NOTE.

Constitution of the State of Texas, Article III.

Sec. 39. No law passed by the Legislature, except the general appropriation act, shall take effect or go into force until ninety days after the adjournment of the session at which it was enacted, unless in case of an emergency, which emergency must be expressed in a preamble or in the body of the act, the Legislature shall, by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, otherwise direct; said vote to be taken by yeas and nays, and entered upon the journals.

GENERAL LAWS.

S. B. No. 13.]

CHAPTER 1.

An Act making an appropriation for the mileage and per diem pay of the members and the per diem pay of the officers and employees of the Nineteenth Legislature.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the sum of eighty thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the payment of mileage and per diem pay of members and per diem pay of officers and employees of the Nineteenth Legislature of the State of Texas.

Section 2. That the certificate of the Secretary of the Senate, approved by the President thereof, or of the Chief Clerk of the House approved by the Speaker thereof shall be sufficient evidence to the Comptroller upon which he shall admit the claims and issue his warrants upon the Treasurer for the respective amounts.

Section 3. And whereas the Nineteenth Legislature for the payment of the officers, members and employees of which this law is enacted, is now in session and public policy requires their payment; therefore an imperative public necessity exists that the rule requiring this bill to be read on three several days be suspended and it is so suspended and that this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved January 20th, 1885.

An Act making an appropriation to defray the contingent expenses of the Nineteenth Legislature.

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That the sum of thirty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to pay the contingent expenses of the Nineteenth Legislature. That (except in cases of accounts for printing done, and stationery furnished) the certificate of the chairman of the Committee on Contingent Expenses, that an account has been examined and approved by said committee, and countersigned

by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House, as the case may be, shall be sufficient authority to authorize and require the Comptroller of Public Accounts to draw his warrant on the State Treasury for the payment of any claim against said fund. The accounts for printing and stationery shall take the course prescribed by the Revised Statutes. Sec. 2. Whereas, it is of sufficient public importance that the contingent expenses of the Legislature be promptly paid in order that the material furnished and labor performed, may be procured at cash prices, and the want of such appropriation to pay the contingent expenses of the Nineteenth Legislature, creates an imperative public necessity that the rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house should be suspended and this act take effect from and after its passage, and it is so enacted.

An Act to re-organize the twenty-eighth judicial district of the State of Texas, and to provide the times for holding the district court therein.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas That the twenty-eighth judicial district of the State of Texas shall be composed of the following counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Zapata, Webb, Encinal, Duval and Nueces.

Section 2. Be it further enacted That the district courts of said district shall be holden at the times hereinafter specified, to wit:

In the county of Cameron on the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session four weeks.

In the county of Hidalgo on the fourth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session one week. In the county of Starr on the fifth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session two weeks.

In the county of Webb on the seventh Monday after the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session five weeks.

In the county of Duval on the twelfth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session two weeks. In the county of Nueces on the fourteenth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September and may continue in session until the business is disposed of, not to exceed six weeks.

Section 3. Be it further enacted: That the counties of Zapata and Encinal be, and they are hereby attached to the county of Webb for judicial purposes.

Section 4. Be it further enacted: That all writs and process, civil and criminal heretofore issued by or from the district courts in the several counties in said district and made returnable to the former terms of said courts, as said terms are now

fixed by law shall be returnable to next ensuing terms of said district courts, in each county, as they are prescribed in this act and all such writs or process that may be issued by or from said courts at any time within five days next before holding of the next ensuing terms of said courts as prescribed herein are hereby made returnable to said terms respectively, and all such writs or process herein before mentioned are hereby legalized, and validated to all intents and purposes, as if the same had been made returnable to the term or terms of said courts, as the terms thereof are herein prescribed; and there shall be selected by the jury commissioners at each term of the district court of Webb county, five resident citizens in and qualified jurors of Zapata county to serve as grand jurors for the county of Webb at the next succeeding term of the district court of Webb county, who shall be summoned and qualified, and shall thereupon constitute a part of the grand jury in and for said county of Webb at said term.

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Section 5. Be it further enacted: That all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith be and the same are hereby repealed.

Section 6. Be it further enacted That the fact that a sufficient number of qualified jurors cannot be had in the county of Zapata to hold a term of the district court therein, creates an imperative public necessity and emergency for the suspension of the constitutional rule which requires that all bills shall be read on three several days, and the said rule is accordingly suspended, and this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

I do hereby certify that the within S. B. No. 5 passed the Senate by 24 ayes, nays none, January 17th, 1885, and that the same originated in the Senate.

WM. NEAL RAMEY,
Secretary of the Senate.

I do hereby certify that the within S. B. No. 5 passed the House by a vote of 88 ayes, noes none, on January 23, 1885.

A. D. SADLER, Chief Clerk House of Representatives.

Approved January 26th, 1885.

An Act to prescribe the times of holding District Court in the several counties composing the 36th Judicial District of the State of Texas.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: Section 1. That the District Court shall be held in the several counties comprising the Thirty sixth (36th) Judicial District of the State of Texas at the following times, to wit:

In the county of San Patricio, on the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session one week;

In the county of Live Oak, on the second Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session two weeks;

In the county of McMullen, on the third Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session one week;

In the county of Atascosa, on the fourth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session three weeks; In the county of Frio, on the seventh Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session two weeks;

In the county of La Salle, on the ninth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session two weeks;

In the county of Zavalla, on the eleventh Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session one week; In the county of Dimmit, on the twelfth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session one week;

In the county of Maverick, on the thirteenth Monday after the first Mondays in March and September, and may continue in session until business is disposed of, not exceeding three weeks.

Section 2. That all laws, or parts of laws, in conflict with this act or any of its provisions are hereby repealed.

Section 3. That the facts that Zavalla county, (one of the counties in the 36th judicial district of Texas), is an organized county and that there are no times prescribed by law for holding district court therein, and that there is a large number of both civil and criminal cases, demanding trial or disposition, of which the district court of that county has jurisdiction, creates an imperative public necessity authorizing the suspension of the constitutional rule which requires all bills to be read on three several days and the same is therefore suspended; and the near approach of the time for holding districts courts in the said 36th judicial district under the present law wherein no provision is made for holding district court in Zavalla county together with the above recited facts. causes an emergency to exist that this act shall take effect and be in force from and after passage, and it is so enacted.

Section 4. That all writs or process, civil or criminal, returnable to the district court of any county mentioned in this act or requiring the appearance of any party at the next term of court as now fixed by the law before this act takes effect, shall be returnable to the first term thereof as prescribed in this act.

I do hereby certify that the within S. B. No. 12 originated in the Senate and passed the same by a vote of 22 ayes, Jan'y 17th, 1885.

WM. NEAL RAMEY,
Secretary of the Senate.

I do hereby certify that the within S. B. No. 12, passed the House by a vote of 87 ayes, January 23 1885.

Approved January 29th, 1885.

A. D. SADLER,

Chief Clerk House of Representatives.