The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-04-19

The senate met yesterday morning
at 10 O'Clock with Lieutenant.governor
Crane in the chair.
Present-Senators Agnew, Baldwin,
Bowser, Crawford, Dickson, Douglass,
Goss, Greer, Hutchinson, Imboden, Jes-
ter, Hawthorn, Lewis, McComb, Pres
Ter, Smith, Steele, Swayue, Tips. No
quorum.
Absent wi hout excuse-Ssnators
Crowley, Dean, Mckinney and Shell
burne.
A message from the governor ve-
toing the bill to amend the incorpora-
ton act was received. The president
said as this was the tenth and last day
for the governors veto to be sent in
ne would allow it to be filed and leave
the rest to the courts.
Senator Imboden introduced reso.
lution revoking all excuses heretofore
granted to absentees and instructing
the sergeant-at arms to notify those
absent and compel their attendance.
Senator Lewis made the point of
order that as quorum had excused
some less than quorum could not re-
woke the excuses. Moreover, there
were enough unexcused absent to COM
plete quorum.
The chair held the point not we'll
taken.
Senator Jester offered a substitute
that the sergeant-at-arms notify by
wire the absentees and compel their
attendance, which was adopted.
Adjourned till 10 o'clock this m 0rn.
ing.
THE HOUSE.
The house met with Speaker Coch-
ran and a quorum present.
Prayer by Chaplain Pennington:
Mr.. Mills, for the committee On
rules, reported in favor of resembling
the concurrent resolution which set
apart two days of each week for the
special consideration of senate bills, |
A motion to postpone was defeated |
and the resolution itself was defeated.
Senate bill amending the law as to
signals and switches of railroad cross
ings of roads and streets by allowing
full stops to be discontinued where
there are interlockipg switches pro-
vided was passed to a third reading.
Senate bill extending the time with
in which lands sold for taxes may be
redeemed and providing the terms Of
redemption was amended and passed.
Senate bill authorizing the peniten
tiary board to purchase agricultural
lands for the purpose of utilizing con-
vict labor and allowing 100000 for
that object being in order, Mr.. Nc
Gehee spoke in favor of the bill, as
representing the proper policy for the
state to purchase, and arguing that
it was preferable to keeping the con.
victs entirely in the penitentiaries.
He cited figured to show that it cost
the state from $l50,000 to $3.50 900 an
nually to Keep all the convicts within
the walls. A great proportion of
them were negroes under short term
sentences who could not be profitably
employed in the state prison. The
state should buy farms and work its
Gonvicts on state account and not
have them scattered by leasing them
all over the state. He concluded by
offering an amendment changing the
terms On which the money may be
borrowed if necessary from the school
fund.
The speaker appointed Messrs.
gan of Lamar and Tankersly, on the
of conference or senate bill
substitute providing for additional
supreme judicial districts. I
Mr.. Henderson of Milan spoke in {
to the penitentiary bill,
that the borrowing of money !
for such purposes was not cOntem-
plated by the constitution, and the
amount was 100000 in excess of what
the constitution allowed tor any pur. |
pose.
Mr.. Onion met this by saying it
would be simple transfer OF funds {
without the state creating a debt
against itself.
Messrs. Hodges and Curry further
discussed the bill.
The McGehee amendment was
adopted and the bill was engrossed by
a vote of 65 to 33.
Senate bill regulating the practice {
of the courts of civil appeals in cases
of reversals and remittitur when the
Judgment is excessive passed.
Senate bill diminishing jurisdiction !
of the county courts of Castro and !
Hartley county passed.
Senate bill amending the law all. {
thorizing corporations to increase ]
their capital stock so that such in
crease shall be valid under the consti-
tuition of the law by the secretary OF '
state, was amended and passed.
Mr.. Wheless presented the follow
ing resolution which was adopted: {
Whereas, it has for some time past I
been often charged by certain well
known persons in Austin that the {
state expert printer is Interested in
the contracts awarded to the firm OF
Ben G. Jones & Co.: and that the man.
her in which state printing has been +
and is being done by said contractors I
under the sanction of the expert c
printer is fraud upon the state, and
mas occasioned the unlawful expendl-
ture of large sums of money, and,
Whereas, a decent respect for the
rights of the state, as we'll as those OF
the expert printer and the said
contractors to defend them 9
selves against these often t
repeated imputations, demands that 6