The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-30

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business as at present should Nj. ~, VI.
passed. He said the companies a,a We
own great deal OF real estate 4, ~ NV
put had invested some 81, zoo. 00u IN sa,,,r,'
.ies Issued by Texas cities and co~n,sa.
NV ny WOULD not vote for this bill un,,,s, an1
injurious as 1t is. II every indiy,d,,si "' ~
MS district asked him to do so. Ratber
s.a we LOT IL he would resign his placa
ana return to his home p''eo
Bailey asked II the teleyra,h ,.
90 not pay tax on gross reyer,es H.,
paying TAX OF cent on each MESSAGE
no. replied Blair, they pay an occu.
patton TAX, not tax on their yross 70
se'p.s' put even II they did II would III,
v Wrons, ana even the gentleman from ne
wiz must concede that two wrongs cnp
not make one right" >"'
ne concluded with the announcement,
mat MS amendment was the onjv chanca
he would ask now, but would ,,,or assss
act. "'N''on VI the
curry replied TO Blair, denying that i'm
PROPER motives impeiled him to favor This
piii' ne was supporting Il for the nurroso
OF relieving the people OF the burdens i'm
posed upon them by present conditions
ne was mere TO do his duty ana plead the
, sause Vi ,hose who We're in distress and
nardiy able 70 buy bread We oxnecIcJ
factor in Texas politics, but he proposed
u, u, 90 MS duty to the people while here,
re quoted long list nj figures and sta
us''cs TO show tina. the insurance. compa
bill '''Po'e" W ''iis
Mercer spoke for the amendme, asking
why IL was that this bill was brought up
mere SO pers'stently. They say It Is 10
lalse revenue and why Is 1t necessary to
.T 4.
because the expenses OF the government
are outrunnng tho receipts. and In order
10 meet TINS situation more money must be
pieu out OF the insurance companies II is
not proposed to reduce expenses in the de-
ptrtinents OF government; no. they are left
rolling on, and growing greater. while
such devices as proposed by this bin are
resorted to TO pay the cost. He said le
TOO, bad been down In that department TO
which the gentleman from Van Zanit has
referred and he has secured some facts
and figures. which he read to the house.
The figures related to the receipts ard
losses reported by the insurance companies
doing business In Texas
The friends OF this bill say that money
is being taken out of the State, AMI why
not then tax other corporations which take
money out Of the State2 Instead Of that
there are those here who are In favor of
ekempting certain corporations from taxa
ton. He was not In favor OF any sur: Of
exemption from taxation; he wanted tax
alton to be even and just on all kinds of
property and would never favor any ex-
emptlon. The records showed that the in
surance companies do not take money out
OF the State to any large extent. He vas
not afraid TO so back to his constituents
with his vote recorded against this meas
ure. He was willing to argue the question
with the honest farmers Of his district, He
would say to them that it was simply a
measure to meet the expenses Of an extrav-
agant government. Members here we're
not willing to reduce single salary or to
cut off u single officeholder
Ward said that II the amendment pre-
vailed II would simply mean tnat these
corporations would not be taxed at all,
because their receipts would he 50 manip-
ulated that there would be nothing left To
tax. He opposed the amendment and
thought the tax on the gross receipts Il
just and an equitable tax. lie cited the
decision OF the supreme court of the
United States holding the Missouri law
leyying n per cent tax on gross receipts
Of express companies constitutional, and
said that the receipts Of express companies
were much smaller than those OF insurance
companies. He favored the passage OF the
bill as IL was.
lltlS ASKED PERMISSION 10 nave lSooihN
ton relating to this matter read. There
being no objection. the resolution was read,
as follows:
Whereas, \ certain letter. said to
have been addressed TO the chairman OF
the finance committee by the governor
and calculated TO have and oXert in
fluence in certain directions relating
TO pending bills. has been circulated
among members OF said committee and
is beiug used by some of them. and
Whereas, Ihe chairman OF said COM
mittee has read a part OF said letter
on the floor OF the house and falls 10
make the remainder known TO mem
bors. and inasmuch as Mr.. Curry.
member of the house. has charged upon
the floor that the extract so read was
garbled extract. and as much interest
is evinced among members to know the
contents of said letter, therefore be II
Resolved. That as all such communi-
cations should be made public TO mem
bers. II intended 10 influence legisla-
ton. we hereby request OF said chair
man that he make said communication
public to all members Of the house In
open session.
Curry raised the point Of order that the
resolution was not germane to the matter
under discussion, and the chair sustained
the point
pitts asked that the resolution be laid
aside to be taken up later, but Curry in
sisted on his point of order, and was sus-
tanned by the chair.
Henderson spoke in favor OF the amend
ment
Tucker opposed the amendment and fav-
ored the passage of the bill as 1t stood
Thomas mored to lay the Blair amend
ment on the table.