The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-13
THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWO
LEGISLATIVE HOUSES ON YES
TERDAY.
The RED|STR|CT|NG BILL killed.
Speaker DnshielPs Little Amend
ment ChOppinG Of It's Head Did
the Work Most EHectually.
Another Veto.

The redstricting bill is dead. 1t died
yesterday about 1926 o'clock, and there
were few tears shed over it's going. The
house has been fooling with this bill for
something like six weeks past. Every
time the house took it up they would
handle it for awhile like they would a
hot brick and then drop it. This kept
up from time to time until the end was
reached yesterday morning. When the
bill was laid before the house an effort
was made to sidetrack it, but all to no
purpose. The house then went into the
consideration of the bill, and amend
ments came on at rather u lively rate.
All the amendments offered after some
discussion would be adopted, and the
house was fast getting in a position to
spend the balance of the day in offering
amendments to the bill when Speaker
Dashiell cut the whole business short by
calling Mr.. Bailey to the chair and taking
the floor, offered an amendment to strike
\. out the enacting clause. This made the
Selkin ring. Mr.. Dashiell took the floor
in support of his amendment and said
that the bill had been up for considera-
ton by the house for something like six
weeks; that vote had just been taken
on the proposition to postpone, the bill
indefinitely, and said motion had only
been defeated by mere majority of five
votes. That there was no more showing
for the bill to pass the present session
of the legislature than there was for him
to fly to the moon; that the house in
considering the measure was simply dilly-
dallying with itself and the people and
making believe at legislation; that they
would spend all of the day in lacking on
present time nothing but the western
part of the state had been heard from.
When the middle and northern part
were reached there would be four
amendments to where there was one
now; that the setting of the sun would
find the members still fooling with
amendments to the bill. and it would then
go over until next Friday, when Il, the
same thing would be gone over with. The
result of all this would be that vote
never would be reached on the bill, and
vet it would ever stand as a stumbling
block in the way of legislation; that such
trifiing at this stage of the session, when
there were so many important measures
to be considered. was simply worse than
bosh, and therefore he moved that the
bill be killed outright and get it out of
the way. He said further that the bill
only reduced the district four and did
not suit the governor, nor did it comply
with the wishes of the democratic party.
f3hat he did not mean to reflect any on
members of the committee, who had
M he their best; that the business of pre-
~ FIRING such bill was labOriOus one,
Wand that it never had been done satisfac-
torily. That the members were now
shooting the bill full of amendments, and
he therefore moved that the whole bust
ness be killed. Mr.. Dashiel concluded
his speech by saying that he did not fear
to stand by his amendment and face the
people of Texas on the proposition.
Judge Fisher moved to table the amend
ment so as "to see if we can not comply
with the wishes of the people," The
judge was on the losing side in the mat
ter. however, and the house killed the
bill deader than door nail
In connection with the house proceed
ings. it is well to state that in yester-
days issue. in noting the passage of the
bill amending the occupation TAX law
as passed at the present session on in
surance and sleeping car companies, it
was stated that the bill passed repealed
the law enacted at this session taxing
life insurance companies 2 per cent on
their gross premium receipts. This was
not the case. The bill only amends that
general occupation tax bill so as to ap-
ply to fire insurance and sleeping and
dining car companies as mentioned in
yesterdays issue, and does not in any
way apply to life insurance companies
whose tax will remain at per cent on
their gross premium receipts as levied by
the present legislature.