CHAPTER CLXVII.

An Act empowering the Police Court of Cherokee County to levy and collect a Special Tax for the purpose of paying off the present outstanding indebtedness of said County.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the Police Court of Cherokee county is hereby empowered (should they deem it necessary) to levy and collect a special ad valorem tax upon all taxable property in said county, not to exceed one-fourth of one per cent., for the purpose of paying off the present outstanding indebtedness of said county, the proceeds of which shall not be used for any other purpose except the one specified in this act.

SEC. 2. That said tax shall be levied and collected in the same manner provided by law for levying and collecting other county taxes.

SEC. 3. That this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Passed May 12th, 1873.

[NOTE. The foregoing act was presented to the Governor of Texas for his approval on the seventeenth day of May, A. D. 1873, and was not signed by him, or returned to the house in which it originated, with his objections thereto, within the time prescribed by the Constitution, and thereupon became a law without his signature.JAMES P. NEWCOMB, Secretary of State.]

CHAPTER CLXVIII.

An Act to authorize the County Court of Lampasas County to levy a Special Tax.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the County Court of Lampasas county be and the same is hereby authorized and empowered to levy a special ad valorem tax, on all taxable property in said county, not to exceed one-fourth of one per cent., to be applied exclusively to the liquidation of

the existing indebtedness of said county. Said tax to be levied and collected as other taxes.

SEC. 2. That this act take effect from its passage.
Passed May 12th, 1873.

[NOTE.-The foregoing act was presented to the Governor of Texas for his approval on the fifteenth day of May, A. D. 1873, and was not signed by him, or returned to the house in which it originated, with his objections thereto, within the time prescribed by the Constitution, and thereupon became a law without his signature.--JAMES P. NEWCOMB, Secretary of State.]

CHAPTER CLXIX.

An Act to authorize and require the County Court of Robertson County to retire certain County Scrip therein specified, and to issue the Bonds of said County in lieu thereof.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the County Court of the county of Robertson is hereby authorized and required to retire all of the county scrip of said county, that may be just, valid and subsisting claims against said county, issued prior to the first day of March, A. D. 1873, except jury scrip; and to issue to the owners of said scrip the bonds of said county, in lieu of the same; which said bonds shall not be issued in amounts of less than fifty dollars; and which said bonds shall be due and payable in ten years from the date of their issuance, and shall bear interest at the rate of ten per cent. per annum, which interest shall be due and payable annually.

SEC. 2. Said bonds shall be numbered consecutively; shall be signed by the presiding justice of the county, the clerk of the court,. attested by the seal of the court, and countersigned by the county treasurer; and said bonds, before they are issued, shall be registered by the treasurer, in a well bound book, to be procured by the County Court for that purpose. In said book he shall write the number, date, amount, and to whom issued, of each of said bonds respectively; and shall endorse on said bonds "registered," with the page of the registration

book where registered; and no bond shall be valid as against the county which is not issued in compliance with the requirements of this section.

SEC. 3. The holders of the scrip mentioned in this act shall file the same with the clerk of the County Court, with a request that he receive bonds for the same, for which the clerk, if desired, shall give the party a receipt. At each regular and called session of the court, the clerk shall present such scrip to the County Court, with the request for bonds. The County Court shall examine such scrip, and if found to be just and valid claims against the county, shall cause an order to be entered on the minutes of the court, that bond or bonds be issued to the party for the amount of such scrip, with sufficient description of said scrip to identify the same, and that the same be canceled and destroyed; and the court shall cause this to be done. It is further provided, that the holder of any scrip may present the same in person to the court and request bonds.

SEC. 4. The County Court of Robertson county is hereby authorized and required to levy a special ad valorem tax upon all of the taxable property of said county, and a tax upon all occupations, not to exceed one-fifth of the State tax levied by the State on such occupations, annually, which said taxes to be sufficient annually to raise. money to pay the annual interest on said bonds, and to pay annually ten per cent. of the principal of said bonds, which said taxes shall be levied, assessed and collected as other taxes, and shall not be appropriated by the County Court for any other purposes.

SEC. 5. The County Court shall have the right to redeem said bonds, or any part of the same, at any time, under such regulations as they may prescribe; and the annual payment of ten per cent. of the principal of the same shall be payable at such time as the County Court may prescribe, giving one month's notice of the time and place of payment, by notice published in some newspaper in said county; and no interest shall be collectable on said ten per cent. of the principal from and after the day of the date of payment as advertised by the County.

SEC. 6. All payments of principal or interest on said bonds shall be endorsed with date of payment, signed by the treasurer on each bond respectively; and he shall

endorse such payment with date on the book of regis try of said bonds, on or opposite the registry of each bond respectively; and he shall, in his settlement with the County Court, not be allowed credit for any sum paid out on account of said bonds that is not so endorsed on said registration book. When said bonds are paid, the treasurer shall endorse on said registration book, "paid in full," and shall deliver the paid bond to the County Court, who shall cause the same to be destroyed. Said bonds shall be transferable by endorse

ment.

SEC. 7. After the passage of this act, it shall not be lawful for the county treasurer of Robertson county to pay any of the county scrip here required to be bonded, or for the sheriff or any other collecting officer to receive the same in the payment of any county taxes.

SEC. 8. That this act shall be in force and take effect from and after its passage.

Passed May 12th, 1873.

[NOTE. The foregoing act was presented to the Governor of Texas for his approval on the fifteenth day of May, A. D. 1873, and was not signed by him, or returned to the house in which it originated, with his objections thereto, within the time prescribed by the Constitution, and thereupon became a law without his signature.JAMES P. NEWCOMB, Secretary of State.]

CHAPTER CLXX.

An Act for the relief of A. Howell.

WHEREAS, On the night of the 20th or 21st of June, 1872, J. W. Howell was brutally murdered at his house. in Mason county, and his wife wounded and maimed for life, by one Thomas Faulkner, who immediately afterwards fled; and

Whereas, A. Howell, father of the said J. W. Howell, offered a reward of ($250) two hundred and fifty dollars, for the arrest of the murderer, which amount was actually

paid subsequently by him to William Sherrard for the capture and delivery of the said Thomas Faulkner to the sheriff of Mason county:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the Comptroller of Public Accounts is hereby authorized and required to issue his warrant upon the Treasurer in favor of A. Howell for two hundred and fifty dollars in coin, or its value in United States currency, and the said sum is hereby appropriated for this purpose out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 2. That this act take effect from and after its pas

[NOTE. The foregoing act was presented to the Governor of Texas for his approval on the fifteenth day of May, A. D. 1873, and was not signed by him, or returned to the house in which it originated, with his objections thereto, within the time prescribed by the Constitution of the State, and thereupon became a law without his signature.-JAMES P. NEWCOMB, Secretary of State.]

CHAPTER CLXXI

An Act to be entitled An Act amendatory of and supplementary to an Act entitled "An Act to incorporate the Central Bank," passed March 31st, 1871.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That section two of the above entitled act be so amended as to read as follows: SEC. 2. The managers and officers of the company shall consist of a board of directors, composed of such a number as the by-laws may designate, to be selected from the stockholders, and their number may be increased, after organization, by resolution of the board; and said board shall elect, from their number, a president. They shall hold their offices for one year, and until their successors are elected; provided, the first board elected, and its presiding officers, shall hold their offices for two years after the