The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-30

Senator Potter sses N Rssss1 II az
shsssu y y Alofnek
tslptStly An ERROR N CALCULATION
An cstisatisa ssay shew that thu
state Uoss Net owe ne seAsss
rand D.O00yoo Aesess

Austin, Texas, January ss.--scnntor Pot
ter. chairman Of tho committee on puclie
lands lii the senate. being asked today
about what he thought o. tho supposed de-
0cicncy IN tho amount Of the school lands
aud the result thereof. answered substan-
TALLY as follows;
SEQ no reason Why the people ownina
lands In the state or Tcxns. aud especially
tho settlers upon any part Of the public
domain, who have complied with the law
to obtain tito thereto. should be so
r,ously disturbed over tho claim that tho
state nf Texas has Appropriated una dts
pusad OF about nine niilhcn acres OF ina
Pablo domain that really belonged TO the
permanent school fund. Our investigates
So far. while ~ nowisc complete. has satis-
ned us that tneru can be NO such thing as
Tho amount above suggested due the scnooi
| iuiiI +
Colonel Baker, In his last report, shows
| that at the ,jgne OF tho adoption OF the con.
| s,itution OF 1876 the public domain
amounted In round numbers 70 5o,oap.vo'
| acres. ono half Of which belonged, by VIII.
tnc OF the provisions OF the constitution, 70
| the school fund, the other half to the state.
and that the State appropriated about
1900, 900 aotpa mere than hrr part. We
1 havo been unable 10 far TO Ind report
.of tho la,.a. commissioner Tor the year
| 1ST6, but for the year ending August 81.
| 1877, We aud The following estimates
K, Liabilities OF tho state ~ the public do-
4 main Increased since last report adl6,ieS. .
4 liabilities heretofore reported, ilv,as3.aAo
4 ucrcs. which mnkes total OF tiahustles
/ TO tho public domain or Isi,T24 sSSS scrcs.
The estimated aren Of the state Is lt's-
SeL5to acres 'rnkc frem this area the
total liabilities above given and there ~
lleft i7Ss0,o.7 acres. II is hard 70 conceive
i how, II this Is true, there could have baeu
\ $4,000 900 acres OF thu public domain at tho
! time OF tho adoption Of the constitution III
4 1876, only IA little over year prior 70
4 tho MAKING OF the above report. which WIS
/ ,naco by Mr. Gross, as land commissioner.
! When the area OF the land within toe
! State is estimated II includes all lakes
hayg rivers aid small islands which, ne-
cn;dine TO the estimate made by NJ
i Malsi, IN his report OF pccemher 1856. rs
gregates nearly a,ooeeQu acres, u also
reasonably appears that 10 making ap ns
Ultimate OF The amount Of land that the
Stata had appropriated or permitted 10 ht
appropriated out OF thr public domain, IN.
stead 81 takine he lands actually ratcntef
hs the state and those 70 which equitable
titles had been established, the lain lens
commissioner SCENT 10 nave cnarEcu q
the Stufe all of tho certificates issued RI,
gardless OF whether they were valid o
not or whether they were ever located a.
not, Or whether this locations thereof ha'
been approved BY the general land Office o
title TO tho land vested, II is believed tina
thofe are several millions OF acroa in Ger
, tifcatss issued that have never been Ic
, sally located or land granted thereunds'
, While We are not vt present In positio
/ II to say positively; and can not do so Unit
I tho ssuoralsl land Office makes the taepleic
/, statement required by the Joint resolutio
!. and by the resolution OF the SENATE alread
passed. exactly what the deficit u any
= / is In thcypnblic school fund, yet II is rsa
1 sonahly certain that Il there II any done
4 at All that It Is, many million arres les
, than that suggested In the report OF N
late land commissioner. and doubties
there 10 yet enough 90 hand Of the publ
domain TO fully compensate tho cpu1mo
= school fund without disturbing tho titles
It any OF our people OF the iocstion and set
), Element Of any OF our citizens. II Is to D
{ hoped, therefore, that the present excite
:. ment and agitation over tho master Wy
= not causo people supposed 70 be affecte
:, by the supposed state Of facts 10 20 TO en
~ expense or trouble themselves about IL
!, titles to their land until correct
!, state of facts can be asccrtained; OF cours
y Tho State viii take Whatever steps ,arc nee
essary 70 protect these people and see thf
y they do not logo their homes and that ~
% ti(lcs granted by the State are sustatns
and upheld.