Absent. Collier. Neighbors. Dies. Randolph. Evans of Hunt. Smyth. Gilbough. Strother. Good. Wallace. Mercer. Wilcox. Excused. McGaughey. Patterson. Alexander. Barbee. Bell. Blackburn. Mr. Harris (present), who would vote "nay." with Mr. Wallace (absent), who would vote "yea." Mr. Thompson (present), who would vote "nay," with Mr. Childs (absent), who would vote "yea." Mr. McKamy moved to suspend pending business to take up and place on its second reading, Senate joint resolution No. 3. Both motions were lost. The motion of Mr. McKamy was lost. COMMITTEE REPORT. By Mr. Holland of Harris, chairman: Austin, Texas, April 17, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the Your Committee on Judicial Districts, to whom was referred Senate bill No. 345, a bill to be entitled "An act to further amend section 2 of an act entitled an act to reorganize the Fifteenth Judicial District and the Fortieth Judicial District, and to amend chapter 67, section 15, of the general laws of Texas, approved April 9, 1883, redistricting the State for judicial purposes, and to amend section 2 of chapter 58 of the general laws of Texas, approved March 27, 1885, creating ne Fortieth District, and to repeal all laws in conflict with this act, approved March 21, 1893, as amended by an act entitled an act to amend section 2 of an act to be entitled an act reorganizing the Fifteenth Judicial District, and the Fortieth Judicial District; and to amend chapter 67, section 15, of the general laws of Texas, approved April 9, 1883, redistricting the State for judicial pur poses, and to amend section 2, chapter 58, of the general laws of Texas, approved March 27, 1885, creating the Fortieth Judicial District, and to repeal all laws in conflict with this act, passed at the present session of the Legislature, and to further regulate and fix the times of holding courts in the Fortieth Judicial District, and to Mr. Browne moved to suspend pend-repeal all laws in conflict herewith," ing business to take up and place on its second reading, Senate bill No. 306, entitled "An act to provide a charter for the city of Houston, Harris county, Texas," Pending which, on motion of Mr. Bertram, the House at 5:55 p. m. took recess until 9 a. m. to-morrow. MORNING SESSION. Austin, Texas, April 17, 1897. The House was called to order by the Speaker at 9 o'clock a. m. Mr. Savage moved to reconsider the vote by which the amendment by Mr. Garrison to the general appropriation bill, adding to the Department of Education for the support of summer normal schools $20,000 for each year, was lost, and asked to have the motion to reconsider spread upon the Journal. Have had the same under consideration, and I am instructed to report the same back to the House with the recrecommendation that it do pass. HOLLAND of Harris, Chairman. MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. Senate Chamber, Austin, Texas, April 17, 1897. Hon. L. T. Dashiell, Speaker of the House: I am instructed by the Senate to inform the House that the Senate has passed Senate bill No. 362, being "An act to amend article 1537, chapter 2, title 32, of the Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, adopted and established by the Twenty-fourth Legislature in regular session, 1895, relating to the powers and duties of commissioners courts,” By the two-thirds vote-yeas 24, nays 0. Also, that the Senate has concurred in House amendments to Senate bill No. 87, by a two-thirds vote, to-wit- adding after "city engineer" the folyeas 23, nays 0. Respectfully, WILL LAMBERT, Secretary. SENATE BILL ON FIRST READ ING. The above reported Senate bill No. 362 was read first time and referred to Judiciary Committee No. 1. SPEAKER'S TABLE. The Speaker laid before the House, on its third reading and final passage, House bill No. 456, a bill to be entitled "An act to amend subdivision 13, article 22, title 4, of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas, and to change and fix the times of holding courts in the Thirteenth Judicial District of Texas." The bill was read third time, and passed. Mr. Wood moved to reconsider the vote by which House bill No. 456 was passed, and to table the motion to reconsider. The motion to table prevailed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, Senate bill No. 300, entitled "An act to diminish the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the county court of King and Stonewall counties; to conform the jurisdiction of the district court thereto, and to repeal all laws in conflict herewith," The bill was read second time, and was passed to a third reading. