Stokes.

an emergency, and an imperative public necessity exists which requires the suspension of the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days, and that this act take effect from and after its passage, and it is so enacted."

Adopted.

Mr. Seabury offered the following amendment:

Amend by adding in line 11 after the word "Texas" the following: "Nor the head of any department."

Adopted.

The bill was ordered engrossed.

Mr. Rogan moved to suspend the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each House, and that House bill No. 322

Vaughan, Gua'lupe, be put on its third reading and final

passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:

O'Connor.

Wood.

Absent.

Blackburn.

Patterson.

Drew.

Rudd.

Hill of Gonzales.

Logan.

Barrett.

Benson.

Bertram.

Yeas-97.

Humphrey.

Jones.

Kimbell.

The House was called to order by Bumpass. the Speaker.

(Mr. Wolters in the chair.) On motion of Mr. Rogan the regular order of business was suspended to take up and place on its second reading,

House bill No. 322, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 1407 of the Revised Statutes of the State of Texas, and providing that neither the State of Texas nor the Railroad Commission of Texas shall be required to give bond on any appeal or writ of error taken by it, or either of them, in any civil case."

The bill was laid before the House. The Sergeant-at-arms announced that Mr. Patterson was sick in his room and unable to come to the hall, whereupon, by unanimous consent,

Mr. Patterson was excused for today on account of sickness.

Martin.
Maxwell.
McFarland.
McGaughey.
McKamy.

Wallace.

Mr. Savage moved to reconsider the vote by which House bill No. 322 was passed, and to table the motion to reconsider.

The motion to table prevailed. Mr. Turner, by unaimous consent, offered the following petition:

From Geo. Clayton and forty other citizens of Abilene, Taylor county, Texas, praying for an amendment to the assignment law, prohibiting prefer

ences.

Referred
No. 1.

to Judiciary Committee

SENATE MESSAGE.

Senate Chamber,
Austin, Texas, Feb. 24, 1897.

Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the
House.

Sir: I am instructed by the Senate to inform the House that the Senate has passed

Substitute House bill No. 17, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend title 96, chapter 3, Revised Statutes (1895), of the State of Texas, by adding thereto, after article 4640, an article to be known as article 4640a, prohibiting the admission to record of instruments in any other than the English lan

house, courthouse, storehouse, hotel or other public or private building, sailboat or steamboat in this State."

House bill No. 268, a bill to be entitled "An act to create a more efficient road system for Travis county, in the State of Texas,"

By a two-thirds vote: Ayes 25, noes

none.

House bill No. 110, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend articles 2526, 2531 and 2532 of title 49, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, and to repeal article 2527 of said title, relating to forcible entry and detainer."

House bill No. 109, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend articles 1814, 1815 and 1816, of title 37, of the Revised Civil Statutes of 1895, of the State of Texas, relating to the time and manner of making returns to the Secretary of State of elections for electors for President and Vice-President, and of estimating the same, and of the meeting of the electors."

Senate joint resolution No. 7, amending article 8 of the Constitution of the State of Texas, by adding thereto section 20, providing for the organization of irrigation districts, and for the levying and collection of a tax for the construction of reservoirs, dams and canals,

By two-thirds vote: Ayes 23, noes 1.
Respectfully,

WILL LAMBERT, Secretary. On motion of Mr. Savage the regular order of business was suspended to take up and place on its second reading.

House bill No. 369, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 3929 of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, creating the office of county superintendent, providing for election of county superintendents and prescribing their qualifications."

The bill was laid before the House and was read second time.

Mr. Rhea offered the following amendment:

Archer, Baylor, Knox, Throckmorton,
Stephens, Young, Freestone, Burnet,
Lampasas, Nacogdoches.

[The above amendment by Mr. Rhea was offered by him affecting simply his district, but was amended by various members, the amendments accepted so as to include the numerous counties mentioned above, and, by consent, recorded as one whole.]

By unanimous consent the following bills were introduced:

By Mr. Wolters:

House bill No. 484, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend chapter 13, title 94, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, by adding articles 4568a and 4568b, relating to investigations made by the Railroad Commission and its findings of facts and conclusions of law."

Read first time and referred to Committee on Internal Improvements. By Mr. Childs (by request.)

House bill No. 485, a bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the Superintendant of Public Buildings and Grounds to lease the sand banks in the Colorado river beds at Austin, Texas, owned by the State of Texas."

Read first time and referred to Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds.

By Mr. Curry:

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas:

First. That the thanks of this body are tendered the Honorable Swante Palm for the generous and patriotic donation to the University of Texas of his valuable private library, consisting of 25,000 books and pamphlets, and constituting a most useful instrumentality for the higher education and culture of the youth of Texas.

Second. That the Speaker be and he is hereby instructed to forward to the donor a copy of this resolution properly engrossed.

Read second time, and unanimously adopted by a rising vote. (Mr. Wolters in the chair.)

COMMITTEE REPORT.

By Mr. Rogers, chairman:

Committee Room, Austin, Texas, Feb. 24, 1897.

Amend the bill by exempting_the
counties of Menard, Tom Green, Run-
nels. Crockett, Irion, Sterling,
Crockett, Sutton, Edwards, Kimble,
Schleicher, Milam, Cass, Titus, Smith,
Robertson, Hays, Henderson, Polk,
San Jacinto, Shackleford Callahan,
Erath, Jeff Davis, Presidio, Brewster, Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the
Pecos, Rusk, Montgomery, Walker,
Trinity, Cherokee, Upshur, Camp,
Comanche, Houston, Parker, Nacog-
doches, Brown, McCulloch, San Saba,
Mills, Franklin, Delta, Red River,
Hopkins, Taylor, Jones, Concho,

House.

Your Committee on Constitutional Amendments, to whom was referred

Senate joint resolution No. 7, amending article 8 of the Constitution of the State of Texas, by adding thereto sec