Texas National Register. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 7, Ed. 1, Saturday, January 18, 1845 Page: 4 of 8
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TEXAS NATIONAL REGISTER..
"V
January 18'
M
CONGRESSIONAL.
'vsJR
- ". WrtnvtaA V. !... ..?.. . w Et Tr.n
-j "i !'" in w lilt AlglDItr by tl JCm IHI3
j HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
TfT Wednesday Ja. 8 1S4.
' Sills Introduced.
&& By Mr. Armstrong or the relief of W.D.
Thomason ; by Mr. 'Henderson to repeal
itiie 14th section of an act to raise a revenue
"? direct taxation approved lGth Jan. 1S44;
'$' r- Wallace amendatory of air act reMi-
plating fees of office &c.
Reports of Committees
m
J;
" Mr. Erath from the committee on public
K4I:inds reported unfavorably upon the petition
'-i Isaac u. uoyee; also renorteil" a bill for
.
" ix . . '
-4tne reuei or llie heirs of Win. Brvan : also." a
-- j 1
' 1 tl I -t a a -
Ml inr T A kl..rt i" T 1 II rn -
... i. .cuui oi isaoeiia x. fccott; also
reported back the bill for the issuance of pa-
rents and recommended its passage. Mr.
-Henderson from the committee on Iho-slato
of the Republic reported back the bill for the
y relief of John S. Black and others and re-
commended its passage. Mr. Mabry from
.- the committee on claims and accounts re-
ported unfavorably upon the petition of H. L.
Cooke administrator ice. Mr. Henderson
from the committee on the state-of the liepu-
blic reported backand recommended the pass-
age of the bill supplementary to an act to open
and establish a national road. Mr. Cooke of
B. from the committee on military affairs ro-
' a ported unfavorably upon the petition of C. A.
Secfeld ; also reported back without action
the bill for the relief of John II. Taylor ad-
ministrator &c. Mr- Sinyth. of J. frr.m the
committee on finance reported back the bill
Mipplementury to the several acts on impost
duties and recommended its passage. Mn
myih from the same committee made the
lollowing report:
Te committee on finance to whom was re-
ferred "a Resolution instructing them to in-
quire into the policy of a total repeal 6f all
lanft and tonnage duti-s. &c. :" and also
"so much of the President's message as re-
lates to the finances of the country" have
Jiad the same under cousideraiiouand beg
leave to report:
That in obedience to the duty enjoined by
-jaid resolution they have endeavored to col-
lect such facts as would enable them to arrive
:it satisfactory and safe conclusions upon the-
emyiruus ueiore tiiem.
By reference to the report of the Secretary
u the Treasury it will be seen that the a-
xnount disbursed on account of the appropria-
tions for the year IS43 was $147271 and 33
cents for the year 1844 31471850 and 32
veins which makesan annual average of $147-
jO and 85 cents which may be taken as thel
probable amount of expenditures for the en-
suing year. Would it be practicable or ex-
pedient at presents to rely upon a dirtct tax-
as a resource to meet these expenditures?' In
answer to ibis we would' beg leave to place
ie following facts before the Hon. Congress
or their consideratien. By again referring to
the report the Secretary of the Treasury
we discover that the-amount of direct taxes
S.?oiorlle ?ears lS4iJ sd JS43 was
203 d 90 cents. One half of which is
equal tc $26601 and 95 cents to which add
one-third of the license tax for the years 1842
J43 and 1844 namely $16503. and 50
cents one third of which is $5501 and 16
cents: which added to $26601 and '95 cents
makes $32103and H cents. Of this amount
. piupeny purcliased by the Government at
forced salesfor the collection of taxes was 7-
ob and 18 cents: nmonift of assessor's com-
missions $3551 and 57 cents: the commis-
sion for collecting: amounted to $2503'and 57
cents : which added together makes the fol-
lowing sum namely $13441 and 54'cents:
one-half of which $6720 and 76 cents de-
ducted from the gross amount of direct taxes.
collected for one year to wit; $32103 and
11 cents will leave a balance of $25332 and'
o5 cents as the average amount of nett reve-
nue arising from direct taxes for the years
1S42 and 1843 which will so far as we'oaii
learn be the amount for 1844'. Then as i!ip
probable amount of expenditures for the en-
suing year will be $147000 to meet this by
oirect taxation we should necessarily have to
increase those already levied to nearly six
fold! Your committee are of opinion that it
will be almost Impossible to make but a small
reduction hi the current Acpenses of the Go-
vernment for the present vear - and they
would respectfully leaveffJr-lbe wisdom of
the Hon. Congress to determine whether un-
der the existingstate of facts it would be "noli-
to hi iiiujcuau uiB uueci taxes n such a ra-
tio when it is obvious that the difficulties of
collection will increase correspondency ; and
when it is notorious that our citizens have
pver been tardy in meeting the demands of the
Government' thus made. The committee will
mt trespass upon the time and patience of the
House by instituting a comparison between
the two modes of taxation known to our laws
.suffice it to say that the indirect method has
lieretoiore proved the only certain and avail
vernmenU.admonished by the past and having
no surer criterion to judge of the future your
committee would conceive it an act of madness
and' folly"' were we even to dream of attempt-
ing to draw a sustenance for our Government
from a revenue derived from a direct tax d-
lonc. It would be as it were"casting the de-
stiny of our country upon the uncertain result
of an crpcrimtut. .