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, lowing: "Chief of fire department." Amend section 26, page 18, line 26, by striking out "said," and insert in lieu thereof "the." Strike out "for" in line 27, and insert in lieu thereof the words "to warrant." Amend section 26a, line 14, by inserting the word "respective" before the word "heads." Amend section 26a, line 17, by striking out "departments," and insert in lieu thereof the word "board." Adopted. The bill was passed to a third reading. The Speaker laid before the House on its second reading, with committee amendment, Senate bill No. 322, a bill to be entitled "An act to create a more efficient road system for Ellis 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 providing for the appointment of deputy road commissioners, and defining the powers and duties of such county commissioners, and providing for the appointment of road overseers, and defining their duties, and for the working of county convicts upon the public roads of said county, and providing for officers' fees and rewards for the capture of escaped convicts, and to provide for the manner of training hedges along any public road, and to provide for the summon Senate bill No. 306, entitled 'An acting of teams for road work, and for to provide a charter for the city of Houston, Harris county, Texas." Read second time, and Mr. Browne offered the following amendments: Amend on page 45 by inserting in line 5, between the words "street" and "constructing," the word "and," and also by striking out of said line 5 the words "building bridges and constructing," and by striking out of line 6 the words "school buildings and fire houses," and by striking out of line 7 the words "and 1898." an allowance of time of road service for same, and fixing a penalty for a violation of this act, and repeal all laws in conflict with this act." On motion of Mr. Williams, House Rule No. 31, requiring that all bills reported favorably be printed and laid on the desk of each member before acted on by the House, was suspended as pertains to this bill. Bill read second time, committee report adopted, and passed to third reading. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, House bill No. 491, a bill to be entitled "An act to repeal an act entitled an act to incorporate the town of Castroville, approved January 16, 1850." Bill read second time, and ordered engrossed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, with commit Amend section 7, page 4, line 11, by tee amendment, 62- House. Amend by striking out section 2 of the bill and inserting in lieu thereof the following: laws of this State shall apply to said officers respectively. "Sec. 4. After giving bond, as herein required, the said assessor, collector and treasurer shall be held to the discharge of their duties under the law, and be entitled to receive compensation for their services by way of commissions, to the same effect and subject to the same limitations provided by law, as though said officers were acting for Loving county alone, and said officers shall make separate reports and settlements with the State, and with said commissioners' court, on account of Loving county, to the same effect as now required by law of each of them in the discharge of their duties, as officers of Reeves county, and shall be liable to all penalties provided by law for failure to make such reports and settlements; provided, however, that the treasurer of said Reeves county shall not be the custodian of moneys collected, to pay the interest and sinking fund upon the bonded indebtedness of said Loving county, but shall be entitled to his lawful commissions thereon, nor shall he be required to give bond, under this act, after all other debts known to exist against said county have been paid; and should any funds remain in his hands after payment of all known indebted the same over to the State Treasurer, to be used in liquidating the bonded indebtedness of said county; and provided further, that after all known debts against Loving county have been paid, outside of its bonded indebted Sec. 2. The county commissioners' court of Reeves county shall hereafter levy a sufficient annual tax, general and special, upon all property subject to taxation, situated in the county of Loving, to liquidate the indebtedness now existing against said county, which taxes shall be assessed and collected in the manner now provided by law for the assessment and collection of taxes in the unorganized counties of this State; provided also, that all taxes due the State of Texas, and such as may be levied for county purposes, as herein provided, upon all property situated in said county for the present year, and for all previousness against said county, he shall pay years, during which such taxes have not been paid, shall be assessed and collected by the officers charged by law with such duty, to the same effect as though said Loving county had at all times been an unorganized county, ness, the amount of the additional attached to the said county of Reeves. bonds to be given by the assessor and "Sec. 3. The assessor and collector of collector of taxes shall be fixed by the taxes, and the county