Amend by striking out in line 19, page 7, the words "five dollars” and Humphrey. insert the following: "Fifteen per cent of the amount collected." Mr. Randolph offered the following substitute for the amendment by Mr. Blair: Lillard. Bailey. Good. Amend section 9, page 7, line 19, Bean. Tabled on motion of Mr. Blair. Garrison. Gilbough. Green. Pitts. Shropshire. Smith. Stamper. Strother. Turner. Kirk. Bell. Callan. Crowley. Thomas. Tracy. Doyle. Peery. Flint. Staples. Mr. Childs offered the following amendment: Amend section 9, page 7, by inserting after the word "suit," in line 29, the following: "And the county clerk for making out and recording the data of each delinquent assessment, as provided in section 4, and for certifying the same to the commissioners court for correction, and for noting the same in the minutes of the commissioners court, and for certifying the same, with corrections, to the Comptroller, and noting the same on his delinquent tax record, shall receive the sum of one dollar." Adopted. Mr. Ward offered the following amendment: Amend by striking out all after the word "lot" in line 6 of section 9, page 8, down to and including the word "act" in line 17, and in lieu thereof insert the following: "And provided Hill of Gonzales. Vaughan, Gua'lupe, further, that where suits have been Harris. Hensley. brought by the State against delin- Strother. Benson. Feild. Wilcox. Nays-46. Melton. Mercer. Morris. Morton. Mundine. Rhea. Shelburne. Skillern. Sluder. Smith. Stokes. Thomas. Hill of Gonzales. Tracy. Martin. Vaughan, Gua'lupe, Vaughan of Collin. Wood. Absent. Amend by adding after the word "office" and before the word "the," in line 25, page 7, the following words, Evans of Grayson. Moore of Lamar. "when the fees of the county attorney shall reach the amount of $500, the remainder of the 15 per cent he receives for collecting such taxes shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the school fund." Mr. Blair moved to table the amendment by Mr. Bumpass, upon which motion yeas and nays were demanded by Mr. Blair, Mr. Tracy and Mr. Dennis. Tabled by the following vote: Mr. Fisher offered the following amendment: Amend by adding to section 9, after the word "act," in line 17, page 8, the following words: "Provided, that so much of this act which fixes items of cost and fees shall not be construed to fix a lien upon homesteads for such costs and fees." On motion of Mr. Dies, pending business was suspended to take up and place on its second reading, Senate bill No. 288, a bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company to purchase the Texas, Louisiana and Eastern Railroad and to operate the same under the charter of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Rail Cureton. way Company as a part of its own Mr. Dies moved to suspend the stitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house, and that Senate bill No. 288 be put on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the follow ing vote: Yeas-89. Dorroh. Absent. Love. Moore of Lamar. O'Connor. Pfeuffer. Evans of Grayson. Rogan. Bean. Burns. Callan. Excused. Flint. Graham. Manson. McFarland. Moore, Fort Bend. Mr. Meade until next Wednesday, on same back to the House with the recmotion of Mr. Carpenter. ommendation that it do pass, and that Mr. Strother until Monday, on mo- it be not printed. tion of Mr. Hill of Gonzales. Mr. Robbins until Tuesday, on mo tion of Mr. Stamper. Mr. Moore of Lamar until Monday, on motion of Mr. Love. ROGAN, Chairman. SENATE MESSAGE. Senate Chamber, Austin, Texas, March 26, 1897. Mr. Wolters from this evening until Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the Monday, on motion of Mr. Blair. Mr. Blackburn until Tuesday, on motion of Mr. Savage. Mr. Reiger until Monday, on motion of Mr. McKamy. Mr. Hill of Gonzales until Tuesday, on motion of McGaughey. Mr. Dies indefinitely, on motion of Mr. Seabury. On account of sickness: House. I am directed by the Senate to inform the House that the Senate has passed House bill No. 180, a bill to be entitled “An act to amend article 5043 of the Revised Statutes of 1895, so as to exempt Maverick county from the provisions of title 102, chapter 6, relating to the inspection of hides and ani Mr. Reubell for to-day, on motion of mals," Mr. Evans of Grayson. COMMITTEE REPORTS. By Mr. Carpenter, chairman: Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 26, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on State Affairs, to to whom was referred With amendments. Senate bill No. 285, entitled "An act making an appropriation for the establishment of a public park on the site of the battlefield of San Jacinto, and the erection of the necessary buildings and improvements therein, and providing for the purchase and condemnation of a sufficient amount of land upon upon which to establish said park," Ayes 18, noes 7. Respectfully, R. E. DODSON, Assistant Secretary. Senate bill No. 285, a bill to be entitled "An act making an appropriation for the establishment of a public park on the site of the battlefield of San Jacinto, and the erection of the necessary buildings and improvements SENATE BILL ON FIRST READthereon, and providing for the purchase and condemnation of a suffi ING. cient amount of land upon which to No. 285, was read first time and reThe above reported bill, Senate bill establish said park," Have had the same under considera-ferred to the Committee on State Aftion, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. CARPENTER, Chairman. By Mr. Rogan, chairman: Committee Room, Austin, Texas, March 23, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House. Your Committee on Roads, Bridges and Ferries, to whom was referred House bill No. 592, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend section 3, of chapter 132, of the acts of the Twentyfourth Legislature, establishing a special road law for Dallas, Lamar and Medina counties, prescribing the same fees in county convict cases for the officers in said counties as those allowed officers in similar cases under the general laws of the State." Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the fairs. SPEAKER'S TABLE. The Speaker laid before the House, as pending business, on its engrossment, Substitute House bill No. 203, the general appropriation bill, the House considering the bill by departments, and the COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE Being the department under consideration. On motion of Mr. Garrison, the regular order of business was suspended to take up and place on its second reading, House bill No. 539, a bill to be entitled "An act making appropriations for the deficiencies in the appropriations heretofore made for payment of expenses in support of the State government from March 1, 1895, to February 28, 1897, and for previous years, be |