Before proceeding to the consideration of
the policy of entire abolition or even reduct-
ion of the tariff your committee beg leave to
call your attention to -a subject blending itself
inseparably) .witlMhe financial concerns of the
country ;-and in so doing gladly avail them-
selves of. some important suggestions emana-
ting from the late Secretary of the Treasury!;
a gentleman to whose prudence and eminent
abilities we arc in a great degree indebted
for the healthy condition of oar momentary
affairs-. In a letter addressed to two members
of the Hon. Senate he uses the following lan-
ruajre :.
j t. '
"The most important measure' connected
with the subject as 1 conceive and which
most claims 'the attention of Congress is the
disposition to be made relative to the exche-
quer system.
" In my opinion nothing save extreme
necessity could over have justified its adop-
tion. From the facilities it offers for abuse ;
from the false data it continually imposes on
the Government and legislature in making
their financial estimates ; from the embarrass-
ment to which the department is subjected by
fluctuations in the value of paper liable as
it is to be influenced by the speculations of re-
ceivers 1 a:n convinced that the sy&iem ought
to be discoiijinued so soonas any other means
of supporting the Government cuiMie resorted
to. The uae of a currency of government
paper receivable for revenue unless managed
with the utmost caution. will augment the em-
barrassment which led to its creation ; and
thus entail on the country the necessity of its
continuance and increase until utter bank
ruptcy and repudiation are life result. If we
have in the case of the present issue avoided
any immediate risk of those evils it has been
only by persevering circumspection ; and the
fact offers no reason why we should not as
effectually as possible secure the country from
the future recurrence of such catastrophes.
"Iana satisfied that from the amount of
specie the Government is now able to com-
mand it has uo:further need of forstalling its
revenue for-subsistence; that the exchequer
system is an. evil whose necessity has happily
passed away ; and that it ought to be speedily
extinguished."'
Your committee cheerfaHy recommend
thesesuggestions td'tlie consideration of the
Hon. Congress and hope to see them adopted
by the entire- abolishment of the exchequer
system.
The amount of exports for ihe year ending
31st July T343- was $415768 and 74 cents :
the amount of imports for the same year$4S4-
153 and 43'"cents. Our exports for the year
ending 31st July 1841 amounted to $615-
1 19 and'34 cents : the value of our imports for
the same period $686503 and 3 cts. Thus
exhibiting a direct proportion between-the
value of our exports and our imports. That
the value of our exports for the ensuing year
will not exceed that of the last we inferifrom
the facts here adduced. The number of bales
of cotton exported in the year ending 31st
July 1843 was 12944 ;. the number-exported
last year was 18367 showing an increase
of 5423. Estimating the present crop at 24";-
000 bales aifd supposing an average bale to
contaim450 pounds aiid'laking 4 ceuis as the
probable price of cotton the value of our pre-
sent crop will be $432.000 agninsr $580.-
156 and 12 cents the value of our" last year's
crop according to the report from the Trea-
sury Department which leaws a balance of
$148156 and 12"cents in favor of last year's
crop. As our principle article of export is-cot-tonand
as the amount of our imports' must
of necessity be governed by ounexpurts we
are led to the conclusion from the above data
lifat our imports for the year which will end
31st July 18457 will not exceed in value
those of last year: consequently we cannot
safely calculate upon an increase of revenue
from impost and tonnage-duties for the very
obvious reason tbat there will not be an increase-of
importations. It is true that a re-
duction of duties might have an influence up-
on the amount of importations f- but this could
not by any possibility extern! much beyond
the actual diminution of impost'dujies as our
ability to pay for importations would not be
increased beyond this sum.
The nett revenue arising from impost du-
ties during the past year was according to
the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
$177861 and 85 cents add Jo this the pro-
bable amount of nett revenue derived1 fi om di-
rect taxes $25382 and 25 cents the sum will
be $203 244 and 20 cents. Estimating the
expenditures of the Government for the in-
coming year at $147000; and adding to this
tne amount of outstanding exchequer bills
out of circulation- if the exchequer system be
repealed) the sum will- be $190000; which
would at the end of the vear leave a balance
of $13000-in the treasury. And $13000 on
the amountof importations for last year would
be but one and eight-tenths per centum. And
it must not be forgotten that the Hon. Con-
gress have already made individual appropri-
ations sufficient to cover a large portion of this
so in.
