Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-21

found All of the sections Of land men.
toned ON the market 10 actual settlers
acre. That they had boon ON the market
at said price since the act of the legisla.
ture approved In 1887 and classification
hereunder. That during that time up
70 Dec. IL. 1872, only forty-fOur sections
had been sold to actual settlers and
tnat OF those about One-half had been
forfeited 10 the state That all Of these
lands were placed on the market to
actual settlers under the acts approved
m 1914, at Sl5O per acre and remained
on the market at that price until 1919
When they were placed nc 81 per acre
by an act of the legislature, apd remained
on the market az this price unsold till
lNNl, when by nn act Of the Legislature
lhe price was raised 60 50 per acre for
watered sections and 81 per acre for nm.
Watcred sections. and hv an act of the
legislaturc of 1883 this character Of land
was raised 60 50 per acre. and under the
acts Of 1871 they were put az rot less
lllln ~ per acre for actual settlers and
clt.sslhed 10y q regular state agent an.
pointed for that purpose whose report Is
now ON file In the general land Office
verifying this statement.
re SAYS he was q member Of the Leg.
lsldture that passed. the act of 1857 and
tonk an active part In the MASSAGE Of the
laws. Also the laws of 1870 That hc
the law that section % was intended 10
Dc an innovation ON the custom of sell.
ing the land mentioned therein to actual
settlers only. hut that section 90 thereof
authorized The sale 10 any person of AN
school, university and asylum stands sit
unted in any county I'm Texas organized
prior To 1910 with three exceptions only:
=, First Excepting the counties of Ill
Poso, Pecos and Preside
second, Except whore it joins unap-
Third Except 30 corporations.
lie quoted as n precedent for his sale
Of these lands his predecessor. Hon n.
NJ. Han, who was Ia the Office at the
time the act Of 1887 wont into effect
placed upon the market under section -
largo blocks and bodies Of land belong
ing 10 the school, university and asylum
funds, lying and situated Inc about eighty
counties IN the state organized prior to
1910, and those blocks and bodies were
similar in bulk and size 10 the blocks ma
described In said act and all land So put
ON the market not sold nre still ON the
market That the validity of those sales
ana the action of his said predecessor
nave ncycr-sO far as hc is Informed
been questioned Or his good faith inn
pugnod. He claims N he has done
wrong I'M the sale of those lands 10 was
an error committed in the light of the
hlghcst precedence and resulted iu grcnt
Dement'S 90 his constituency. He b. murc
than willing. he says, 10 be- held rcspon-
siNlc for the conduct Of his Office and lac
/ docs not seek To make his shield or ar
NOR the Attorney General. admitting
/ az all times iu cases of doubt his duty
| ~ call ON him for advice
! He denies that suid lands were sold
| 40 price less than their value but AYERS
| mat 10 is within only q short time since
! 10 would bring the price for which ID
| sold, and on this charge he will submit,
| proof II necessary.
Having determined that these lands
/ could be- sold under section d., ne holds
! that he was not required by law to find
/ ont who tho purchasers were. whore they
! lived their standing, occupation, ol
! personnel, save 90 know that they wor,
| not corporations; aud looking to IN,
best interest of the people he sold I,
any one who would buy Ia the terms tx
cd by the law without inquiry, save a'
above named.
Tho notice as required by section g, oil
! the acts of 1887 and 1850 were giVcr
literally by sonding lists of tho land q,
be sold TO the clerk Of the county wher
the lands were located. aud uu land
| were awarded or sales completed unit
that notice was given
He denies that he entered into ans
COLLISION or combination whatever Will
| any purchaser.
Regarding the examination of paper
| and records I'm the office by outsiders, h'
| denies the charges made, and says ia,
rule of the office is that anyone desiring
| to examine any file on papers iu tht
cation stating how he is Interested iu thl
| papers. 90 the commissioner or chic
! clerk, who endorses ON the application
an order TO the file clerk 20 allow th,
party TO examine the papers. The stand
ing positive instructions 90 the Tile clcrl
are 10 examine the file aud ascertain
the number and character Of papers
preserving the application or endorse
ment for "a receipt, aud when the file j
returned 90 examine critically and se
that all the papers belonging to ID are M
turned intact, which rule has been al
hered 10 without exception.
lie stated that no person has been al
lowed TO remain In the Office after hours
unless attended by the night watchrhal
and no one had any access whatever
10 files and papers after hours
In regard to the lease of Tom Gree
county land TO Shauer when In the pos
session of Funk, with the latter's appll
cation for a renewal on Tile, he say
that Shacur Bros were owners Of nu'
losses from the state, OF large uac
of land, well improved, with buildings
] wells anu ItNiiNt nv NV "''NfNA" t'.".
cd bv Funk were scattered around within
the Shauer enclosure, and he was in
formed Funk turned large herds of car
he into the Shauer pastures and got th
benefit of their water and other conve
nicnces. lie gave Funk thirty days q
be heard IN, and he never made any DC
fonse.
AS 10 the classification of the nmbe
oD school lands they were original
classified and valued by state agent
hut were subsequently raised m the lam
office. remaining five years unAold, a
the advanced figures, when he reduce
Them 30 about the or,S nal classification
rDhe Snyder lease marked paid,
when IL was not paid, he explains a
follows: The Snyders leased some on
hundred and twenty thousand acres, o
which they have $4,000 Improvement
Tbev wanted "a short time to raise tl
lease money. aud the state was umpl
secured in tine improvements. lie grume
he dmc. The money was raised an
paid and the lease Is now paid IN iull I
July g. 1893.
Article - is answered as set fort
elsewhere
ARTICLE -.
Austin. Tex. April Special I'm
Gazette has already given is readers m
fnU text and history Of article - OF Oh
articles Of impeachment in the case o
Inc state land commissioner ~ which
a set forth that on or about the 24th o