Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 2, 1854 Page: 3 of 4
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Several other relief bills and acts of
incorporation, passed.
Tuesday, Jan. 31,1854.
Senats.—Bill to authorize the Coun-
ty Court of Upsherjcounty to Itave cer-
tain records therein named transcribed;
passed.
Mr. Bryan offered a resolution, which
was adopted, instructing the Committee
©n Private Land Claims to prepare and
report to the Senate as early as possible,
a bill embracing all the claims for private
relief for land which have been presen-
ted and which in their opinion are meri-
torious.
Mr. Sublett chirman, on the part of
the Senate, of the committee on enrolled
bills—reported some fifteen bills correct-
\y enrolled, and this day presented to the
Governor for his approval.
Bill supplementary to "An act to in-
corporate the Tyler and Dallas Railroad
company"—introduced to-day by Mr.
Lott; passed.
Bill supplementary to "An act to pro-
vide for the assessment and collection of
taxes," approved Feb. 11th 1850—final-
ly passed by a vote of 18 to 6.
Bill supplemental to "An act to es-
on, or so much as may be necessary, be
set apart and appropriated to carry this
act into effect. Provided, that in no
event shall the Government of the Uni-
ted States or any creditor paid as above
provided for, have any farther claim up-
on the State of Texas for any part of
the above specified claims.
On preseneing the above bill, Mr. Lew-
is made the following remarks :
Mr. Speaker: Availing myself of the
privilege granted by the resolution we
have adopted, allowing each member to
call up a bill out of its regular order, to
be acted upon, I have taken this one, sir,
in exclusion of other private bills I would
wish to see passed; and, sir, I have done
so, bceause I thought the interest of our
State demanded our speedy and prompt
attention in relation to this subject. Now,
sir, I have listened, with no small degree
of admiration, to the patriotic appeals
made by many members of this House,
proclaiming their unqualified wish and de-
sire to have our public debt paid; but I
have heard none provide the mode and
manner by which this desirable object is
to be accomplished^ therefore, I have in-
troduced the subject, in order that some
action should be had during this session;
because I believe the policy of the State
requires it, and the people of Texas are
anxiously looking for something to be
done in relation to our public debt. It
tablish the New Orleans, Texas and Pa- j was generally admitted, sir, a few days
eific Railway Company, for the exten-
sion of the New Orleans, Algiers and
Opelousas Railway through Texas—"ap-
proved Feb. 16th 1852—passed by a
vote of 22 to 1.
Bill authorizing and requiring County
Courts to regulate roads, appoint over-
seers, &c.—passed by a vote of 13
to 10.
Mr. Gage introduced a bill "to incor-
porate the Henderson Railroad Compa-
ny; which, on suspension of rules, was
read 3 times and passed.
Bill for the relief of the Colonists of
Peter's Colony, and a bill to regulate
Mustang chases; each read 3d time and
passed.
Two Joint Resolutions each proposing
amendments of the Constitution—pass-
ed. One proposes a change of the time
for the inauguration of the Governor,
Lt. Governor, &c., and the other gives
the Governor the power of appointing
officers in certain cases.
Bill to incorporate Palestine Encamp-
ment No. 3, passed.
Bill to incorporate the Sabine and Rio
Grande railroad company; passed.
Bill "to attach the residue of Cald-
well county to the Gonzales Land Dis- ;
trict; passed.
Bill "to encourage the building of
Steamboats, Steamships and other ves-
sels in the State of Texas; passed. The ( . _____
bill gives 320 acres of land for every 25 j The Galveston Journal states
tons constructed according to Custom j that Gen. Harrison is engaged with the
House rates. ¡ Steamer Nick Hill, in procuring timber
Wednesday, February 1, 1853. !°n Cedar Bayon for the Galveston, Hous-
t . ci t°n and Hpnilprsnn rn.ilronn
House.—Mr. Lewis of ban Augus-
tine offered the following bill as a substi-
tute to the bill offered by Mr. Turner of
Rusk, "to provide for the payment of
the Public Debt of the late Republic of
Texas."
A BILL to pay the Public Debt of the \ D,t' D,KÜ1N 0N TDE Turkish War.
late Republic of Texas for which du-! —Baltimore Times says that Dr.
ties oil imposts were specially pledged. I Durbin lately delivered a Missionary
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Leg- ¡ sermon in Washington, in which he clearly
islature of the State of Texas, That the j ghowcd that the war now in progress be-
Treasurer of the United States under the ¡ tween Turkey and Russia had its origin
direction of the President, be. and he is
days ago, in the discussion of the bill for
the relief of Gen. Leslie Combs, that at
the time they denied any action in rela-
tion to his claim, (farther than receiving
it at the scaled rate,) all were willing to
pass a general law for all those who have
had their debts properly adjusted and al-
lowed, to be paid out of the five millions
of dollars now in the treasury of the Uni-
ted States. This bill, Mr. Speaker, pro-
vides for that object in a manner I think
will be satisfactory to all; and I do hope
that the same zeal and honesty that has
heretofore prompted the action of num-
bers to speak for the character and credit
of our State, will still continue to help
them on to a calm, candid and delibe-
rate investigation of this subject: and
when we have adopted a just, speedy
and equitable course to pursue, in the
discharge of our public debt, and one
that will still maintain the honor and fame
of our country, I, sir, will be found in the
field, ready to "go as far as he who goes
the farthest."