Could we evci reduce the tariff to an a-
mouut equal to the entire revenue we expect
to derive fiom direct taxes namely $25382.
this would only amount UMhree and six-tenths
per cent on the sum total-of the importations
for last year.
Your committee are- of. opinion that con-
sistent with an efficient maintenance of the
Government but very small if any reduc-
tions can be made upon impost duiies.
In coining to the conclusions here submitted
to your honorable body .your committee would
beg leave to observe that they have been
guided alone by what they deemed the inte-
rests of the country independent of all person-
al predilections;.
Mr. S. B. Johns one of the same commit-
tee made-thc following report :
The undersigned dissenting from some of
the positions taken by the finance committee
of which he has the honor to be a member
feels bound in-justice to himself to lay his
reasons for such dissent before this House and
his constituents. In the recommendation of
the discontinuance of the exchequer system
the undersigned would most cordiallv concur;
believing as he does that the productive in-
dustry of the country alone can add solid
wealth to the nation the multiplication of
paper money adds nothing to the aggregate of
value and that the wild experiments of the
famous John Law and "the repeated national
bankruptcies which have been entailed upon
every nation of the civilized world should
teach us that the only sure method by which
communities or individual: can maintain their
credit untarnished is never to use it at all.
Give us an exclusive currency of the precious
lnelaK and our revenue will' be sure and sta-
ble amid all the fluctuations of paper credit.
The undersigned also concurs with the com-
mittee as to the resources at present to be re-
lied on to meet the current expenditures of the
Government bur that his concurrence is
based wholly upon the view he takes of the
prescrrt condition and probable exigencies of
the country during the present year. The
undersigned would respectfully dissent from
the committee in that he believes it to be
wholly practicable to sustain the government
b.y revenues arising exclusively from :v svstem
of direct ad valorem taxation that he believes
such a system would be much less onerous to
the great body of the people .and much more
conductive to iudividusand national wealth
and that he would express -theettled convic-
tion that a gradual repeal of all laws for the
collection of impost and tonnage duties-would
be most consistent with'souncT political econo-
my and most in accordance with th true
policy of Texas as as independent Republic.
The reasons which have influenced the mind
of the undersigned'h-arriving at these conclu-
sions .cannot be admitted into the nnrrow li-
mits at present allowed him and would be fo-
reign ta the objects-of this report lie con
JjArs with the committee .because all? great
TOd
(rriiini.
o a
d sudden changes-in the mode of collecting
the revenue must necessarily cause for a
whilemuch confusion and uncertainty until
the great body of the people become familiar
with the change; and because the present
delicate and peculiar position of this Republic
in respect 'to its foreign relations-will ere long
destroy the necessity for all our independent
action on this subject or else establish the
strongest necessity for stability in the revenue
to enable us to meet vigorously .the fpes-of our
country. These are some of the reasons why
the undersigned would feel reluctant. at the
present crisis in our affairs to risk or recom-
mend a total repeal of all impost and tonnage
duties: however much lie may admire the
system of "Sree Trade" as the ultimate true
poh'ev of Texas.
able resource for the maintenance of :the Go-1 namely $43000 (and which must be i&cowd
lf.ht)wever we are lrrcmain an independ-
ent people" nothing' cim more speedily con-
duct us to a respectable audi enviable stand
among; the nations o' the earth titan the
""Free Trade1' system-. Throw operv- the
ports of Texas to the world and the- com-
merce of all nations- will pour its rich trea-
sures into our lapjv affording us :t-ready ex-
change of commodities; and byv euhaucin"-
first individual1 wealth' adcT incalculable depth
and richness- to the resources of the nation.
It is this which' would s-oon hew down our ex-
tended and solitary fbrestsrand make our beau-
tiful and grand prairies our fertile valleys audi
rich nlfuvions " blossom as the rose" under
thre plastic hand of 'agricultural enterprise.
it is uiis-wiiicfi is io wiiutn every sea wiui our
canvass and carry the Bone Star gallantly
into every port of the habitable globe ; and
this will make our country deserve that em-
phatic appellation which has been accorded
to- her by common consent. " the Eden of
finttrica:" u f- I
On motion-of Mr. Robinsonrthe fore
reports were laid'on the table and 500 ;..
ordered to be printed.
Mr. Armstrong from the committee on tltc
state of the Republic to whom was referred
the resolution to. inquire into the expediency of
abolishing the present taiiff raising a revenue
by direct taxation and opening 7he ports of
ther Republic to free trade with all nations re-
ported that it was entirely inexpedient.
