The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-03-26

Letter From Austin.
AUSTIN, March IT, Correspondence
There is hopes of an early passage Of
the Trunk line charter.
The railroad bill will evidently on
gender much discussion, and there are
fears II will partake of an acrimonious
nature. Some members of the house
are talking, however, of forming n COM
bination 10 move the previous question
rs quickly as possible on zach section,
If it be considered by sections, as is
probable, 10 cut of debate. II is meas
ure that shonld be discussed fully, and
every man ought TO go on the record,
The constitutional provision limiting
tho per diem of Legislators to 50 for ~
days and only SO after that time is a
nu sance. Members who before coming
here were inclined 10 believe IL wise
and equitable Limitation now see and
appreciate its folly, and believe IL the
| people properly understand the neces-
sites of the case, the onerous burdens
and multitudious duties Incumbent upon
! the legislature, meeting only every TWO
years, as it does, with our state prosper
Gus, growing and developing ana US
requirements constantly increasing,
that they would cheerfully vote
for an amendment to eliminate this
udious mandate from the fundamental
law of the state. The work to be done
by the legislature at each session cannot
he accomplished in go days, and 10 IL
wrong in principle, wrong in practice TO
demand OF Legislators to give their tlme
and their ability for tho state at price
which will not pay their necessary eS-
penses, which 50 day will not do. The
labor + Is worthy of hire, and II Texas
legislator is not labOror in the truest
and fullest sense of the word, cannot
conceive whore you would find. Mem
tal and physical strength are both
on the RACK by day, and ny
night whore the legislator docs his duty
by his constituents and by his state.
The bill of DR.. BlOunt, of Van Iandt
county, TO protect the actual settler on
hscool, university and asylum lands, is
a good one. 1t is q move in exactly the
right direction, and IL is TO be hoped 1t
Will SO be considered by the com mlttee
TO whom it was referred and by both
branches of the legislature and the gov
ernor, that it may become law. me
sooner these lands go into the hands OF
| settlers, tilers of the soil, the better for
| the free schools, the university, the
asylums aud tho state. What may
be obtained from these lands
by lease is but pittance.
DuC n UfluSlOU anu u phO
land bill that passed the house, and
they should as rapidly as possible be
cut up into bomesteads and their broad
acres be made to bear offerings to Ceres,
to Pomona, to king cotton, and to pay
tribute TO the state treasury in the way
of taxes.
Speaking of the land bill that passed
tho house, some OF the apostles OF that
MEASURE in the house, and some VINO
"a n N
Sunday, l presume, upon the bill. From
what can learn, however, it will have
hard road to travel in the senate, and
the possibilities are it will die
the death of the unrighteous,
in that body. When the bill was under
discussion i'll the house Col. a. Il. tat
new, OF Anderson county, in a speech he
made, said: "When / first read The bill
| thought it was lease law with tree
grass attachments. When | read 1t a
second time / thought IL a free grass Dill
with lease attachments, but when come
to study and analyze it, | found it to be
q free grass measure without any attach
ments whatever, save those tho gentle
man from Wheeler has Tor it."
The "strikers bill" is going to meet
with very decided opposition in the
house, but cannot as yet conjecture
how strong it will be. The strikers have
lost friends in the legislature by tho
few acts tending towards force and ylo-
lence that have been noted against
the 4. So long as they are peace
full and quiet, using only
moral suasion and peaceful in
fiuences to prevent others from takign
the places they had vacated, there SEEM
ed to be strong sentiment in their be-
halt, but there is anoth side TO the
question. Ii the railroads are losing
money, as they claim to be, and 1t Is
not an unreasonable claim when we
recollect the two short crops OF our
state, and cannot afford to pay the
prices demanded by the strik ers
the roads " stop their trains
entirely, and cease business entirely I'M
til times get easier and crops more
abundant, or must compromise be
affected swhereby the employees must
share with the roads some part OF their
losses? II is urged that the cost of liv-
ing is less now than it has been for
long time; that all the necessities OF life
are cheaper, and ii this be SO, men can
afford to work for less. These are
points hear advanced pro and con on
this vexed and troublous question. :
AS the senate has demolished tne ue.
partment of Insurance., statistics ana
history attaching it, with one clerk, TO
the comptroller's department, it is prob
able, it being the pending business
when the appropriation bill comes up,
the house will do likewise. If this
should be the case, the universal de-
mand seems TO be that Miss Brewster,
the very accomplished, intelligent and
capable daughter of the late Col. Brew
ter, who was at the head of the depart
ment, must follow it, as she has been
the chief clerk for p long time, and is
thoroughly familiar with all the details
and minutiae of the business.
Allusion has been made in your dis
patches to the report of the asylum
committee. This recommends still
further reduction than the finance COM
mittee which cut considerably under
the amount asked for. The reduction re-
lates to the item OF groceries, provisions,
fuel, lights and water. There is min
GRITTY report recommending that the
finance com ittee's figures be adopted.
The most active member of the commit |
tee on asylums favoring The
further reduction, was Repre-
sentative Davis, of Navarro
Before a1journing the commit
tee unanimously tenlered Mr., Davis its
thanks for his services. The amend
ment will be vigorously att Cked wnen
the item is reached, but the committee |
men, who have 80 far supported Mr..
Davis, have confidence in his facts and |
figures and in his ability to handle
Them. But he has the dissdv intage Of
lighting against the finance cominit-
tee's report. He will be equal to the