A quorum was announced present. Prayer by Dr. J. A. Jackson, Chaplain. Pending reading of the Journal of yesterday, On motion of Mr. Cureton, further reading was dispensed with. GRANTED LEAVE OF ABSENCE. On account of important business: Mr. Morris until Monday, on motion of Mr. McGaughey. Mr. Peery for this morning, on motion of Mr. Hensley. Mr. McFarland for to-day, on motion of Mr. Bailey. Mr. Barbee until Monday, and Mr. Boyd indefinitely, on motion of Mr. Pitts. Mr. Collier indefinitely, on motion of Mr. Dies. On motion of Mr. Brewster, Mr. Stuart, committee clerk, was excused indefinitely, on account of sick ness. On account of important committee work: Mr. Seabury, Mr. Holland of Harris and Mr. Staples, for the morning session, on motion of the Chair. BILLS SIGNED BY SPEAKER. The Speaker signed in the presence of the House, after giving due notice thereof, and their captions had been read severally, the following bills: House bill No. 513, entitled "An act to diminish the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the county court of Marion county in this State, and conform the jurisdiction of the district court of said county to such change." Senate bill No. 52, entitled "An act to require every express company to keep a general office in this State, and to furnish such information in relation to its property, indebtedness and business as may be required by the Railroad Commission of Texas." PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS. By Mr. Mercer: A memorial of the Hopkins County Teachers' Institute, asking for the passage of a law providing for a uniform system of text-books. Read and referred to the Committee on Education. By Mr. Turner: A petition of 33 citizens of Duval county, asking that said county be placed in the Twenty-eighth Judicial District. Referred to the Committee on Judicial Districts. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS. By Mr. Melton (by request): House bill No. 582, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 2503 of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to connecting fences of adjacent owners of land, and to provide the manner of disconnecting such fences." Read first time and referred to Judiclary Committee No. 1. By Mr. Harris: House bill No. 583, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend the charter of the city of Galveston by amending sections 3, 3a, 4a, 5, 6a, 72a, 91, 92, 93, and repealing sections 116 and 174." Read first time and referred to Committee on Towns and City Corporations. By Mr. Bell: House bill No. 584, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 3742, title 79, chapter 9, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to workhouses and county convicts, and regulating the fines and costs assessed against county convicts." Read first time and referred to Judiciary Committee No. 1. By Mr. Thomas: House bill No. 585, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend chapter 1, title 23, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, by adding thereto, after article 778, articles 778a, 778b and 778c, requiring that a proposition to detach a portion of existing county containing an area of fifty square miles and 100 resident taxpayers for the purpose of creating a new county, shall be submitted to the qualified voters of such portion sought to be de tached, and providing for an election for such purpose." Read first time and referred to Committee on Counties and County Boundaries. By Mr. McKamey: House bill No. 586, a bill to be entitled "An act to authorize towns and villages incorporated under chapter 11, title 18, of the Revised Statutes, to condemn right of way over and across the road, and right of way of any railroad company within the limits of such town or village when deemed necessary for opening, widening or extending public streets of such town or village, and to define the duties of such railroad companies when their roadbed or right of way have been condemned for street purposes, and to provide penalties for violations thereof." Read first time and referred to Committee on Towns and City Corporatious. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred House bill No. 568, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 4584b, of chapter 14, title 94, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, limiting the issuance of indebtedness on the part of railroad corporations when same is secured by a lien upon the property and franchises of such corporation." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred House bill No. 319, a bill to be entitled "An act creating the office of county auditor of Dallas county, Texas, defining his duties, fixing his compensation, and providing how such officer shall be appointed." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 104, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 3744 of chapter 10, title 79, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to the hiring out of county conviets," Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do not pass. WARD, Chairman. Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred House bill No. 573, a bill to be entitled "An act to provide for the removal and distribution among the Courts of Civil Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals of the State of Texas, State, now situated at Tyler, Texas." of the law library belonging to the Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that the author be permitted to withdraw the same from the House for revision. WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 248. "An act to authorize and permit the Aransas Pass Harbor Company to purchase from the State of Texas Harbor island, certain shoal waters and flats in front thereof and in Redfish bay on the Gulf coast of Texas, in order to encourage the procuring and maintenance of deep water at Aransas Pass, and prescribing certain conditions at- ing land owners benefited by such taching and following said purchase," | drainage system," Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 79, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 2640 of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to loaning money of wards by their guardian." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass, with the following amendment: Amend by adding after the words "sufficient sureties" the words "or on collateral notes secured by vendor's lien notes as collateral, or may purchase vendor's lien notes, provided that at least one-half has been paid on the land for which such notes are given." Senate bill No. 227, a bill to be entitled "An act to create a more efficient road system for McLennan county, Texas, and making county commissioners of said county ex officio road commissioners and prescribing their duties as such, and providing for their compensation as road commissioners, and defining the powers and duties of such road commissioners, providing for the appointment of road overseers and defining their duties, and for the working of county convicts on the public roads of said county, and providing for officers' fees, and rewards and penalties for said confor victs, and rewards the capture of escaped convicts, and to provide for the manner of training and maintaining hedges along all public roads, and to provide for the summoning of teams for road work, and for an allowance for time of road service for the same, and fixing a penalty for a violation of this act, and to repeal all laws in conflict House bill No. 521, a bill to be entiherewith," tled "An act to amend title 9, chapter Have had the same under considera-2, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the tion, and I am instructed to report the State of Texas, so as to insert articles same back to the House with the rec-172a, 172b and 172c, providing for the ommendation that it do pass. WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, WARD, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred furlough of inmates of the Confederate Home, their burial, regulating the trial of inmates for breach of discipline of the Home, and making the findings and acts of the board of managers in such cases subject to review by the Governor, and providing for the ap Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to pointment of a physician for said whom was referred Home, and to repeal all laws in conflict with this act." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass, with the following amendment: Senate bill No. 105, a bill to be entitled "An act to secure a system of drainage along the public roads of the State by excavating ditches and drains on either side thereof leading into the natural waterways crossed by or adjacent to such roads, and to provide Amend section 2 by adding thereto for the making of lateral drainage the following: "In case a skilful phyditches to empty into the same by the sician who is an ex-Confederate solowners of lands adjacent to such roads, dier can not be secured, then in that and to provide for the payment of ex-event the board of managers shall appense incurred therefor, and for the point any other skilful physician." collection of assessments from adjoin WARD, Chairman. MAJORITY REPORT. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 100, a bill to be entitled "An act transferring to the avail able university fund the unexpended balance of the United States direct tax Your Committee on Judicial Districts, to whom was referred House bill No. 571, a bill to be enti tled "An act prescribing the time of fund remaining in the State treasury on the third day of March, A. D. 1897, and appropriating the same to the construction and completion of buildings and in making of other permanent im-holding the terms of the district court provements of and for the University." Have had the same under consideration, and I am intructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. WARD, Chairman. MINORITY REPORT. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. We, a minority of your Judiciary Committee No. 1, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 100, a bill to be entitled "An act transferring to the available University fund the unexpended balance of the United States direct tax fund remaining in the State Treasury on the 3rd day of March, A. D. 1897, and appropriating the same to the construction and completion of buildings and the making of other permanent improvements of and for the University of Texas," Do not concur with the majority, and beg leave to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do not pass, and recommend that the said funds be appropriated to the common school fund. DIES, RANDOLPH, AYERS. By Mr. Holland of Harris, chairman: Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 11, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Forty-ninth Judicial Districts of the in the Twenty-eighth, Thirty-sixth and State of Texas, and to repeal all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. HOLLAND of Harris, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 11, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Judicial Districts, to whom was referred House bill No. 389, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend subdivision 32, of article 22, title 4, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, fixing the time for holding the district court in the Thirty-second Judicial District." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. HOLLAND of Harris, Chairman. By Mr. Curry, chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Revenue and Taxation, to whom was referred House bill No. 574, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 1587, title 104. chapter 4, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, relating to taxation, and to prescribe the manner of redeeming real estate sold for taxes." Have had the same under consideraYour Committee on Judicial Dis- tion, and I am instructed to report the tricts, to whom was referred House bill No. 557, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend article 22, title 4, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, so as to extend the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass, with the following amendment: "Sec. 2. The fact that there is now no law on the statutes requiring delin quent taxes to be paid as above provided creates an imperative public necessity, and an emergency exists for the suspension of the constitutional rule requiring all bills to be read on three several days in each House, and the same is therefore suspended, and that this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage, and it is so enacted." CURRY, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Revenue and Taxation, to whom was referred House bill No. 518, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend articles 52431, 5243j and 5243k, of chapter 9, title 104, of the Revised Civil Statutes, relating to the taxation of insurance, telephone, sleeping and dining car and other corporations, and the manner of forfeiting the charters and permits of such corporations for failure to pay such tax, and of reviving the same." scribing the jurisdiction of commissioners courts, Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendment: Amend by inserting in the blank for date of election, "the first Tuesday in August, 1897." BEAIRD, Acting Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Constitutional Amendments, to whom was referred House joint resolution No. 34, to amend section 51, article 3, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, so as to authorize the grant of aid to disabled and dependent Confederate soldiers and sailors and their widows, and to grant aid to the establishment and maintenance of a home for said soldiers and sailors. Have had the same under consideraHave had the same under considera- tion, and I am instructed to report the tion, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recsame back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass, with the ommendation that it do pass. CURRY, Chairman. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Revenue and Taxation, to whom was referred House bill No. 578, a bill to be entitled "An act to authorize cities and towns whose corporate limits have been reduced in compliance with chapters 16 and 120 of the Revised Civil Statutes, to levy and collect a tax on all the territory formerly belonging within the corporate limits of such city of town and excluded therefrom under said chapters 16 and 120," Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. CURRY, Chairman. By Mr. Beaird, acting chairman: Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Constitutional Amendments, to whom was referred House joint resolution No. 32, to amend section 18. article 5, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, pre following amendments: After the word "Texas," in line -, insert "and who were married to such soldiers or sailors anterior to March 1, 1897; provided, said aid shall not exceed the amount that would have been expended for them had they been members of the Confederate Home." BEAIRD, Acting Chairman. MAJORITY REPORT. Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 10, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: Your Committee on Constitutional Amendments, to whom was referred House joint resolution No. 31, to amend article 3, of the Constitution of the State of Texas, by adding thereto a section to be known as section 59 of said article, providing for the passage of a law prohibiting any merchant, trader or other dealer in goods, wares and merchandise, from executing any mortgage, deed of trust or other instrument of writing whereby any of the creditors of such merchant, trader or dealer shall be preferred. Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do not pass. BEAIRD, Acting Chairman. |