The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-02-23

telephone companies, sleeping anC
diniug car companies ami other cor
poratious and providing penalties.
Amendmeut by Mr.. ray Tor to the
first section by adding the words
''less losses paid" after the claus,
that leach fire, marine, health, lIye
stock quarantine or accident In-ur
ance company shall pay an annual
tax Of per cent. on gross premium
receipts" was tabled.
Pending consideration Of the bill, 8
messags was received from the gov
ernOrnor vetOing the bill creating the
Fifty fifth judicial district to be com.
posed Of Collin aud Grayson counties
The gov error says: "rhere can be
no question that the over crowded
court and and criminal d0ckets OF
Grays0n county indicate the necessity
of rellet there, while in Collin county
no relief is necessary or seriously de-
manded. The creation therefore OF
an additional district, while giving
relief to Grayson county, imposes rs "a
consequences unnecessary burdens
upon the people OF Collin and the state
at large.
"When this can he done without IN.
creasing the already excessive number
of districts it will appear quite con,
sistent with good government and
sound public policy.
"The inequality of work in the dis
tricts Of the stale showing that while
some of the judges have but little,
Others have great deal OF work to do,
demonstrates that the creature OF new
judicial districts in most instances can
be avoided by detaching county here
and there from over-crowded districts
and adding them to those less en-
.cumbertd d.
at Is with much regret that l feel
'lmpelIed from sense of public duty
to do any hing that would appear to
deny any people demanding relief
from their c'owde buckets, and it is
trusted that at the present session the
legislature may find it. convenient
and consistent with public policy to
afford all the relief demanded or
necessary, by adding Collin TO some
other judicial district, and making a
separate district out of Grayson
county"
The message was referred to the
committee on judicial districts.
Consideration of the insurance tax
bill was resumed.
Amendment by Mr.. Ro,an was
adopted, changing the telephone pen
atty to be- az follows: Any telephone
company violating any provision OF
this act shall forfeit to the state, as a
penalty, the sum of 5000, to be recov
cred i'm cOurj on complaint of the
state comptroller.
hn IN ar
business.
Mr. Peck, for the joint committee of
conference on senate bill 16, for the re-
lief of railroads by extension OF
charters granted or amended since
Jan. l, 1877, reported with recommen.
dation that the house recede from
hou @ amendments, except rs to the
provision that the act shall embrace
suburban and belt railr ads, hereto
fore chartered by the state, and
amendment according to the caption
ofthe hill. The report was adopted
House bill 10, the Gossett land
corporation bill, substituted by the
committee, was made special order for
II O'Clock Wednesd ~.
A letter wa read from Judge A. w.
Terrell declining to address the legis-
lature on March 2 on the life of Cen
eral Houston, on account of previous
conflicting engagement to address the
Texas veterans.
Judiciary committee No admitted
its report in favor of the Cunningham
bill, allowing parties charged with
libel to plea the truth of the al
legged lbelous matter as a defense.
A minority report signed by Rogers
of McLennan and Fagin of Polk is also
submitted, based on the opinion that
the existing law on the subject il lib
eral enough and the proposed change
would he misChievOns
Other reports on bills of minor i'm.
portance were presented.
The house adjourned until lOo'clock
this morning,
HOUSE COMMITTEE WORK.
The special house committee to
viii n WAS referred the mechanics
end lahorers bill agreed last evening
to recommend the bin "a originally
reported by the general committee
and against the proposed amendment
of Hrnders VI and Milan making the
owner of a building responsible to the
full amnnnt of the contract price,
Tn re will he a minority report.
The committee on IRRIGATION agreed
to report favorably on the bill of Mr.
Wynn. amending section five of the
irrigation act, 20 as to extend the time
within hich the sworn statements
provided may he filed, and creating a
lien i'm favor of the person renting the
water from an irrigation ditch. canal
or reservoir upon the ground with
right to enforce the lien as in the land.
lord and tenant act.
Following will he found the pro