36, noes AZ.
ByEMr. Rainey: Amendment making
the State taxes 20 cents. Lost; ayes
IL, noes 70.
BY Mr.. Rainey: Changing school-tax
to II cents. Lcst-ayes 80, noes 81.
The next clause of the bill provides
for an occupation tax from every mer-
chant of ten Q0) cents on each 500
of purchases made by such merchant,
which tax shall be paid quarterly on
sworn statements of all purchases
made by such merchants.
Fisher offered as amendment, the
clause OF the old law of March, 1881,
fixing graduated taxes, and making
the range from $125 annual tax on
100000 purchases down to So tax on
5000 purchases.
By Mr.. Foster, of Grayson amend by
striking out the entire section, leaving
the old law of all occupation taxes in
tact.
By Mr.. Page: Amendment taxing
cattle companies from $500 to $1,000,
according to capital. Lost-ayes 25,
noes St.
Mr.. Fishers amendment was lost
ayes 20, noes Sd.
Mr.. Fosters failed by a vote Al to
A.
By Mr.. Robinson: Strike out tax
on Observation-Disclosures for the
present.
The item as to merchants was adopt
ed viva Soce as in the printed bill
Next item, tax on drummers or So
licitors by samples, ETC., SO per cent
was adopted, with amendment eX-
cepting persons selling Bibles
and other sacred literature "A county
occupation tax of % cents is also
required of a drummer in each county
where he shall refuse to exhibit Comp
troller's certificate of payment to the
Comptroller.
Amendment was offered allowing
certificates to be assignable, pending
consideration OF which motion was
made to adjourn and withdrawn for
adoption OF resolution, by Mr.. Cav.tt,
fixing an hour Thursday evening Goth
inst. to present resolutions of respect
to the deceased members of the EIgh-
teenth Legislature, Messrs. Ayres,
Davis and Merriwether.
Adorned till 8. O 'clockto-night.
Night SeSsion-Amendmen to the
revenue bill, making Comptroller's
certificates to drummers assignable,
was ost, and the item as to drum
mers' tax was adopted.
Other items Of occupation taxes
were adopted as follows:
Tax on fortune tellers, 5000.
Clairvoyants, $25 in each county
where practicing such business.
Every person, firm etc., shaving pa
per, money brokers or bankers, buy
ing and selling State bonds, county
warrants or other claims against State,
$25 to $3.50, according to population of
town or city where doing business.
Daguerrean $40 to SIS in towns
and cities and $40 outside.
Mr.. Bergstrom moved reconsidera-
ton of vote by which Fosters motion
striking out the entire section Of occu-
patton taxes was lost. Carried.
The section was stricken out-ayeS
So, noes %, leaving the old law as to
occupation taxes operative, and I'M
doing the action above taken all as DC
equations.
Liz GulTu SSCGlOu VI GIl6 U1ll w DIS
adopted with slight amendments. 1t
gives Commissioners Courts of the
Counties power to levy tax of one
fourth of one per cent. for county rev.
enue, and for roads and bridges Is
cents on the 800 valuation, and spe-
cial tax for further maintenance of
public free schools, and building
school-houses, not to exceed 20 cents
on the 500 valuation, provided two
thirds of tax-paying voters, represent
ing not less than half the taxable
property, shall vote such tax.
and may levy one half ofoccupation tax
levied by the State. Provided no city
or town shall levy greater tax on any
occupation than that authorized to be
levied by County Commissioners
Court; and other minor provisions.
The bill passed.
Vote of yesterday by which minority
report of conference on corporation
bill was adopted, was reconsidered and
majority report was adopted.
House bill regulating collection of
taxes was engrossed with amendment
making taxes collectible in March.
Senate regulating benevolent
associ2S Used to third reading.
HoiN lrned.