SEC.

APPROPRIATION FOR MILEAGE AND PER DIEM PAY OF OFFICERS, MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES.

1. $80,000.00, per diem pay of members, etc., of the Twentieth Legislature.

CHAP. 1.-[S. H. B. No. 4.]

SEC.

2.

Manner of auditing claims against this appropri

ation.

3. Emergency clause.

An Act making an appropriation for the mileage and per diem pay of the members and the per diem pay of the officers and employes of the Twentieth 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 employes of the Twentieth Legislature of the State of Texas.

SEC. 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 audit the claims and issue his warrants upon the Treasurer for the respective amounts.

SEC. 3. And whereas, the Twentieth Legislature, for the payment of the officers, members, and employes 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.

[NOTE. The foregoing act originated in the House, and passed the same by a vote of 98 yeas, no nays; and passed the Senate by a vote of 24 yeas, no nays.]

Approved, January 18, 1887.

SEC.

APPROPRIATION TO DEFRAY CONTINGENT EXPENSES.

SEC.

1. $30,000 appropriated to defray expenses of Twen- 2. Emergency clause. tieth Legislature.

CHAP. 2.-[S. H. B. No. 5.] An Act making an appropriation to defray the contingent

expenses of the Twentieth Legislature.

That

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: 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 Twentieth 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 Treasurer 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 the labor performed may be procured at cash prices, and the want of such appropriation to pay the contingent expenses of the Twentieth Legislattire 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.

[NOTE. The foregoing act originated in the House, and passed the same by a vote of 100 yeas, no nays; and passed the Senate by a vote of 29 yeas, no nays.]

Approved, January 22, 1887.

00

ART.

RELIEF OF CITIZENS SUFFERING BY REASON OF DROUTH.

1. Appropriates $100,000 for relief of sufferers in the drouth-stricken district.

2. Provides for the appointment, and prescribes the duties of relief committee.

3. Provides for payment of committees' drafts by warrant of Comproller-Duties of county treas

urer.

4. Provides for purchase and distribution of corn by commissioners court.

ART.

5. Prescribes duties of said court with respect to dis-
tribution of supplies-Limits relief to those not
able to buy bread.

6.

Defines a quorum of committee, and prescribes
manner of immediate relief.

7.

Relief Committee to procure information, and
make report.

8.

Mileage and per diem pay of members of said Com-
mittee.

9.

Prescribes oath of members of the Committee. 10. Emergency clause.

CHAP. 3.-[S. S. B. No. 74] An Act to be entitled An Act to provide for the relief of citizens of Texas suffering by reason of the drouth, to make an appropriation therefor, and to prescribe the manner in which it shall be distributed.

ARTICLE 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That whereas a long and protracted drouth, beginning in June, A. D. 1885, and continuing with but little intermission up to the present time, has devas[ta]ted a large portion of the State of Texas, whereby many thousands of her citizens are destitute of food, and a great public calamity now exists by reason of said drouth, that the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any funds now in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated, be and the same is hereby set aside and appropriated for the immediate relief of those suffering from destitution by reason of said drouth.

ART. 2. That the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall immediately appoint a committee of three disinterested citizens of the State of Texas, to be known as the Drouth Relief Committee, whose duty it shall be to immediately visit the portions of this State where such destitution prevails, and ascertain the extent of such destitution caused by said drouth; and should said committee upon investigation be satisfied that the people of any county are in destitute circumstances by reason of said drouth, said committee shall draw a draft on the State of Texas, in favor of the

treasurer of such county, for such sum of money as in the judgment of said committee shall be adequate and proper for the immediate relief of the des. titute of such county: Provided, That drafts drawn by the committee shall not exceed in the aggregate the sum herein appropriated.

ART. 3. That said drafts so drawn by said committee shall be endorsed by the Governor, and a warrant issued thereon by the Comptroller to the State Treasurer, and he shall pay the same to the county treasurer in whose favor they are severally drawn, out of the funds herein before mentioned as set aside for the relief of those suffering from destitution by reason of said drouth, and the county treasurers of such counties shall designate the money so received by them as the relief fund of the county, and shall pay out the same under the order of the commissioners courts of their several counties, as hereinafter provided: Provided, however, The county treasurer shall receive no commissions for receiving or paying out said money: And provided further, That the county treasurer shall execute a bond, payable to the county judge, to be approved by said county judge, with two or more good and sufficient sureties, in double the amount to be paid into his hands, conditioned that he will faithfully account for and disburse said money.