treasurer, of commissioners' court of said Reeves said county of Reeves are each here- county, in any sum not less than douby required to execute bonds, in addi- ble the amount of taxes to be collecttion to those now given by them, ined upon said bonded indebtedness durthe sum of $5000 each, for the faithful discharge of their respective duties "Sec. 5. All moneys collected by the under this act, which bonds shall be collector of taxes of Reeves county to payable to the county judge of Reeves pay interest and provide the sinking county, and be approved by the com- fund upon the bonded indebtedness of missioners' court thereof, and shall be Loving county shall be reported, acconditioned as required by law for counted for and paid to the Treasurer like bonds to said Reeves county, re- of the State of Texas, in the same citing therein that the same are given manner required by law upon taxes for the use of Loving county; provided, due the State, and such moneys shall that until bonds are given and ap- be received and paid out by the State proved as herein required, said officers Treasurer upon such bonded indebtedshall not assume to discharge the du- ness, according to the terms thereof; ties or be entitled to compensation for provided, that the option retained to services rendered under this act; and Loving county to pay said bonds beprovided further, that all remedies up- fore the maturity thereof may be exon and penalties for the breach or fail-ercised by the commissioners' court of ure to give similar bonds under the Reeves county, and with the consent ing the term of such official bonds. of the holder or holders of any of saiding acted on by the House, was susbords, the same may be paid at any pended as pertains to this bill. time and provision made therefor by the levy and collection of the full amount of special tax authorized by law for such purpose." Adopted. Amend by inserting after the word "thereof," in line 16, page 2, the following: "And shall take all necessary steps by suit in the name of Loving county to recover back to said county all lands and other property properly belonging to it, which may have been wrongfully converted or disrosed of by any person assuming to act for said county or otherwise and." Adopted. Amend the numbers of the various sections of the bill by striking out 3. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, and in lieu thereof insert the following numbers respectively, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Adopted. Amend the caption by striking out the word "Ward" wherever it occurs, and in lieu thereof insert the word "Reeves." Adopted. The bill was ordered engrossed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, House bill No. 669, a bill to be entitled "An act to restore to and confer upon the county court of Polk county the civil and criminal jurisdiction heretofore belonging to said court under the Constitution and general statutes of Texas, to define the jurisdiction of said court, to conform the jurisdiction of the district court of seid county to such change, to fix the time of holding court, and to repeal all laws in conflict with this act." Bill read second time, and ordered engrossed. The bill was read second time, and Mr. Seabury offered the following amendment: Amend by adding the words "Calhoun and Victoria counties" after the words "Wharton county" wherever they occur in the bill. Adepted. The bill was ordered engrossed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, House bill No. 680, a bill to be entitled "An act to diminish the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the county court of Borden county, to conform the jurisdiction of the district court thereto, and to repeal all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith." The bill was read second time, and ordered engrossed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its second reading, House bill No. 685, a bill to be entitled "An act to grant to the Waco Water Power and Electric Company the right to construct and maintain a dam across the Brazos river within five miles of the city of Waco." The bill was read second time, and ordered engrossed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its third reading and final passage, House bill No. 391, a bill to be entitled "An act to relinquish the title and confirm the patents to certain lands therein named." Pill read third time, and passed. Mr. Gilbough moved to reconsider the vote by which House bill No. 391 passed, and to table the motion to reconsider. The motion to table prevailed. The Speaker laid before the House, on its passage to a third reading. Senate bill No. 263, a bill to be entitled "An act to lease to H. P. N. GamThe Speaker laid before the House, mel of Austin, Travis county, Texas, on its second reading, the stereotyped plates of volumes fifHouse bill No. 667, a bill to be enti-ty-six (56) to