Birmingham age-herald., 1895-10-02
WILL II PASS THE HOUSE The Anti-Fight Law Under the
 Emergency Lash ]? SOME CONDEMN THE BILL There Is Little Doubt That the Senate Will Promptly Pass the Measure. THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE IS READ It Scores the Projected Fsght and Denounces the Sport in No Uncertain Tones-Two
 Bills Already Introduced and
 Referred.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE IS READ

Austin, Tex, Oct. 1.-The members of the legisla ture who have been called in special session to pass an anti-prize fight ing bill have been arriving singly and in groups for the past twenty-four hours The sentiment of both houses seems strongly to favor law making prize fighting illegal, but number of repre- sentatives condemn the arbitrary fea- ture of the proposed law. which in their judgment would work an injustice to the innocent persons who might be ignorant of the new statute for weeks after its passage. Little doubt is expressed today that the senate will pass the bill within reasonable promptness, but the result in the house is full of uncertainty, as un- der the rules a two-third vote of the en- tire legislature is necessary to pass emergency bills.
 Men who have followed legislative work at Austin for years are predicting today that the session will be long ana pro tracted one, and that 1t may last until the 1St of November, unless the 1rlenus of the bill consent to eliminate the emergency clause, in which event II Will pass without material delay.
 After the roll had been called the pre- siding officer of the senate briefly. eX- plained the governors purpose in calling the Legislature in special session. He eX- pressed the belief that the promptness with which the senate had responded was an indication that they would pass the proposed anti-prize measure. He closed with the hope that the session misht oe he rrnoniouS and brief.
 Egthe presence of a quorum being estap- IiShed in both houses, the governor mes sage was thereupon laid before the TWO bodies. It was short, sharp and decisive. It contained no uncertain sound as to HIS attitude concerning prize fighting Tn gen efal sand the proposed contest petwsen Cerbett and Fitzsimmons in particular The governor reviewed the past :legisia- tion relative to prize fighting, which st,fsrt he chara acterized as brutal and de \ mo .alzing and denounced by every Stale in, the union. He enumerated the states which have enacted laws making prize fighting a felony, and urged that such laws should be operativ from their pas ' sage. .,..
 He referred to the opposition to the "emergency" bill because of the large amount of money involved by the mana gers of the Florida Athletic club, ana said that such opposition was character- istic of such an exhibition.
 "It rests" he continued, upon the au- dacious proposition that free people can forfeit or have bargained away the right to preserve the public peace, the public morals and the public safety.
 The message concluded in these words:
 of no law now exists the state does not give any assurance or come under any obligation that is legal upon the subject, b,t these persons need not be here 1n- voked by proclamation, all persons hay ing been given notice that this exnlpltlon would not be permitted, and whatever has been done by its projectors was with full responsibility for the consequence The public interests require that this ex- hibition especially should be suppressed. Discountenanced by Mexico and the ter ritories outlawed and driven from every [ state it Is proposed to assemble horde of ruffians and gamblers and offer here this commanding insult to public decan- cy against the pride of the people; and your prompt and resolute action will spare them the ignominy. It will do an other thing. It will recall to the greaa city of the state, inhabited by manly and generous and enlightened people, the wholesome and assuring truth now obscured by anger and inconception, for which it will hereafter thank you. that no part of its material prosperity, no part of its social and intellectual and in dustrial progress, no part of It's splendid destiny, is bound up in an endeavor to hold within it's limits one of the most dis graceful orgies ever permitted to discred- it and dishonor Texas. I am compelled by A sense of duty to exert every effort to avert this calamity. You have been called in special session and the respon- sbility of the consequences Is now di- vided with you. That you will meet it as becomes the representatives of the peo- pie. anxious and ready to protect the fair name of the state it is not doubted
 The first step in the direction of legls- lation inimical to prize fighting was taken in the senate by MT. Lewis of San Antonio, who introduced bill which was understood to reflect the views of the administration. It provides that any man who engages in a pugilistic encounter be- tween man and man, or fight between man or an animal. upon the result of which money is wagered. shall be deemed guilty of felony and punished by i'm prisonment in the penitentiary for not less than three nor more than five years. The bill further provides that public pro- priety demands that this law shall take effect and be in force from and after it's passage A similar bill was introduced in the house by MT. Ward of Travers. The Lewis and Ward bills were referred to judiciary committee No ?, which has jurisdiction over criminal as contrads- tinguished from civil matters.
 STUART TAXES NO CHANGES.