ART. 4. The commissioners court of any county receiving said money shall immediately purchase corn, flour, or meal, at such places and in such manner as to said court may seem proper, and shall distribute the same as a donation to the destitute citizens of their several counties as their immediate necessities may demand.

ART. 5. The commissioners court purchasing provisions under the preceding article shall give orders on the county treasurer of said county for money to pay for the same, and in distributing said provisions shall give no aid to any persons who have or are able to buy bread for themselves, and shall require affidavits to be made by two credible persons, one of whom may be the party for whom the aid is sought, showing such inability to purchase said food, and that such inability was occasioned by the drouth, and further showing such persons for whom aid is solicited to have been bona fide citizens of the county in which they then reside for more than three months next preceding the time of making such application.

ART. 6. Two members of said drouth relief committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business in this behalf. Said committee shall not be required to visit all of the counties that are suffering from destitutution caused by said drouth before furnishing relief, but may in their discretion draw drafts for the relief of the people of the counties in succession as visited by them, so as to give them immediate relief, having due regard for the probable number of people to be relieved and the amount herein appropriated to be drawn from.

ART. 7. Said drouth relief committee shall procure information concerning the extent of said drouth and the destitution caused thereby, and make a full report of the same, with such suggestions as to them may seem proper, together with a full report of their action, to this Legislature, by or before the 15th of March, 1887.

ART. 8. The members of said drouth relief committee shall each receive the sum of five dollars per day for each day actually engaged in the discharge of their duties as required by this act, and all actual necessary expenses incurred by them: Provided, That no members of said committee shall receive pay for more than forty days services, an accurate itemized account of which said actual necessary expenses and per diem services of each member shall be made under oath by said members, approved by the Governor, and presented to the Comptroller of the State of Texas, who shall

thereupon issue a warrant for the same, and the State Treasurer shall pay the same out of the said sum set aside for the immediate relief of those suffering by reason of said drouth.

ART. 9. Each member of the drouth relief committee, before entering upon the discharge of his duties as such, shall take and subscribe an oath to faithfully and impartially discharge his duties as a member of the drouth relief committee, which said oath shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

ART. 10. Whereas great distress, owing to said destitution by said drouth, now prevails in a large portion of this State, therefore there is an imperative public necessity that the rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended, and an emergency exists requiring this act to be in force from and after its passage, and it is so enacted.

[NOTE. The foregoing act originated in the Senate, and passed the same by a vote of 21 yeas, 8 nays; and passed the House by a vote of 75 yeas, 14 nays.]

Approved, January 31, 1887.

SEC.

BREWSTER COUNTY-CREATION AND ORGANIZATION.

1. Creates and prescribes boundaries of Brewster County.

2. Prescribes how this county shall be organized.

SEC.

4. Attaches this county to the Thirty-fourth Judi-
cial, Eleventh Congressional, Twenty-eighth
Senatorial and Eightieth Representative Dis-
tricts.
Emergency clause.

5.

3. Provides for the levy of a tax by this county to pay its pro rata share of Presidio County debts. CHAP. 4.—[S. H. B. No. 23.] An Act to create the County of Brewster, and to provide for its organization.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That a new county, to be called Brewster County, is hereby created out of the following portions of Presidio County, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of section 10, in block WJG 5, in Presidio County; thence south 58 miles, more or less, to a point 4 miles N. and mile east of N.W. corner of survey 459 located by virtue of certificate number issued to the G. C. & S. F. Ry. Co.; thence east 30 miles; thence north to Pecos County line; thence N.W. along said line to a point due north of Leoncito Springs; thence in a S. westerly course to a point six miles due east of the beginning; thence west to the place of beginning.

SEC. 2. That J. M. Gaddes, T. S. Brockenbrow and C. E. Way are hereby appointed a committee for the purpose of organizing said county of Brewster; and they shall within ten days after the passage of this act lay off said county into four commissioners precincts, and convenient justices precincts, not to exceed eight in number; also convenient voting precincts for the election of county officers, and designate places in each of said precincts where elections shall be held. Said committee shall within ten days thereafter order an election to be held for county officers and for the selections of a county seat for said county; and they shall appoint presiding officers of election for each voting precinct as presrribed by law in other cases. The election returns shall be made to said committee, who shall count the vote and issue certificates of election to the persons elected, and shall approve the bonds of such officers, and administer to them the oath of office. Said committee shall keep a record of all its proceedings, and file the same in the office of the county clerk, when elected, who shall record the same. That any two of said committee shall constitute a quorum for