The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-21
THE RLPORIS APPROVED
AS MADE BY THE INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEES.
Clerk Of the Court of Criminal Appeals
Testified as to the Purchase
of Ice.

Austin. Texas February 20--'rhe legis.
lative committee OF investigation this morn
ing sent for Clerk Smith Of the court Of
criminal appeals and put him on the stand
to establish the fact that tho judges OF
the court sleep in the capitol while the
court is in session in Austin. He was also
asked by whose authority 1t was that be
bought ice and charged It mn 10 the con
tngent expense fund. His reply was that
it was by order of the court. after which
he was excused and the committee rose and
the individual members thereof resumed
the work to which they have been assigned
in the different institutions and state de.
partments.
Mr.. shannon returned from Galveston
this morning with the records and accounts
Of the quarantine station Mt that point for
inspection by the committee.
Al the evening mt e,ilg of the committee
Mr.. Boyd caled up the report Of his in
vestigat on Of the organization ana cont'n
gent expenses of the supreme court. The
report was read and accepted and filed sub
feet to correction at the option Of Mr.. DO d
and in the end to be considered by the
committee when 1t makes up its final re
port.
Home was also read and disposed OF In
the same way. Mr.. BOYD announced than
his report on the court Of criminal appeals
was eady but that he could not summit
it until tomorrow rs he wanted TO verify
some of the figures contained therein.
Mr.. Stafford called np his report on the
department Of Insurance statistics ana
history. II was read, approved and hled
for subsequent reference.
With regard to the Confederate Home.
Mr. Boyd found, after taking considerable
testimony, that there Is no just cause OF
complaint against the officers and employees
of that institution.
With regard to the supreme court. Mr..
Bo,d hnds. that the clerk of that court
has three deputies for which he can ind
no warrant IN law and they do not draw
their salaries in the manner prescribed
by the statutes. lie also nnds articles
expense fund that he does not consider
essential 10 thu business OF the court and
further that neither the Justices Of the
supreme court nor the comptroller have
ever. as REQUIRED by law, prescribed any
rules or regulations TO govern the receiv-
ing or dlsuursing Of monies collected ny
the clerk In conclusion, Mr.. Boyd sug-
gests that the legislature should define
, what articles may be legitimately pur-
chased out OF the contingent expense fund.
| With regard to the department OF In
sulance. statistics and history, Mr.. stat
ford found that the reports or the COM
missioner do not in all Instances exactly
agree with the comptroller's books IN the
matter Of accounting for the funds re-
cqived and dlshursed by his department,
owing TO the fact that no books are kept
by the commissioner who depends upon
the comptrOilers books 10 snow now MS
department stands
1 Mr. Stafford further fonnd that the re-
ceipts Of the department have increased
from SOS. 400 in 1893 to s13s.S24 In 1901,
though there had been decrease OF $1,000
ner wear In operating expenses Mr. stat
ford recommends that the agricultural
department be separated from the insur-
snce department and reorGanized. He also
finds that the laws relating 10 fraternal
life insurance and mutual IRE Insurance
companies are too lax.
In conclusion. he recommend that the
state library be moved To the hall VIZ
the state law library Is kept. aud that a
State nhrarv commission he created 10
look after the accumulation Of hi torical
r~n~rs, data and books belonging to the
State
The committee win in all prohahi'ity
proceed 70 Huntsville next sunday and
nrritenttari~s Mr. BOYD win rem In here
however. and continue his work In the
| higher courts