Whereupon, the bill and substitute was
made the special order of the day for Fri-
day next, at 10 o'clock, and two hundred
copies ordered to be printed.
New Paper.—The Bastrop Adverti-
ser, learns of the contemplated estab-
lishment of a new paper at Lockhart,
by Mr. Crane and others. It is to be
railed "The South-Side Domnerat."
The Houston Spirit of The Age
compliments the course of Senator Pas-
rhiil nn t.hp "T.nan Bill "
The Marshall Republican an-
nounces the demise of Col. John J. Web-
ster of Harrison county, on the 19th
January.
j - - ~ 0 i .
the law of the 20th day of March, 1848, ' Christian creeds, may encourage a think-
and the law of the 31st day of January, iingand investigating spirit which may
1852, upon presentation by the owner of cxtend to the heart of his dominions, and
the certificate theretor, issued by the Au- j . ,.r. r , •
ditorand Comptrolleí of the State of''J™ ""P0"' the ^ , Cmr"rC'
Texas, and upon receiving the release, pro- ^en years a£°> while the doctor was at
vided in an act of Congress, approved ¡ Smyrna, a Christian, for the purpose of
September the 9th, 1850, usually called ' securing, by marriage, the heart and
the Texas Boundary Act, which was j hand of a lady of that city, apostatized
agreed to and accepted by- a law of the t0 Mohammedanism. But three months
State of Texas, approved November 25th, afterwar(,8) 6tung ¡„ h¡¡) c0n8cielicc( that
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, Th t i hf tad forsaken the religion of his Sa-
the five millions of dollars of five per | ™ur, he returned openly to his first
cent, bonds retained in the Treasury of j love. For this he lost his head, which
the United States and the interest there' ! was thrown to the docs!
Austin, Feb. 1,1854.
Messrs. Ford & Walker,
Gentlemen: As, in the 'Tri-Weekly
Gazette' of this morning, my name is in-
troduced into the leading article, and re-
flections cast upon my business charac-
ter, I wish, through the columns of your
paper, to set myself right before the
public.
I did propose, as stated by Hon. G.
W. Crawford, in the article alluded to, to
undertake the furnishing of supplies for
the Gazette office, and in the month of
May last did send forward an order for
its benefit. Said order did not reach its
place of destination, and was duplicated
so soon as its miscarriage was known.
These are facts; and had friend Craw-
ford, while writing on the subject, en-
vuired into the particulars, there would
not have been a necessity for my telling
the other side of the story.
At the time I agreed to furnish Col.
Hampton agreed to pay for the things
furnished, one-half in advance, and the
ballance on receipt of the paper, which
was the article contracted for, all of which
will appear by reference to the written
memorandums in my possession, which
can be seen by any one who, from the
statements in this morning's Gazette,
may have been led to suppose that an in-
justice has been done to that establish-
ment by me or through my agency.
I appeal to facts in justification of my
course in relation to matters made public
through the 'Gazette.' The reader will
bear in mind the nature of my contract
with that establishment, and then say if
paying on the 26th January for paper
delivered on the 31st Decembr and
11th Jan 'j preceding, is paying one-half
in advance and the other half on receipt
of the paper; and if, such being the his-
tory of one transaction under our con-
tract, I was under any obligation to swal-
low another pill of the same kind ? I say
no!
As to the paper loaded by Col. Hamp-
ton on his wagon, at Lavaca, and by
me removed from his office after its arri-
val, all I need say is, that it was my pa-
per, and not his; that he obtained posses-
sion of it without orders from me ; that
he had not put in my hands an advance
payment for paper, as per agreement,
and that that same paper having been
paid for in advance by yourselves, under
a contract precisely similar in its terms
to that made with the 'Gazette' office, I
had no alternative but to send it where it
! belonged, and in all this merely did a le-
! gitimate thing, and a3 a business man
should have done.
One word more, and I have done. I
have not been a party to any conspiracy
against the 'Gazette' office, or in any way
sought to retard its prosperity. On the
contrary, my advertising and printing ac-
count, of almost 8400, for the year 1853,
{my advance payment for work done for
I me, and the very generous terms upon
! which I proposed to furnish supplies,
i ought to have secured for me more friend-
i ly feelings than I find evinced in the arti-
cle before me. But be that as it may,
having heretofore asked nothing from the
'Gazette' office in the way of business,
not asked from others under similar cir-
cumstances, and being as ready to fur-
nish them as yourselves with printing pa-
per, or anything else in my line, for a
quid pro quo, I hope that, if hereafter
they think they have anything of which
to complain, because of my way of pro-
secuting my own business, they will come
to me, and not go to the public, to have
their wrongs redressed.
