Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-09
establislIng agrleuItural experiment sta

establishing agricultural experiment sta
tons
Mr.. Pickett offered a resolution tender
ing the State farmers institute the use Of
the hall of representatives at night.
Adopted.
Senate bill %, amending by adding
article 4G76a to the law providing for as
sessment of live stock in pastures, was
passed
At the instance OF Mr.. Handy the
house took up house bill 243 relative to
control of public free schools where the
management is vested in board of trus-
tees in cities and towns. Mr. Handy
spoke explaining that the main object Of
the bill was TO apply TO the arsenal lot
case in Austin. Pending amendments
proposed by Messrs. Rentfro and Strong,
consideration Of the bill was checked by
the hour for the special order.
Mr.. Owsley under a question of privi-
lege said he had not authorized q state
ment III the Fort Worth GAZETTE that he
was opposed to a railway commission.
The railway commission bill being the
special order was discussed Mr. Nc
Camb said he did not assume any par
ticUlar charge of the measure in opening
the discussion in opposition to the bill.
He would allude to what he conceived to
be constitutional objection, and in a
beautiful exordium OF the most polished
rhetoric he reviewed the general charac-
ter and effects of railroad legislation.
Like the gentleman from Grayson, he
felt that what affected
single great interest affected every
other important interest of the state. It
was like the Ksopian fable of the war of
the members of the body which conspired
against the stomach because the stomach
did nothing but consume everything, only
to realize that the stomach was necessary
for their own action. He raised four
special objections to the bill
that it was not constitutional,
that it was inexpedient, that
it was against the public policy, and that
it was fraught with danger TO the public
welfare. 1t was obnoxious, he con-
tended, to several sections of the consti-
tuition and the bill of rights. There was
no great public necessity for such meas
ure, and it was contrary to the spirit of
of the constitution. 1t inyades
the rights Of men in pri-
vate business. It encroaches upon
the prerogatives of the judicial and eX-
ecutive power to arrest contuma ciouS
witnesses without right of bai[, and7 sus-
ponds the right of habeas corpus. 1t
gives the commission power to make
rules and regulations which have all the
power and sanction of legislative enact
ment for their enforcement. 1t was beg
ging the question to call them rules and
regulations. Mr.. McCOmb argued that
the commission would not only trench
upon the judicial powers of the courts,
but what was worse was inquisitorial,
and could sit anywhere in the
state and drag witnesses before it |
from the Sabine to the Panhandle. |
Why, he asked, should any three men be |
clothed with powers superior to the 40 |
members OF the legislature. You may |
find three men who might be trusted with |
such powers, but it would be contrary to |
all history. The third section of the bill, |
Mr.. McComb commended, was in conflict |
with the provisions of the constitution as |
to competing lines and virtually gave the |
commission power to annul q cOnstitu- |
tiOnaI provision. He opposed the bill, |
too, on general principles of opposition to
the spirit of pateTnalism which seeks to
put private affairs under governmental
influence. Mr.. McComb reviewed the
recent decisions of Judge Brewer and
former decisions of Judge Woods in the
cases referred to by the advocates of a
He was reading from Judge
Cooley as to the Interpretation of constl-
tutions when Mr.. Hayes asked: sis
not Judge Cooley serving as member of
the Interstate commerce commission?''
Mr.. McCOmb-''Y Yes, but not under
any constitution of Texas. -
The speaker, to meet the question of
read from some printed
document to show that commissions in
other states had fixed greater rates than
those which were complained of in Texas,
and contended that if a commission
should fix the rate as high as 500 cents
instead Of 90, we would have no relief
He was several times applauded in the
course of his argument.
At the conclusion of Mr.. McComb IS
speech the house adjourned till CLOCK.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The commission bill was discussed at
length by Mr.. Hamblen,
who made strong speech against it and
Mr.. Owslev, who made an able and evil
iently Off-hand but elaborate argument
n its favor. Further discussion was con-
sinued till Tomorrow.
House adjourned till 10 O'Clock to-
norrOY.