The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-10

ing, and for printing paper for first and
second classes of public printing was
made, but in enrolment of the bill there
was n clerical error which reduced the
sum of 5000 which should be corrected. n
1t also appears that at the last session (
an appropriation of $720 each year was K
made for an expert binder, and $720
year for an expert binder and teacher at X
the deaf and dumb asylum. In the en-
rollment of the bill these two items were
consolidated, making a single appropria-
ton of $12O each year for the two pur-
poses.
Second-One of the sourc&s of the
available school fund with whi9h the pub
lie schools are supported is the interest
derived from the investment of the per-
manent fund in municipal bonds. Ike
is now on hand in the treasury unin-
vested money belonging to the perma-
nent school fund amounting to about
S23S,OOO. This accumulation arises from
two causes. l. The unprecedented for
eign demand for Texas municipal securi- |
ties by which the State board of educa-
ton. limited to the purchase of bonds
which bear at least 3 per cent interest,
is practically driven out of the market,
and 2. The action of the counties in
funding their bonds now held by the
State and which bear per cent interest
into per cent bonds which they sell to
foreign investors, Oftentimes at premi-
UNI. the attorney general holding that the,
State board of education is not author
lied to exchange 6 per cent for per
cent bonds. 1t is recommended that ex
listing law on the subject be so amended
with appropriate safeguards as 10 author
ize the State board of education to invest
this money in county bonds in COMPETE
ton with foreign investors, for otherwise
the money will remain idle in the treas,
ury. The rate of interest should eithe
be reduced or the requirement that tn,
amount paid for such bonds shall no
exceed the par or face value thereof re.
pealed.
Third-Under date of September 80
the commissioner of the land office writes
me as follows: Under the TWENTY
second section of chapter 90, acts of
1887, and amendments thereof, authority
was conferred on the commissioner of
the general land Office to sell lands iso-
lated or detached to any person, except
to corporation. Under this provision
of the law, many, thousand acres of
land were sold, by both my predecessors
in this Office, to persons other than act
ual settlers. The supreme court, during
your term as attorney general. decided
in the Liberty county cases that all sales
made to others than actual settlers of
lands not detached or isolated entirely
from other public lands in any manner
belonging to the State were illegal and
void. This department was early adj
vised by the attorney general upon re-
quest of the commissioner of the land,
Office for his opinion, that such sales,
being illegal and void, it was his duty
to cancel the sales and put the lands on
the market for resale This course
was pursued for some, weeks, when it
became evident that these illegal sales
were so numerous and their effects so
far,reaching and was working so great
and .irreparable injury on many more
purchasers than could possibly have
been supposed, that 1 felt that I would
do a better service to the State by sus-
pending the work of cancellation until
the legislature should assemble, in the
hope that you might concur in my view
and deem it to the interest of the State
to validate the titles where other in
terests have not heretofore interviewed.
At first it was opposed that these sales
were only made by my immediate pred
ecessor and that the purchasers could
be reimbursed for moneys expended in
the illegal purchases, and the present
legislature in the regular session appro-
prlated $4,000, part of which was
intended TO be so used.
| now have the honor to suggest that
these sales are found to have been made
all the way through the past eight
years and that to refund all the money
to the purchasers would probably re-
quire a sum of not less than S1OO,OOU
to $15O,0O0, certainly as much as the
former amount.
In view, therefore, of the distressed
condition of the treasury and the great
injury it has already done and will DO
to many persons who have made large
and valuable improvements, ii the sales
are to be cancelled, 1 would most re-
spectfully and urgently suggest that an
act validating these sales would be
wise act, and not only just to purchasert