Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-29
House.
Special 10 The Gazette.

Special 10 The Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, March 2S.-Mr. Wilson of
Harrison moved 10 suspend the regular
order to take up the committee report on
his resolution postponing Indefinitely the
redistricting of the state judicially. Car
ried
Mr.. Connellee opposed the idea of post
ponement, saying that several judges do
not have TO work haf the time and others
are overworked.
Mr.. Wilson did not believe that the leg
islature had any authority under the gov
ernor's call to take up judicial redistricting.
He had consulted a number of the best
posted lawyers, and all agreed that the sub
Ject could not come up under the cali.
Mr.. Rcgan Of Caldwell opposed the reso-
luton
Mr.. Baker of Tom Green thought the
subject could come up under suspension of
the rules.
M Mckinney said that the subject
should be postponed for the reason that the
bill reported for redistricting the judicial
districts lessened the number only one
when ten districts at least should be abol-
iShed. He saw no chance for any effective
work on this subject at the present session.
Mr.. Martin Of Wise spoke in a SIMILAR
strain, adverting to the way IN which the
judges and district attorneys and their
friends come down on the committee like
wolves on the fold and disarranged the
work done. Under such pressure. coupled
with the complacence of certain members of
the committee anxious to create or shape
districts as special favors TO their friends,
he saw no prospect for the passage of
rational or sensible bill and, therefore,
favored the resolution shelving it. The
previous question was ordered and the res
olUtion adopted 81 to 49,
The regular order was again suspended
TO take up Mr.. Swans mechanics lien law.
The bill repeats section Il of the existing
law and on a vote was ordered engrossed.
The text hook bill was again postponedto
take up Mr. Browns railway bond bill
which had been reported favorably by the
committee on internal improvements.
Mr.. Brown spoke in defense Of his bill,
which he considered one of the most i'm
portant of the session, While railway
bonds, said he, are nominally membranes
on the property of the road, they are actu-
ally membranes on the land adjacent to
the road, whose products must pay those
bonds in freight rates. The bonds and
stock of a railway become a tax on the
landholder and farmer, hence the reason
why the latter has an interest in knowing
what the amount Of bonds is on which he
must pay interest. AT present the law pro-
vides no limit to the amount of bonds that
may be issued BY railroads.
The total stocks and bonds of the rail-
roads IL the state IS $500, 100000 on which
the people must pay the interest. This sum
is four times the taxable values of the
roads. Tho principal trunk line roads in
the state are stocked and bonded at from
two to three times the actual cost of con-
sructiug and equipping them. The bulk
OF their Indebtedness is fictitious and fraud
ulent but it draws interest that the land
must pay.
This fictitious and fraudulent indebted
ness is the device of stock gamblers and
spectators to enrich themselves and
friends. The cry that the passage of this
bill would stop railroad building was an old
one, heard whenever an attempt was made
to restrict the aggressions of the roads. He
did not believe it If he did, he would not
favor the bill, preferring more roads to the