The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-22
VIEWS AT THE STxrf ~
(BY w A r,,..

Austin. Texas. Februorv J,
cial' THE senate judiclarv . ~
l. which had reported sa,s, nn'lteo
bill Of Representative rrs ,s's e
proposlns to make the tLres n.a'.
sis'onts OF the attorney gene. 0'1es
olnSers and placing them usa s'''s
ponas each Thought better ), Nr ~
Yesterday and had tie bill ~. ~ ne
ior iurther consideration sp'nnlt
committee evidently started on y y. -
wrong impression regarding I'M Ivy My
Oh the measure, End 1t Is also 4. vu1
one OF the committeeman IA.
TO something said in suppor, !, sA'ept
ne construed to do injustice 10 SOM, J. y, y
OF his heretofore connected VIM ny '''s
tcrney generals office. Thu 'ne
ton, however, that was urged 49, 49, ~
proposed change in the seryico = INV
lice was that 1t tended to rel;o,. X
torney general of some Of his res,,s
i'y ana to extend official authorize y.
many. The fallacy of this are,,,..' =
been exposed by an object les.on ~
ed within the past week. AFFAIR." =, :
erai Smith is now absent from n. n
being detained in St. Louis by n. ~
of his wife. A few DAYS arm ~.
sanction of the department had !, ~
tanned in some official matter Y,
nature. Nobody in the ofece -.
thority to sign the paper for the a,,os.
general, the functions of the nas,..
being legally held to be cleric., y
only way out of the difficulty wa, y ~
municate with Assistant Attorney, a.,
eral Johns, who was at tho time a n,,,J
ON official business, and transmit I'M !,
per to him for his signature.
**%
The Inconsistency and inconyepienc.
this kind of arrangement becomes =.
apparent when it is considered that /,
assistant attorney general. who /, san
pointee OF the governor is BY thc /,
creating his office assigned exclusiyclv
the business in the criminal courts ana
nothing whatever to do with the routiu
work of the attorney generals oface-;a
dced, rarely goes into the office. The III
in question proposes simply to confer ,ipo
the three assistants appointed BY tho Al
torney general and who act under his
rection and sanction authority to rcprt|
sent him in the order of their ranks J
case of his absence or inability to al
They are required to give bond in III
sum of $4,000 each and their nomination
by the attorney general must be confrmcl
by the senate. No increase is propose|
to be made in their salaries, but tbl
salaries Will be made certain and perl
manent instead of being subject to inl
crease or reduction every two years ac.
cording to the caprices of the committed
that prepare the appropriation bills.
Representative Henderson states ths,
there has been some newspaper criticism
of the bill based upon mlsinformation
Certainly there could be none where III
provisions are understood.
The bill introduced in the nouso ycstsr-
day by Mr.. Oliver to appropriate $4,000
TO refund and pay to the several counties
the States pro rata part of the expenses
incurred in the publication OF the delhi.
quent tax lists under the ColQuitt act 81
the last Legislature, makes it the duty d
the. comptroller, upon receipt of certif-
showing the total amount paid by sue1
county Ter publishing its list, to issue hl
warrant upon the state treasurer, payabi
to tie county treasurer of the county, 10
&c % per cent OF the amount so paid 10
The publication. The Colquitt act ai'
thorized the commissioners courts TO con
tract with the newspapers for the publlcl
ton OF the lists at not exceeding % cent
for each rendition. The comptroller, wliel
spoken to concerning the bill today, state
that he had not examined II and was no
prepared to pass upon its merits. lie IL
timated, how ever, that the proporlla
which it is proposed for the State to pS
is rather eXorbitant when it is considers
that In most cases the c0unty's taxapl
interest in the land advertised Is niue
larger than the States interest. VIII
the State tax to be recovered is only
cents, that of the county may be % OF
cents. So, instead OF the States part :
he cost being two thirds of the whole
The reverse proportion would seem 70 =
more reasonable. Another detect is aus
apparent.
~
The Colquitt law requires the persons "A
,uy or redeem lands sold for taxes unaS
is provision to pay the full % cents y
tract for the publication, whethef "
cost the county that inuch :
lot. Then II the State is to come IN d.
lelp pay the cost of the advertising y W.
20 held that II should also come INV
hare of what the county receives pas
IN the cost of advertising the iist ap''
he amount actually paid for tnat puipo4'
Ience the Oliver bill will perhaps ha'
% be subjected to some revision ~ !.
amendment before it VIII pass mus'e' ~