eighty-six (86), inclusive, tled "An act to render more effective of the Texas reports, being reports of and efficient the present road law of the decisions of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas in its application Texas," and operation in the counties of Galveston, Harris, Brazoria and Wharto. and to authorize and empower said counties to issue bonds for the construction and maintenance of publiz roads and highways within the said respective counties." On motion of Mr. Rogan, House Rule No. 31, requiring that all bills reported favorably be printed and laid on the desk of each member before be Which bill was read second time and amended April 3, and postponed. amendment to the bill: Mr. Reiger offered the following Strike out sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the bill and insert the following substi tute: "Section 1. That the State Printing Board be and is hereby authorized to let to the best bidder a contract to print the Supreme Court Reports, volumes fifty-six (56) to eighty-six (86), inclusive, from the stereotyped plates now in possession of the State, and the said board shall prescribe such conditions, terms and requirements of those contracting to print said Reports as to them may seem right and proper, and exact such bonds as they may deem necessary to protect the property of the State and the fulfillment of the contract. "Sec. 2. That the contract heretofore authorized shall provide for the furnishing to the State such number of said reports as the board may determine, at a price to be decided upon in said contract, and not to be greater in any case than $2 per volume, and the Secretary of State shall sell the said reports to those desiring to purchase them at the price paid therefor, the buyer to pay all express charges. "Sec. 3. That the party with whom the contract heretofore authorized is made shall be at liberty to print and sell copies of each of said volumes of reports at the price named in the contract, in no case to exceed $2 per vol ume, "Sec. 4. That the work provided for in this bill shall be done within the State of Texas." Mr. Dean offered the following an endment to the bill: Amend line 6, section 2, page 2, by striking out the words and figures "two dollars ($2)" and insert in lieu thereof the following, "one and onequarter dollars ($1.25)." Adopted. mel shall neither sell nor sublet this Mr. Dean offered the following (1) Amend page 2, line 13, by adding to section 2 the following, "and conditioned that the said Gammel will not duplicate said plates, nor permit the same to be done." Adopted. (2) Amend the caption by striking out the words and figures "fifty-six (56)" and insert in lieu thereof the words and figures "seventy-two (72).” Adopted. (3) Amend line 18, section 1, by striking out the words and figures "fifty-six (56)" and insert in lieu thereof the following, "seventy-two (72)." Adopted. (4) Amend line 2, of section 2, page 2, by inserting after the word "him,” in said line 2, the following words, "provided, that neither the Secretary of State nor the said Gammel shall sell the said reports at a price exceeding $2 per volume; and neither the said Secretary of State nor the said Gammel shall sell the said reports for a less price per volume than the other." Adopted. (5) Amend by adding at the end of section 3, on page 2, the following, "provided, that the said Gammel shall not sell said reports at a less price per volume than the Secretary of State, as provided in section 2 of this act." Mr. Fields moved the previous ques Mr. Wall offered the following tion, and it was not seconded. amendment to the bill: Amend by adding after the word "him," in line 21, "provided, that if the said Gammel should refuse to enter into this contract as provided in this bill, or should he fail to comply with its terms, then the State Printing Board is hereby authorized to make the same contract with any other person or firm." Adopted. offered the following Mr. Dean amendment to the bill: Amend by inserting after the word "bound" in line 32, section 2, the following words, "upon paper and in style and material equally as good.” A dopted. Mr. Fisher offered the following amendment to the bill: Amend by adding after the word "excepted" in line 28, page 1, the following, "provided, that the said Gam Amendment 5, by Mr: Dean, was adopted. Question recurring on the amendment by Mr. Reiger, After further consideration, Mr. Welch moved the previous question, and the main question was ordered. The amendment by Mr. Reiger was lost The bill was passed to a third reading. Mr. Fields moved to reconsider the vote by which Senate bill No. 263 was passed to a third reading, and to table the motion to reconsider. The motion to table prevailed. Mr. Smyth moved to reconsider the vote by which House bill No. 673, a bill to be entitled "An act to authorize the Houston and Texas Central Railroad Com |