next Monday on account of important business. The Speaker laid before the House, as pending business, the following resolution by Mr. Bertram, substituted for the resolution by Mr. Drew: Resolved, That each Representative be allowed $15 worth of stamps during the session, and no more. And that each officer be allowed $3 in stamps during the session. And the Sergeant-at-Arms shall keep an itemized account with each Representative and officers of the House, and report the same to the House on the last day of this session. On motion of Mr. Bertram, it was referred to the Committee on Contingent Expenses. By unanimous consent, Mr. Drew offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Speaker and the committee clerks of the House of Representatives be allower three dollars and fifty cents per day each for their services, and that the pages and porters be allowed two dollars each per day for their services. Read second time, and Mr. Carpenter offered the following amendment: Amend by striking out $3.50 and inserting $4. Mr. Freeman moved to refer the resolution to the Committee on Contingent Expenses. Holland of Burnet. Ward. Holland of Harris. Welch. Bailey. Barbee. Barrett. Logan. Jones. Robbins. Hensley. Hill of Travis. Holland of Harris. Logan. Meade. Blair. Bounds. Boyd. Browne. Burns. Callan. Whereas, the public press announces that the Hon. W. J. Bryan will speak in this city on the 28th instant; therefore be it Resolved, That in appreciation of his distinguished services and merits as an American citizen, this body extend to him the use of the Hall of Representatives, and that he be invited to deliver his address in same. Read second time and adopted. Mr. Carpenter moved to reconsider the vote by which the above resolution was adopted and to table the motion to reconsider. The motion to table prevailed. We vote "no" upon the resolution to tender Mr. Bryan the Representative Hall, because we are informed that Mr. Bryan is here under the supervision of parties who will use him in this city as a speculative venture, and we think the precedent a bad one. HENDERSON, TRACY, MELTON, MERCER. Mr. Carpenter called up Senate concurrent resolution No. 1, welcoming the Hon. William J. Bryan to Texas, and inviting him to visit the capital of the State. The Speaker laid the same before the House, which was read second time and adopted unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS. Mr. Fields, chairman, submitted the following report: Committee Room, Austin, Jan. 15, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Your Committee on Rules beg to submit the following report: We recommend that the rules of order of the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature be adopted as the rules of order for the government and regulation of the House, with the following amend ments: Amend Rule 25. so that it shall hereafter read as follows: "25. All bills before the House shall be taken up and acted upon in the order in which they are numbered, and it shall be the duty of the Chief Clerk to number every bill in its regular order upon its first reading; provided, that local bills shall be considered on Saturday of each week, until disposed of; and provided further, that no bill affecting any railroad, municipal or mercantile corporation shall be con sidered as a local bill, within the have entered into such contract for meaning of this rule." Amend Rule 75, so that the Committee on Finance shall consist of 21 instead of 20 members. the purpose of speculation, and that this hall is wanted because more people can be seated here than in the opera house, and that tickets for ad All of which is respectfully sub- mission to this hall are to be sold at mitted. FIELDS, Chairman. The report was adopted. ness. On motion of Mr. Seabury, Mr. Edwards was excused for absence to-day on account of sickness. On motion of Mr. Williams, the House took a recess for 20 minutes. At the expiration of 20 minutes, the House was called to order by the Speaker. COMMITTEE REPORT. report: $1 each; therefore be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, That in the event of Mr. Bryan using this hall no charges shall be made for admittance to hear his speech. Read second time, and Mr. Evans of Grayson offered the following amendment: "And that members of the House of Representatives be allowed to retain the seats now occupied by them, and the Seargeant-at-Arms is hereby instructed to see that other persons do not occupy the seats of the members except by permission." The amendment was adopted, and the resolution as amended was adopted. COMMITTEE REPORT. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, Jan. 15, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Sir: Your Committee on Engrossed Bills have carefully examined and compared House bill No. 1, a bill to be entitled "An act making an appropriation to defray the contingent expenses of the Twenty-fifth Legislature." Sirs: Your joint committee appointed to make arrangements to count the vote and to arrange for the inauguration of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, beg leave to recommend that the House and Senate meet in joint session in the Hall of the House of Representatives on Monday, the 18th day of January, A. D. 1897, at House bill No. 2, a bill to be entitled 10:30 o'clock a. m. for the purpose of "An act making an appropriation to counting said vote, and that the House pay mileage and per diem of members and Senate will meet in joint session and per diem of officers and employes in the Hall of the House of Repre- of the Twenty-fifth Legislature," and sentatives on Tuesday, the 19th instant, at 12 o'clock m., when the joint committee will escort the Governor and Lieutenant Governor-elect to the Speaker's stand, when the oath of office will be administered to them by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. TURNEY, Chairman. BURNS. On the part of the Senate. MEADE, On the part of the House. The report was adopted. Mr. Henderson, by unanimous consent, offered the following resolution: Whereas, It has been stated to some of the members of the House that Mr. Bryan is to be in this city upon a contract with citizens of Mexia, who House bill No. 3, a bill to be entitled "An act making an appropriation to pay mileage and per diem of presidential electors of Texas." And find the same correctly engrossed. DIES, Chairman. On motion of Mr. Rogan, the House adjourned until 9 o'clock a. m. next Monday. |