The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-03-22
NO OCCASION FOR AN EXTRA LEGlSLA
TIVE SESSION.

No OCCASION FOR AN EXTRA LEIlSLA
TIVE SESSION
The STATRsMAN objects TO special SEES
sion of the legislature as not required or
justified by any great emergency, and as
likely to result in unwise and prejudicial
legislation incident to the rush and haste
of extra session business, 70 which suihci-
ent consideration and calm, dispassiOnate
Judgment cannot be given. The con5tl-
tuition provides that the governor may call
special sessions on "extraordinary occa-
sions," and by MITIGATION may not do so
upon any other occasion. Is there, at this
time, an extraordinary occasion for
special session!
Only very great reduction OF the
pre.ent rata of taxation would constitute
such an extraordinary occasion for the
call Us the constitution cOntemplates.
Last year the revenues exceeded ex-
pensrs 1925, 5O744, and, for the current
year, are estimated by the comptroller to
exceed ex penses only S298G99 IS. Now,
no one will insist upon reducing the
revenue below the current expenses, and,
so granting the excets estimated
will reach $29S,699.58, the extraor-
dinqry occasion il simply to
prevent the collection Of that amount.
Bat, in the estimate Of the ptrolIer,
only 100000 is allowed for all deiicien-
cies, The estimate was doubtless made
before the result Of the operations of the
laws of the last session was fully known.
II omits the item of expense of the new
court Of arbitration and awards al o.
gether. II was made before ths new act
regulating the fees OF officers in felony
cases had raided the cash balance. 1t
contains no estimate of the expense of
special session. The act to which refer
ence is made is substitute for article
1854 OF the code OF criminal procedure.
II makes no change in the amount of the
fees of shcriffs, clerks and attorneys IN
such cases, but increase the class of cases
originally required the state to pay the
fees only in cases where trial was had and
the defendants convicted or acquitted.
The law rs amended by the last legisla-
ture, allows the fees where cases are dis
posed of by nolle prosequi, and also by
dismissal, after one conviction is taken
upon agreement to noll. pros two or three
other indictments; apparently this change
in the law will increase the costs to be
paid by the state twenty-five to forty per
cent. The original law allowed 10 cents a
mile TO the sheriff for all expenses in re
moving prisoner, within the state, but
the law as amended adds the proviso, that
when an officer goes beyond the limits of
the state after Il fugitive he shall be
allowed the same fees and mileage as for
like services in the state. This must also
largely increase the costs of sherifrs
for which no estimate is made AgaiG,
fee bills to be approved and paid unit!
the case was disposed Of but rs amended
it provides that all sberiffS' and oonsta-
bles fees shall become due at the close of
each term of the district court Fees,
that under the old law would not become
due in one, two, three or ten years, now
are payable when the court adjourns.
This provision, while just and right, will
pile up the expenses of the courts in the
next twelve months beyond all estimates
The governor, as he has stated, estimates
that in the two years of his term, unless a
halt is called, million dollars will
scarcely cover the increased expense
under the provision which allows the
same fees for transporting fugitives
from beyond the state rs within the state
and he has therefore been compelled to
deny many re acquisitions for fugitives, and
to place rigid restrictions upon the issue
of his writs in all cases. Candid readers
will allow, that in the face of such legis-
lation, the estimated excess of revenue of
only 1927 900 will not be realized, but, on
the contrary, the balance Is likely to be
the other way. A special session would
be more imperative to modify the law in
question, or else to make very large ad-
ditional appropriations to meet the in
creased expense, rather than to reduce the
taxes and invite revenue deficiency.
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ARAILRoAD TO THE SOUTHEAST.