The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-05-11
LEGISLATURE,
TIE HIGH COURT OF IMPEACHMENT
a STILL GRINDING ON.
Ths General Appropriation Bill Is Now in
Free Conference" and the Boys May
Now Soon Expect to Get Their
Money.

Yesterdays session of the Legislature:
THE SENATE.
The senate met yesterday morn
ing at a. M. with Lieutenant
Governor Crane in the chair.
Prayer by Chaplain Briggs.
The senate resolved itself into
court parchment.
Representative Henderson on part
of the state filed a motion for leave TO
amend the 25sh article of impeach'
ment by striking out the wogd ''un-
appropriated,n as its presence was
caused by clerical error.
Major Walton for defense opposed
the motion as contrary to the rules
which govern other courts.
The no IUion was lost; yeas 8, nays q.
Lie. Clark was called by the state.
He testified that he went into the land
office under Colonel McGaughey and
was in the school land department as
corresponding clerk. Recollected
about the time the Harris county
lands were put on the market. The
practice of the Office in regard to lands
y. in blocks-only one block in Harris
'8>gounty-had been to sell only to actual
III Attlers. Witness wrote the notice to
Il SHarris county clerk about putting
\ aud on sale. Witness was under
Impression that parties who were
Il fling to buy knew the land was pat
q N the market before the notice to the
dlerk was given. Saw about the
office at that time Messrs. Mclean,
Snaulding, Friedenhaus and Taylor.
They were there for the purpose OF
filing application for Harris county
lands, most of whom are land agents.
,Boaz and Friedonhaus came to land
office and talked about the Liberty
county lands.
Witness heard the conversation be-
tween these parties and the land COM
missioner, Boaz said he was away
when the Harris county lands We're
put on sale and he urged that the Lib
erty county lands be put on the mar
ket. The commissioner then asked
Boaz he wanted to buy some of the
lands in Liberty county and being
answered in the affirmative, the com.
missioner told Mr.. Ross to put the
lands on.the market. AS to gifts by
Boaz to land office employees, he gave
some mining stock to John Nc
Caughey and E, M. Phelps and silk
hat to Mr.. Ross. John McGaughey
was head of the school land depart
ment and Phelps classifier.
Lands were usually sOld at the price
fixed OF the books, but if they were
tMreclassified they were sold at the
brice fixed oy the now classlhcatlon.
4 DThere were some changes IN Harris
nv county lands. Some were changed
from SO to So per acre. There are
school lands in blocks in Chambers
and Jefferson counties. There were
applications to buy these lands as de-
tached sections, but the applications
were rejected because they were not
detached sections. Witness testified
that these lands rim over into the
three counties of Jefferson, Liberty
and Chambers. About a year ago the
commissioner told Boaz that he could
not buy over four sections In one
county. This was the general rule.
Cross examination-'It has always
been the practice to give preference to
actual settlers when they want lands.
The changes in values of Harris county
lands were made within last twelve
months. When the land agents were
in the land office they were there on
business and were discussing the lands
openly. There was nothing secret
about it. Mr. Ross told witness that
Boaz had given him a hat, and told 1t
to others in the Office. Didn't think
the hat was given as any inducement
for favors. and it had nothing to 90
with this. These gifts of mining
stock were given in January The
stock was in goldmine. The STOCK
was given openly in the ONCE, ana
was treated as joke. Witness ala
not consider the stock worth anything
at the time.
Redirect COMMUNICATIONS sent a
sample by express of the gold taken
from the mine. The face value OF the
stock was $500 given to each. wit
ness knew that the values of come tim
Der lands in Jasper and Newton coun-
. ties were changed. Notice OF the
\ change of values was given at the
same time the sales were made. Gen.
n erally the timber on these lands were
bought. A gentleman by the name OF
n d. Call acted as agent for the pur-
4 chaser. Nobody from the office was
sent to examine these lands. The de-
partment, in making reductions in
these, Jasper and Newton lands, acted
upon the advice of a man named
Kellie, who was not employed by the
office.
L. S. Ross, Jr., was recalled by the
state and questioned as to the sales
book of the school land department
He testified that the entries were
made in the handwriting Of the dlf1er.
ent clerks. Witness testified that ne
did not know c. D. Dillon, but thought
Dillon lived in Iowa. Witness had
instructions from the commi ,sioner
to put on sale the sections OF Harris
county land which were sold to P. M.
Ciney and G. Stafford. When the
sections marked in blue were put on
the market there were no notices sent
the county clerk and no other notice
except the letters on the salesbook:
4 ,s'D. T. C. H. D." Here rejected appll-
cation for thes Harris county lands