FRANCIS T. DUFFAU.
For the State Times.
The Steamship Bill.
Mr. Editor: Notwithstanding the nu-
merous favorable notices of this project
from the press, there seems to be in sev-
eral quarters quite a misapprehension as
to the extent of the encouragement asked
from the State, as well as the necessary
results which will grow out of the estab-
lishment of the proposed line.
It may be assumed as a fixed fact that
the vessels necessary to be built and plac-
ed in the line at the very outset, which can
enter fairly into competition with the pres-
ent line must cost at least six hundred
thousand dollars. Nothing less than four
steamers will answer the purpose to begin
with; and in the course of two years sonic
six or eight will be necessary. Now the
hill before the Senate does not propose
the advance of a single dollar to the com-
pany ; although it seems to be assumed by
some that the State is asked to go into the
Steamship building trade, or at least to
ffive a bon us to this compan v. What then
are the facts ? And how stands the case 'P
The corporators propose to build a lino
of Steamships and place in the trade ber
tween New Orleans and the ports on the
Gulf coast, not to be diverted from that)
trade without the consent of the Legis-
lature. They build these ships entirely
with their own means, requiring an inveit-
ment at their hands of something likti
$500,000, and that investment in Steam-
ships running in the Texas trade, not to
be withdrawn without the consent of her
legislature. The bill provides, it is true,
that on the three first vessels as they ar«<
severally delivered in the trade, there shal;
be a loan of $100,000 on each, providec
a mortgage shall be executed to the Stat«
for the amount, and likewise a policy o'.
insurance delivered made payable also t<
the State, covering the full amount of the
loan. In effect then, the company ex-
pend §600,000 in Steamships running fo:
the benefit and controlled by the peoph
of Texas so far as being kept in her trade
is concerned, whether it proves profitable
to the company or otherwise. The Stat*
makek a loan of one-half the amount a
a large interest with the most perfect se
curity; it is not being advanced a
all, but amounts merely to the loan o
her credit for the one-half of an invest
ment, which is wholly for the benefit o
her citizens. I do not mean by this tha
the corporators receive no advantage fron
the loan, or from the profits of the line
The loan aids them materially in build
ing the ships, in the character of a cred
it for its amount. The line, while it wil
prove immensely beneficial to the Stat-,
of Texas, by the saving of hundreds o
thousands of dollars yearly to her citi
zens, will also pay the company handsom
returns upon their capital invested—a
least they think so or they would not en
gege in it. They may be mistaken ii
their expectations of profit, but there cai
be no mistake so far as the State is con
cerned. Her loan is secure and the ves
seis cannot leave the trade whether prol
itable to the company or not. Her citi
zens must, in any event, reap all the ad
vantages which inevitably must resul
from the establishment of a fair competí
tion in the Gulf commerce.
Thus stands the case so far as the na
ture and extent of the encouragemen
sought from the State is concerned. Bu
it has been said that private enterpris
should alone be invoked to bring abou
that competition which our interests so ur
gently require. In answer to this it i.
only necessary to say that private enter
prise has been called upon for years ant
failed to meet the emergency. The legis
lature lias once chartered a Steamshi)
j company looking to the association of in
j dividual capital in the shape of a join
J stock company, which like all previqu
attempts proved a total failure, leaving
the existing evil of a monopoly more oner
ous than before. It is now regarded as
a palpable and undeniable fact that wt
must continue for years to suffer the ex-
panding capacities of our State to b<
' crippled and retarded unless the princi
pie of State encouragement be adopted
It is even said by some, (who it is be
lieved have but very hastily looked int<
this matter) " that the present bill in th(
| Senate proposees to build up another mo
i nopoly." I will only answer this b}
j asking the objector what he will pay fo)
j freight or passage from New Orleans U
I Texas when there shall be two lines o
stsamships competing for business? Oj
does any citizen of the State desire an}
better guarantee that he will be charge*
j only a fair price when this competitioi
; shall be established ?
i I hope the proposition will be lookeo
i into as a plain question of dollars am
cents to the people of the State, and tha<
the action of their representatives by the
passage of the law will result in a saving
of hundreds of thousands of dollars per
annum, as well as an immense accession
, to our population. Should this attempt
! fail to bring about the competition so nec-
i essarv to the rapid development of the
j resources of the State, it is not likely that
further efforts will be made for years to
come. H.
$3^* The Bastrop Advertiser says corn
; is worth 75 cents per bushel in that coun-
j ty, and flour S14 per barrel.
- w
Armington complains of having
: had an editorial written for his paper by
! a "distinguished Judge." He not enly
j condemns the manner but the matter—
I Armington is anti-loan and the proffered
! editorial pro-loan. Our neighbor reject*
I the judicial offering with spirit.
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Ford, John S. Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 2, 1854, newspaper, February 2, 1854; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth181738/m1/3/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.