The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-04-07

partm. Mt and rendered services there
in, and vss paid out of the appro.
priation for clerk hire in that de.
partment for that time, and in the
meantime Mr.. Gather was continu.
ed as clerk in the filing depart
partment On his former salary of
$500 yer annun, which was paid
out of said $3.50, and at the &
piration of three aud one half
months the other dark was trans.
ferred to the Filing department,
and his salary at the rate of Sl2O)
per annum for the remainder Of the
year wa pad out Of said $3.50.
While there was tt technically no di-
version of one appropriation from
one fund to another, yet, by trick
of eli al legetdemain the impli' Il
purpose of the Legislature in max
ing appropriation of $3.50 for the
salaries of two filing clerk was
thwarted, and under the circum.
stances, without adequate iurisdlc-
ton. and we deem the structures of
the )int committee merited, even
under this notifications of the facts.
We ind the following matters of
fact pertaining to the admlnlstIa'
ton OF the general land office by
w. l. M,Gaugney, missioner,
involving gross official misconduct
,Aln nf hn ~ nj IN
and statu es Of the state on the part
Of said officer, TO wit. That in De-
cember, 1892. in gross violation of
section % of chapter , of the
acts Of 1897, page 30, the Fad w.
l.. McGaughey, as commissioner of
the general land cfii,e, wlllfully
and erroneous IS classified large
number Of ssctions of pnbic free
school lads, to wit: Tnirty.one
sections situated in a block in Har.
rvs county, as detached and isolated
from other pnblic land. and sold
the same to others than actual set
tiers, when by the terms of said act
said lands were not so detached and
isolated, and were reserved for sale
to actual settlers only.
Second. That in January, 1881,
in gross violation Of section -,
chapter of the act of 1887,
page 30, the said w. L. McGaughey,
AZ commissioner of the general land
otiice, willfully aud enormously
classified large number of sections
of public free school lands, to wit
Twenty-six sections situated in a
block in Liberty county, as detach
ed and isolated from other public
lands, and sold the same to others
than actual settlers, when by the
terms of said act, said lads were
not 80 detached and isolated and
were reserved for sale to actual
settlers only.
Third. That said lands so sold in
Harris and Liberty counties were
worth from So 30 to S. per acre,
all of which said w. l.. McGaughey
knew or might have known by the
use Of ordinary diligence, but by
the gross and culpable negligence
of the commissioner, the same were
sold at - per acre.
Fourth. That said lands in Lib.
erty and Harris counties were so
offered for sale and sold to a coterie
of laud agents and spectators be.
fore the notices required by law had
been received and recorded ia the
Offices Of the county clerk in said
counties, and thereby fair competi
tion for the purchase of said lands,
was denied to the residents of said
counties wherein said lands were
situated.
Fifth. That the obstruction OF
said section q OF said act of 1887,
being a matter of doubt in the mind
of said w. l. McGaughey with re.
spect to the lands of Harris and
Liberty counties, the said w. l..
McGaughey, in violation of the
provisions of said act, requiring
him to call upon the attorney gen
eral for a..vice thereon, obstinately
and willfully refused to call upon
the attorney general for such ad.
vice, and hagrantly and to the great
injury of the state, misconstrued
SAID section, as shown in the fore
go n, findings of his report.
SIXTH. That during the months
of November and December 1892,