The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-03-07
THE LEGISLATURE
The Senate.
From TUESDAYS Daily. I

after five minutes effort. Prayer by the
chaplain, Doctor SmOot.
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS.
Against the commission bill-By Sena-
tor Burney, from citizens of San Antonio;
by Senator Frank, from 40 citizens
of Erath county; seven petitions by Sena-
tor Scale, from rs citizens of Orange
county, from Sc citizens of Jasper, Jasper
county, from 81 citizens of Seneca, Tyler
county, from Al citizens of B!ackwood,
Newton county, from 81 citizens of Corri-
gan, Polk county, from Beaumont Iron
works, Beaumont Ice, Light and Refrig-
Grating company and several mill and
lumber com psnies of that place and 43 of
its citizens, from 43 citizens of Warren,
Tyler county; by Senator Stephens, from
SO citizens of Eastland county;
by Senator Ingram, from citi-
zens of Shelby county; by
Senator Jarvis, from citizens of Parker
county; by Senator Woodward, from forty
two citizens of Victoria county; by Sena-
tor Lane, from citizens of Bastrop county
by Senator Frank, from twelve citizens
of Bosque county.
Petitions favoring a commission bill
By Senator Johnson, from 10 merchants
and business men of Sherman; by Sena-
tOl Crawford, from Hopkins county; by
Senator Crawford, from Ill citizens of
Hunt county; by Senator Tyler, two pc
titions asking careful consideration of
bill before passage, from 16 lumber deal
ers and merchants of Hico, Hamilton
county, and from q lumber dealers, mer-
chants and bankers of Temple, Bell county;
by Senator johnson, from citizens of Mel
borne, Brazos county; by Senator Jarvis
from eighteen citizens of Tarrant county;
by Senator Lane, from citizens of Bastrop
county; by Senator Frank, two petitions
from thirty-one voters of Somervil' o
county and from citizens of Hood county;
by Senator Allen, from citizens of Den
ton county; by Senator Woodward, from
twenty five citizens of GolIad county; by
Senator Burney, from forty citizens of
Mason county; by Senator Scale, from
fifty-twO citizens of Liberty county.
Three petitions by Senator Stephens,
asking the passage of the school land ex-
cess bill; one from citizens of Hardeman
county, and two from the citizens of Will
barger county.
By Senator Emancipation from $50
citizens of proposed territory of Coke
county asking the creation of the county.
BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS.
By Senator Tyler-For relief of holders
of ex-Confederate land certificates and to
authorize patents thereon in certain cases.
Senator Frank called up house bill No.
80, for the relief of settlers upon Milan
county school lands located in Hood
courtyard appropriating $1,000 therefor.
Bill was passed.
Senator Burney called up senate bill
No. 252, for the relief, of Erastus Smith.
The bill gives his heirs league and labor
of land. Bill passed to eDgrossment.
Senate bill No. 1873 was taken up. The
bill provides for refunding to the capitol
contractor some $4,000 paid by him for
patent fees for the capitol lands. Senator
Frank opened the discussion by opposing
the bill. Senator Burgess favored the
measure, and Senator Aberorombie made
an able and exhaustive legal argument,
showing the Justice and equity of the
proposition to refund the money for
these fees. Senator Burney opposed the
bill-Senator Lane favored the bill. The
vote resulted on the passage of the bill, II
ayes to nays.
Senate bill 1876, making the trustees
of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind asy-
lums receive as much pay as the trustees
of the other asylums. Bill passed unani-
mously.
Petition by Senator Morris from Van
Zandt county favoring the creation of a
state board of health.
Senator Scale called up bill ex-
empting Newton, Jasper and Tyler
counties from operation of the game Jaw.
Bill passed to engrossment, and under
suspension of the rules finally passed.
Senator Stephens called up bill placing
all excuses in surveys of alternate sections
in the public school lands. Bill postponed
on Maetze's motion until the substitute
be printed.
Senators Glasscock and Harrison were
excused for the day. On motion of Sen
ator Jarvis the finance bill was made the
special order for Wednesday morning, and
from day to day until disposed of.
The special order, the commission bill,
was taken up at 1925, with Sen
ator Ingram on the floor. He
would not, he said, discuss the con-
stitutionality of the bill, as that
had been sufficiently discussed, and he be-
lieved the bill unconstitutional and would
vote against it. The business men of the
state are conservative, and hence we find
them almost invariably opposed to this
proposed radical legislation. Nearly every
thing used by the consumers of Texas
came as through freight, and he had not
heard charged in this discussion that
through freights we're too high. As for
the charge that Texas farmers are hurt by
the charge upon their products shipped
out of the state. In corn it was estab-
lished farmers had none to export, as all
of it could be used at home, and it was
even required we go out of the state for
more corn. Cotton was the only large
crop upon which Texas farmers made
any money, and that business was paying
the farmers better than ever before in
the history of the state, as the farmers
could sell at any depot in the state and
get good prices. How, then, were the
farmers and the great consuming classes
injured? He quoted figures of the cost
of manufacturing in Dallas and the profits
they made, and yet Mr.. Blake and other
man ufacturers are crying oppression and