The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-04-02
THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR AND
THE FIRST OF APRIL.
LEGISLATIVE LIGHTNING ON YEsTER-
DAYS HORIZON-FLASHES FROM
THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
Reflections From the Mirror-Matters of
Moment and Subjects for Ruminatisn-
Committee WOrk--VariOus
Findings.

! The members of the house were standin
, about the hall just prior to the hour of con
| vening, discussing the prospects ofwar witt
Italy, and the points made by Mills in hi
. talk the night before, when one of tn
bright little pages appeared in their mids
and stated that there was a lady in the re
} ception room who wanted to see one O
+ them.
= Silent as the tomb, like some banque
, hall deserted, the house was emptied of it
buzzing contents with rapidity trul.
, marvellous, and like sheep the gentlemen
| flocked into the reception room.
/ A moments careful search revealed the
, fact that no lady was there, and looking
around the Texas Legislator saw the mis-
chievous eyes of the rascally little page
twinkling around the corner of the door
frame, and saucy voice rang out: april
fool on you allw
Of course the gentlemen appreciated the
joke and laughed heartily, but nevertheless
the bright little page very wisely kept out
of reach
AS the Texas Legislator returned to the
legislative hall the innocent joke to which
he had been subjected worked in his mind,
turning the key in memory's door and
pushing it slowly back on its rusty hinges,
carried him through to the days when he
looked forward to the coming Of All Fools
day almost as eagerly as he did to the
coming of Christmas.
What fun he used to have. How slyly he
used to empty the salt from his brothers
dish and fill it with sugar, and what fine
joke 1t was to pin paper tail to pas coat
and start him off to town with the ludi-
crous appendage huttering out behind,
only he could never let him get beyond the
gate before he called him back and told
him OF it and was paid with kiss and a
nickel.
Oh, the happy days of childhood, how
they come and come again. How they
linger in the heart, filling it with joy and
pain. How the eye of manhood fills with
swelling drops or sparkles with a sympa-
thetic happiness when he looks back
through the years and sees the round
checked, innocent lad in whom it is so hard
for him to recognize himself.
The Texas Legislator was full twenty
years back in the past, wandering through
the half forgotten scenes of home and boy
hood when the rap of the speakers gavel
brought him back to the present.
~
The house opened with the same pro-
gramme as usual
With uDdiminished fervor the chaplain
laid bare the great legislative heart, pray
ing the gracious Lord to cleanse it of all
that might be amiss therein, and to grant
that its every pulsation might throw to the
utmost extent of the state an arterial
flood of legislation which should feed the
tissues, and build up and strengthen the
structure of the great Lone Star state in
every desirable way.
Then up rose Mr.. Finger, the vocal aero
bat of the clerical force, with his voice in
one hand and the journal in the other.
Scarcely, however, had the gentleman in,
serted his vocal crowbar between the
pages of the journal preparatory oprying
out something very fine, when some un-
sympathetic statesman interfered and told
him to quit, which he did, by unanimous
vote ofthe house,
The uabated determination with which
Col. Finger assaults the Journal each morn.
ing tends to give the impression that he be- |
lieves there are hosts of bon mots hidden |
between it's covers, and 1.-The Mirror" is in |
favor of letting him into it once at least, |
to see what there is in it.
~
The business of the morning
opened up with rather dry |
lation waiting for the law makers to chew |
upon, being committee bill substituted |
for measure by Mr.. Baker of Tom Green |
rel icing in the title of an act to amend |
divers sections of an act to provide for the |
sale of all lands heretofore or hereafter sur
veyed and set apart for the benefit of the |
pub ic free sch Jols, the university and the |
public lands of the state, and to prevent |
their free use, &c.
The bill with pending amendments was |
defended in exhaustive arguments by Mr.. |
Baker, and Mr.. Browning of Donlev, and |
as vigorously opposed by Mr.. Brown and |
Mr.. Williamson.
An amendment by Mr.. Browning to |
change the lease term from ten to five years |
was bitterly opposed as being too short and |
was lost, and the bill was passed after the |
adoption of several other amendatory |
features by Mr.. Browning of Donley.
Legislation ola minor character followed,
IS shown by the detailed report on another
page, and at o'clock the usual recess of
TWO hours was taken for the usual mum
lane purpose of dining.
~.
The report of the conference committee
an the uniform text book bill was presented
/ lring the morning, and Mr.. Brown imme-
1iately demanded that action thereon be
until tomorrow and the report |
printed in the journal. The report had
gouged out Mr.. Browns prop
Osltion to appropriate S1G0,CO0 |
to fit up the state printing Office for pub
fishing school books in case of failure to
contract for the books, aud the house
agreed to give him chance to examine the
hole where his amendment had been, and
his motion to postpone prevailed.
The report of the conference committee
On Mr.. Kings sheriff,' bill was adopted.
Nv
The Austin charter bill was called up at
; o'clock, and Mr.. Terrell offered several
minor amendments, taking advantage of