San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-13
AUSTIN LETTER.
Special Correspondence Daily LIGHr

'P'N'hi Wi ip9pOliuCuOp Dolly isl'hl'
AUSTIN, Tex, April 10, 1898.
The fact that the House this az.
ternOon by vote of 60 to 43 passed
the fee bill as amended to engross-
ment does not mean that it will
shortly be passed finally. On the
contrary, the vote that carried the
bill TO engrossment this afternoon
includes some very strong anti-fee
bill men and the only reasons that
they voted for its engrOssment is
two fold. First they voted to
pass the bill to engrossment
in order to get the House out
Of the wrangle that it got into this
afternoon, in being tied up under a
call and refusing to do any bust
ness; secondly, they voted for the
engrossment of the bill, in order to
get 1t out Of the way. For over two
weeks now, it has been hanging
over their heads as regular bust
ness, and there was no way Of get.
ting rid Of it. BY passing it to en-
grossment, it loses it's place on the
calendar, and as it takes a two
thirds vote to get it up again,
and as the anti-fee bill men
have a sufficiently strong
minority to prevent a suspension
OF the rules they claim that the
bill will never be allowed to come
up for final passage. If it does
ever get on the calender again it
will be by some smooth work on
the part OF the friends of the bill.
AS the enemies of the bill are ever
on the alert however, it will be
difficult to do this unless it is done
when the anti fee bill men are not
in attendance upon the session.
AS the session ncarS an end it be-
comes very evident that Governor
CulbersOn is despairiug Of getting
any Of his particular pet measures
through. When the special COM
mittee OF the House met to COnsid-
err bills that were to have the right
of way, they requested the govern
or to tel them what bills he want.
ed to have the right of way. He
only m, n toned in his reply
two small revenue bills, which
gives evidence OF the fact that he
is dishcartoned. When the
session opened he declared
in tones OF grave earnestness that
he demanded at the hands of the
legislature the passage Of Il bill to
prevent consolidation of railroads.
This bill has never been acted on
though it is now pending in the
House. As this bill is a direct
thrust at the Southern Pacific sys-
TEN which Governor Culberson
hates so bitterly it does look as
though il he had any faith in the
legislature he would have asked
it to take action on this
bill. The Governor however
has long since recognized the fact
that the present Legislature and
his humble self are not on the best
of terms and he probably con-
cluded that he would ask no fur
Their favors at their hands. OF all
the bills that are now pending in
the Legislature comparatively few
OF them will ever be heard ofagain.
1t has been demonstrated that
from now on the able sOlons out
side of the appropriation bill
intend to sacrifice all other legisla-
ton to furtherance Of their own
pet measures. And as few Of these
measures are administration hob
bles it would be better were none
Of them passed.
Representative John O'Connor, of
BeXar, has a metropolitan police
bill pending in the House that
will doubtless pass. 1t pro-
vides that the police forces
OF Texas cities shall be taken out
Of 70 itics and placed in charge Of
a commission to be appointed by
the governor. The bill is one that
is meeting with general approval
at the hands Of the members in the
House, and will doubtless pass
that body by a whaling big ma
jority. SHOOT.