San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-04-23

The Governors Veto.

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The Governors Veto.
The Fort Worth Gazette has an
Austin special of the 18th prefacing
sysnopsis of Governor lrelands
veto of the land bill rs follows:
The long expected veto to the land
bill was issued to-day and is n volumi-
nous document. 1t sets ont by stat
ing that the bill is unconstitutional
because the caption is wrong, rs there
is no connection between the school,
university and asylum lands and the
public lands in the unorganized coun-
ties, the latter belonging to the state
proper and the proceeds going to the
general revenue. In the one case
the constitution provides for the sale
and in the other the Legislature. Ho
objects to the unlimited lease and
says:
1T will not soon be forgotten what
the country experienced during the
last two years in turmoil, strife and in
the sacrifice OF life, in some instances,
caused by permitting vast areas OF
territory to fall under one manage
ment. BY the provisions OF this bill
whole counties may be owned and
controlled for a term OF years by one
person or by an aggregation OF CAPT
tal. Under the former leases and
policy vast regions have fallen into
the same hands, and to-day the great
body of the people of this state are
not only debarred the right of free
transit OF passage through neighbor-
ing states and territories, but those
holding tenures under this state in
the northwest are threatening the in
terror and south with violence should
they attempt to pass or drive stock
through that country on their way to
distant markets.
"By no act ofmine will ever sane
ton the acquisition of the vast bodies
of land by one management. 1t is not
correct public policy, nor is it just to
the great mass of our citizens"
Relating to litigations, no thinks it
is impossible for the attorney gener-
ally to attend the suits and thinks it.
would have been better to have given
the district and county attorneys au-
thority to do so.
He further objects to the bill be-
cause the bill provides for p FORGETTING
of land without any judicial proceed
ing, and To undertake to eject lessee
without hearing in the civil courts
would be Il viol&tion Of the bill Of
rights.
He objects to the provision allow
ing q purchaser to lease q certain
number of sections over some other
lessee.
He objects to the provision permit.
ing the sale Of timbered lands, as they
are not sufficiently described.
He objects to the preference Of the
right given parties now on the ground
to lease or purchase, and objects
to selling fractions of sections in or
ganized counties to any except actual
settlers. He thinks these scraps
should be carefully guarded and
saved for presumption.
He objects to the sale Of waterod
lands, and says there is no valid ex-
cuse for placing them on the market
at " per acre.
Says the governor: "Give me con-
troll of the watered lands and [ will
be virtually owner of all the surround
ing country. If access cannot be
had to the streams the lands will re-
main free to those who con troll the
water. It requires no stretch of the
to see that it is but u few
years if this bill should become law
until the large capitalists would own
the watered lands and command all the
balance. The present law is unwield-
ly and awkward but under its opera
ton the school, university and asy-
lums will remain for the next two
years owners of the land and subject
to the disposition Of future leglsla-
lures, provided the land board should |
not dispose of them. [ think it in
initely safer and better, having a
conscientious regard for all the inter-
ests of the state, to leave them in this
condition"