April 12, 1907 - May 11, 1907

Leadership

Governor: Thomas Mitchell Campbell -  Vetoes

Lieutenant Governor: Asbury Bascom Davidson

Speaker of the House: Thomas Bell Love 

Special Session Topics

 Proclamations   Messages

• Enact adequate laws simplifying the procedure in both civil and criminal trials in the courts of this State, and for such reforms as may be practicable in our jury system. [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact adequate laws to secure equality and uniformity in taxation and to secure the just rendition of all taxable property at its full value… [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact adequate laws, compelling telephone and telegraph companies to transmit each other's messages and to make necessary connections for that purpose at common points. [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact laws imposing proper occupation taxes upon the gross receipts of corporations and enterprises now doing business in Texas, which, under the present system of taxation are not contributing their full share of taxes. [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact laws increasing the franchise taxes of foreign and domestic corporations doing business in Texas. [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact laws to increase charter and filing fees of domestic and foreign corporations doing business in Texas. [Fri Apr 12, 1907]
• Enact laws authorizing verdicts to be returned in trial of civil cases in the district courts by the concurrence of nine members of the jury, and also requiring trial judges to prepare their instructions to the jury in civil cases and submit the same to the parties or to counsel on both sides of the case before argument begins…. [Wed Apr 17, 1907]
• Enact laws requiring the joining of issues and the closing of the pleadings in the case before the case is placed upon the jury docket of the court, and that laws be enacted authorizing verdicts to be rendered in the trial of civil cases in the district courts on the concurrence of nine members of the jury… [Wed Apr 17, 1907]
• Limit jury exemptions and define and limit the cause for which the trial judge may, in exercise of his discretion, grant excuses for men drawn for jury service. [Wed Apr 17, 1907]
• Prescribe by statute a common sense form of charge to the jury in every criminal case of the grade of felony, or require such charge to embrace only the nature of the accusation and a copy of the statute applicable to the offense charged and the facts of the case. [Wed Apr 17, 1907]
• Create a State Text-Book Board, and to provide for the selection by it of a series of uniform text-books for use in all the public free schools of the State, and prescribing the powers and duties of said board. [Mon Apr 22, 1907]
• Make necessary amendments and changes in the law regulating the sale of school lands and the placing of school lands on the market for sale. [Mon Apr 22, 1907]
• Provide an agency or agencies for the inspection of spirituous, vinous or malt liquors, or either, manufactured or sold in the State, and for the collection by the State of fees for such inspection, and prohibiting the sale of such liquors not inspected, and generally regulating such inspection and sale. [Mon Apr 22, 1907]
• Regulate and fix the passenger fare on all railroads in this State, and to provide for the redemption of all railroad tickets sold. [Mon Apr 22, 1907]
• Enacting laws providing for an inheritance tax with appropriate exceptions. [Wed Apr 24, 1907]
• Enacting a law to prohibit the keeping or operating or maintaining of any house, place or premises in any county, justice precinct, town, city or other political subdivision of a county in which local option is in force in this State, for the purpose of selling intoxicating liquors and to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors… [Tue Apr 30, 1907]
• Amend Sections 2 and 3 of an act passed by the Thirtieth Legislature, entitled "An Act to authorize, enable and permit the territory within the boundaries of the town of Estelline, in Hall county, Texas, and other lands and territory adjacent thereto, to incorporate as an independent school district for free school purposes only. [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Amending Act to define, prohibit and declare illegal trusts, monopolies and conspiracies in restraint of trade, and to prescribe penalties for forming or being connected with such trusts, monopolies and conspiracies, and to provide for the suppression of the same, and to promote free competition in the state of Texas…" [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Amending Sections 2, 3 and 4 of an act passed by the Thirtieth legislature, judicial districts... [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Authorizing and empowering the city of Galveston, Texas, to convey to the United States of America a certain area or tract of land in Galveston Bay for an immigration station and for other governmental purposes… [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Incorporating Seagoville Independent School District in Dallas and Kaufman counties, and to provide for the election of trustees, raising revenue by taxation, issuing bonds and maintaining public free schools therein. [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Legislation for the recovery by the State of Texas by suit or otherwise of any and all lands within this State belonging to the State of Texas, claimed or held by or in possession of any person, firm or corporation or association of persons, adversely to the State of Texas… [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Legislation to incorporate the Bartlett School District in Bell county, Texas, into an independent school district, and to provide for the election of trustees, raising revenue by taxation, issuing of bonds and maintaining public free schools therein. [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Legislation to incorporate the Merit School District in Hunt county into an independent school district, and to provide for the election of trustees, raising revenue by taxation, issuing of bonds and maintaining public free schools therein. [Mon May 6, 1907]
• The subject of amending Section 1 of an act of the Regular Session of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Texas, known as House bill No. 275, entitled "An Act creating the Christoval Indpendent School District in Tom Green county, Texas." [Mon May 6, 1907]
• Amending an act of the Regular Session of the Thirtieth Legislature, approved April 1, 1907, entitled "An Act to prohibit any corporation or receiver operating a line of railway in whole or in part in the State of Texas, or any officer, agent or representative of such corporation or receiver from requiring or knowingly permitting any conductor, engineer, fireman, brakeman, train dispatcher or telegraph operator who has been on duty for fourteen consecutive hours to perform any work until he has had at least eight hours off duty… [Wed May 8, 1907]
• Amending Section 201 of an act entitled "An Act to incorporate the city of Texarkana, Texas, as a city of the first-class, as a city of 10,000 and over of inhabitants; to grant the said city a special charter, and repeal all laws in conflict, herewith, and declaring an emergency," said act known as House bill No. 743, passed at the Regular Session of the Thirtieth Legislature of Texas, and approved May 2, 1907. [Wed May 8, 1907]
• Correcting and amending Senate bill No. 311, passed at the Regular Session of the Thirtieth Legislature, creating an independent school district in the counties of Gonzales and Wilson, State of Texas, to be known as Nixon Independent School District. [Wed May 8, 1907]
• Enacting a law for the relief of railway corporations...which have failed to construct roads and branches within the time required, giving relief to railroads having unfinished grade of not less than fifty miles in length and expended not less than $100,000... [Wed May 8, 1907]
• Legislation properly taxing corporations. [Wed May 8, 1907]
• Recall House bill 2 by concurrent resolution and amend Section 1 of same by striking out the following: "Provided a foreign corporation shall only be required to pay on such proportion of its capital as is employed within this State…" [Sat May 11, 1907]

Journals

The House Journal and Senate Journal for the 30th 1st Called Session are available from the Legislative Reference Library.

Rules
House Rules (30th R.S.)
Joint Rules (30th R.S.)
Senate Rules (30th R.S.)

Bill statistics for the 30th Legislature, 1st Called Session

Status	HB	HCR	HJR	HR	SB	SCR	SJR	SR	Total HB & SB	Total
Filed	109	3	0	26	66	2	0	16	175	222
Passed	15	3	0	21	17	2	0	12	32	70
Vetoed	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	2