Rock Island Argus., 1895-10-02
COSTLY TO TEXAS.
The Proposed corbett.Fitzsim.
mons Prize Fight.
soLoNs OBEY OULBERsoNs CALL.

Houses on the Ouestion-Matter Develops
Into a Fight Between the Governors
Friends and Enemies-Comment ON the
Situation by Ex-Governor Gibbs.
AUSTIN, Oct 2.-In compliance with the
proclamation of Governor CulbersOn con-
vening the legislature in this city Oct. ],
to take action on the prize fight question
which has been agitated by the proposed
COrbett-Fitzsimmons' mill at Dallas, Oct.
81, quorum Of both houses responded TO
roll call at high noon and were in working
shape within thirty minutes and at 1890
promptly received amessagc from Culber-
son. The governor confined himself sole
ly to the prize fight question and reviewed
at length the situation which in his Opin-
ion has made the calling of the legislature
necessary. He said he regretted that he
had to call the solons together, but as the
question was being wrangled over in the
courts he deemed it advisable to stop fur
ther discussion by having the legislature
enact law that would be clear and
specific on this subject and he desires it to
go into immediate effect.
Two Bills at Once introduced.
AS soon rs the message was read, in com.
pliance with its command two bills were
introduced in both houses. The respec.
tive bills in the two houses are identical.
The one introduced in the senate by Sena-
tor Lewis, of Bexar, and the one in the
house by Representative Ward, of Travis,
are generally conceded to be the measures
of the administration. They define that
prize fighting or any pugilistic encounter
shall be deemed felony and shall be pun
ishcd by imprisonment of not less than
one, nor more than two years. These
bills. of course, have the emergency clause.
Another bill! introduced in the senate by
Senator Simpson provides Il penalty of
not less than five. nor more than ten years,
and further provides that any one who in
any manner aids or abcts "A fight will be
considered n participant and subject to
the abovc-namcd punishment. The cmcr-
gency clause is also in this bill.
Developed Into n Political Row.
The bills Were referred and Dallas at
torncys appeared before the committees
and stated that they proposed To show that
the bills were unconstitutional. They
will be heard today. As the matter now
stands it is Il political row between the
friends of Governor CulbersoD and his
opponents. Of which he has quite n num-
ber in the legislature. There are ninety
four members of the house present and
twenty four senators. In the house it is
necessary to get cighty-siX votes to make
the law go into Immediate effect, and
twenty one votes are necessary in the SEN
ate. In the house at the present time
there are fifteen out-and-out men against
putting any emergency clause on the bill,
while there are four who are doubtful.
This puts the two thirds vote out of the
question in the house with its present
roster.
VIII Wait For ReinfOrcements.
In the senate there arc three against the
emergency clause and two doubtful, which
places the bill in serious danger there
also. If vote was taken now with only
the present number voting there is little
doubt that the emergency clause would be
defeated. The administration forces do
not propose to come to n vote on the mat
ter, however, until more of their men ar
rive, and the abscntees are expected by
this afternoon at the latest. The Dallas
people also want a delay to gather addi
tiOnal forces; SO everybody is pleased to
delay the game at present