The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-10
THE CALLED SESSION SHUT
DOORS AT II O'CLOCK YES
TERDAY MORNING.
ONLY THREE BILLS PASSED
BOTH HOUSES DURING THE
SESSION.
The Bill Looking to the Investment of
the Permanent School Fund and
the Validating Bill are Both
Pigeonholed for Want of
Final Action.

The called session of the Twenty
fourth legislature wound up business
yesterday morning mt II o'clock, and
though the solons had only been here
one week they were more than eager
| to get home. As is usually the case,
the closing hours in the house were at
tended with the widest disorder and the
qulnt essence of freshness by some of
the self-important gentlemen, who, while
they freely acknowledge that they are
no lawyers, always conclude their utter
ances with the expression of Though
farmer | be-" These gentlemen, in
mated with their own Importance, man
age IN some way or other to get I'M
Drldled at the close of each session, and
tney Immediately indulge in all manner
OF wit % and facetious talk. The main
object of most of the members who were
hHDustering yesterday, however, was the
defeat of the validating bill, and in this
tney were eminently successful for the
stroke IL O'Clock brought the called ses-
sion of the Twenty-fourth to a close, and
the validating bill was still laying on the
speakers table. In this connection it is
well to note that the bill providing for
an amendment to the law regulating the
investment of the permanent school fund
and the bill to validate sales of school
lands under the detached section act
both went by the board, the house being
solely responsible for their death as the
senate had passed both without I'M
necessary delay or contention. The mi
nority in the house, which, by dilatory
tactics, accomplished this under the
leadership of Messrs. Bumpass, Burns,
Henderson and Cough, was ably assisted
by MIR. Blair of BeXar yesterday morn
ing, although he Was called away to
Houston on important business last
week, found time to show up and help
the conspirators who succeeded in knock
ing the available school fund for at least
$250OOO, that being the immediate eff
feet of the defeat of the two bills re-
ferred to.
In justice to Mr.. Henderson it must
be said that he did not oppose but IA
vored the school fund bill, but his anX-
iety to defeat the validating act led him
into colluding unwlttingly with the OPP
ponents of the former.
10 briefly SummoniZe the actions of
the called session it can be said that they
passed a bill preventing prize fighting;
bill correcting eros in the general appro-
priation bill as passed at the regular
session of the Twenty fourth legislature;
a bill prohibiting the plea of limitation
in tax cases. In addition to the above
three laws the house committee made
a flash in the pan investigation of the
mysterious disappearance of Represent
tive Watkins last May, and thus you
have the official acts of the called ses-
sion before you.
Many of the members took the 1
O'Clock train for home yesterday with
the solemn avowal that they would never
make another attempt to get back to
the Legislature, but these promises and |
avowals have been made so often in the !
past that no one pays any attention to |
them now. 1t is safe to predict that all |
the present incumbents will be back here |
next time if they can get here.