Mr.-Gnge moved to lay the report on the
table: lost.-
On the adoption of the report the vote stood'
ayes 29 noes 0. Report adopted.
Mr. Armstrong from the the same commit-
tee repoited back the bill to continue in force
the act for the relief of purchasers of lots in
the city of Austin and recommended its pas-
sage. -!
The same committee reported back the bill
to regulate mills and millers and recommend-
ed its rejection.
Mr. Erath from the committee on public-
lauds reported a bill for the relief of A. LI.
Sevier and others.
Mr. Williamson from the committee on fo-
reign relations reported back the bill for the-
relief of L. S. llargous with a substitute and
recommended its pas.ige. Mr. Scott from a
select committee repoited a bill allowing L.
A. McLaughlin to establish a ferry on '""Big
Cypress ; Mr. Henderson moved the rejection
of the bill: lost. Mr. Sutherland from a se-
lect committee reported a bill for the relief of
Basil Dearborn. Mr. Truit from a selecr
committee reported a bill for the relief of cer
tain persons who furnished supplies &c dur-
ing the Shelby county difficulties. Mr. Cooke
of B. from the committee on military affiur
reporird a bill for the relief of II. M. Hanks!
Mr. Williamson from the committee on fo-
reign relations reported back with a substi-
tute the bill for the relief of Henry F. Fisher
and B. Miller and recommended its passage :
Mr. Henderson moved to lay it on the table-
lost; Mr.sCazueau moved its engrossment;.
Mr.' Bourland moved a call of II e House.
On motion if Mr. Williamson ths-House ad-
journed until three o'clock p. m.
TiiltEE o'clock p. i.i.
The bill for the relief of Messrs. Fisher and
Miller -being in order Mr. Wallace moved to
amend by striking out the second section.
Mr. McLeod : The original bill under
which M r.-Fisher made his contract requires -him
to bring into the country one-third of the
entire number of his colonists within a given
period; a considerable portion of which has -now
elapsed. If that provision is not repeal-
ed it will force him in order to complete his
contract within the time prescribed to bring-
iuto the countrv emigrants of a character far
different from those" originally contemplated.
And tliejdisndi'iiutases that gentlemen seem
to apprehend will he inflicted upon us to .t
partial extent by enforcing the striking out of
that section. I do -not wish to em off discus-
sion. LeMhe principles of the bill be thor-
oughly investigated.- But that is the effect in
regard to that section. And Mr. Fisher as
every one is satisfied has given the very best
evidcnces-ofJhis disposition to emrrv out hi-
contract'.n the spirit in which i wasentcred
into..-.. He has- now lying in the harbor of Gal- -vestonT.five
vessels not crowded like slave
ship3'With worthless and filthy vagabonds; but '
bringing to our shores a large number of well
cladthrifty and industrious i people. . That is-
iImj kind of emigrants he wishes-to introduce-'
for the entire -number; and if ihe srme pre-
scribed for the introduction of the first third
shall be extended' lie will be enabled to do so.
But if not extended he will be forced to bring;
i vagabonds-. to comply with his contract;
and we shalKhave no right whatever to--reject
any individuals-he may bring in snd represent
as-his emigrants. I w'ill add further that the-
term of eighteen months if insisted on will
have been completed in midsummer a peri'id
as all know extremely unhealthy upon tin-
coast. During the past summer many of
the emigrants-belonging to- othercolonies died
like sheep of the yellow fever if the extension-
asked 'foris-granted it wilhenable Mr
Fisher to select a "healthy- period. His own
interest will lead him tn select as-early a peri-
od as practicable ;:andit will not be extended
beyond the-rime requiredMSy-ihe interest and
health of the emigrants he- nssy bring
Mr; WaNacer: The gentleman from Gal-
veston is-righri in part in part he is wrong. -TTie
part injwhiefr he is right is of no import-
ance;' the part in which he is wrrw is all-
important.' J did sir? upon invitation atteifif
the session of the committee to whonr-t us bilf
was-referred;.-and 1'staied until that portioir
which' I censfdered' objectionable was intro-
duced and sanctioned by the committee. Nor
having a voice upon that occasion n'woiihf .-
have been unbecoming in me to ask to be '
heard ; I'therefore made no such request. So
far as gentlemen could from aught which -then
escaped me have calculated upon niv v
cooperation they shall have it now. But
when a material feature is introduced having
no connexion direct or indirect with any pn
vious observations of mine it behoves me here-
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Texas National Register. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 7, Ed. 1, Saturday, January 18, 1845, newspaper, January 18, 1845; Washington, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80101/m1/4/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.