Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, April 28, 1855 Page: 2 of 8
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ata&. A.tau.flMtMto'a JL..Mfi...-w.iii.
a iimi mi --- i 1 ' ' - n in i "iTi""1- i mm ri" ""WEMPOiJ.WU
.munaiuiuwMiiiffiww
iw.jriiiHrt'nrvMm8Hcmamir
rmuura smiti m wmmuwuaa
'SMl.'teWE.-
APEIL 28
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V........t nnni.v..l.
f Jn If Galvbston February Iff; 1855.
tf ' uaajaU'Ctfi vw'w -" - tuoi.
fEcAii Si: J-"10 undersigned 'mem
members of tlio Con
rcspon
. . -. ...
M.M'f UiMtnitfAji nTiTwiTirrtri ir f tn i.n trnann i :r .... .. .-.
ftB52wvpbeon requested to address y6u a letter on tho sub-
Joctila Internal Improvements. Tho Committeo are well
r- A';
awarotlmt from yonr position 3'ou must have given this sub-
jockcaroful and watchful attention. "Wo prcstune also thatun-
dofjyour anxious solicitudo for tho rolief ot the State you must
Jiavo found some definite conclusions as to tho proper course to
be pursued. Wo address you with the view of eliciting your
Opinions on tho subject '
Wo wish it understood that it is in no connection with polit-
ical partisanship that wo make tho above renuest. Wo should
"deeply deplore any attempt to placo a measure of so great
magnitude and enduring importance on tho narrow ground of
party. Wo address you m behalf of tho advocates bflhe State
(i System : a class of men who belong to all parties but who
jrsoui uitiijvsuu io uuuio lugeuiur anu nssisi to accompiisli a
measure for the sake of the measure. Rehing on tho well in-
I .formed judgment and support of careful and considerate men
of all parties wo desire to keep the subject free from any cause
' of asperity. We wish all to come together in concert of action
and with such temper as may not oftend the scruples of any.
-! With the highest confidence that your careful judgment and
firm influence will bo enlisted on the side of something prac-
?iballyoffectivo in assistance to our people we join in repeating
' the sentiments ot rogard von have already so cronerallv won
. -l f 11 1 . I 'Cn V
uoruiauy anu iruiy yours &c.
M. 5. J1J1J1NAKJJ
W. RICHARDSON
GEORGE BALL
B. B. NICHOLS
.T. W. JOCKUSCH
J. J. IIENDLEY
W. IL GODDARD
OSCAR FARISn J
Wrom our citizone.
(8 '
It
Corresponding
Committee."
Austin. Tkxab April 3d 1855.
TfnacVaM" S"R. "MVvfmwl Willnwl HinlinvrJunn firxsrorn "Rnll 1?. R
Jljichols J. W. Jockusch J. J. Henclloy William II. God-
X dard and Oscar Parish : '
t Gentlemen; : Tour letter of tho 19th of February on the
subject of Internal Improvements was received sometime since
gbn.t Lhave been prevented from rinsworing it at an earlier day
by Official business requiring immediate attention that had ac-
x cumulated during an absence of several weeks.
'Tllo Bubjecfc ofyour letter is ono of great interest to oitr State
'iand should commend itself to the consideration of every citizen.
'. '?'Wo all feel and acknowledge the necessity for some practical
. ''sy8tem of internal improvements that will enable us to trans
. L. . Jl . i.2 i 1 ! t k li .1
$ pore ourproaucHousxo a mancec wunouc oemg subjected to tlio.
v otiorons ohrtrsres wo now haVo to oav for thatobiect.
. Therohas been and still is a gveatdiversity of opinion among
k qui citizens in relation to tho best mode of increasing our fa-
ciUtJiesforintercOuvsoand transportation between the different
t sections of tho State; but I trust that none of tho advocates of
JtHe different plaimvhich have been suggested are so wedded
ifothoirWn pedulinr nations as to he unwilling to unite and
' endeavor to give efTect to that which Bhall seem to the majori-
v'i. fhp be3t adapted to attain the end desired.
dw I have iieretofore favorod the improvement of our navigable
Li'jjyors(by tho State and the construction of railroads by incor-
fe&ra0(l companies aided by donations of land and a )oan of
I?' 'tho public funds of the State believing that this system would
4p in a reasonable time afford us all thefacilities for transporta-
rtion that; the business of the State required. I yot beljeve tjiat
our navigable iivors may at a small oxpenso be greatly im-
r proved so as to afford tho means of transporting toa market
')' the productions of large sections that now rely solely upon the
.plowjand expensive process of wagoning and that this is an
-?objedtvorthythoenc6urageinentiof theStato. Our principal
reliance however. miiRfc bn nnon vnilrnnrln. unrl rinv nninimi in
.y-eard'to'the best mode of obtaining them lists undergone much
fjcuange withnvrho last year d'had supposod that the large
rBoaus of lands' offered for their construction "would he snffl-
Pcienfc to compensate for the moderate profit that they may bo
"wrcpeotea to yieia upon their cost ana would induce their con-
.truotion by capital from abroad; but tho ill success that has
attended the efforts of incorporated companies aided by these
$ AwMiOM8 has produced tho conviction on my mind that if we
. .. .'-
VA'!1? lans lulvo 1)eofl proposetl&r tho use of State credit"
tfor'thispifrpose viz:
Jnfe Tlmt tho Stllt- slm11 cdnfitttict them ontirely UpSn Us
r2hd. Tlmt fibo State shall 8ulfecrilJbforn portion of'tlicstock
of mcorpnratml compatfies nfld issue its bonds in payment of
its Bubsciiption to be negotiated by tho companies. " -
del. Jjiat tho State shall loan its bonds io incorporated com-
panies for an amount sufficient to purchase the iron necessary
tor thqir construction after the roads shall have been prepared
for its reception.
Of these plans I fear that either of tho last wo will fail be-
cause 1 do not believo that capitalists from abroad will become
stockholders in such companies or that our own citizens are
able to take the stock necessary to be taken by individual
stockholders. This belief is based upon the well founded sup-
jyaiuivn mm nU rlUl J-QftU 111 tlllS OtatO
come pay a fair interest upon its cost.
l lie lirst plan has been broug
my years to
& Qonpmue to rely upon this system we shall have to waip tor
i railroads until tho wealth and pppnlatipn of our own citizens
vhavoJnci;eased sufficiently .to (furnish freight and passengers
y enough to pay a liberal interest upQii" thovcapital required .for
Tllf" iMnmmnnf1i 1rvf-ifi 4-l -vtil
nit Z. '.wu iiviuiutiiuiy uuiuiu lut; ;uw
io. anu jias been advocated with groat zeal and ability. I
think it mny succeed if wo are wiling to submit to an Internal
improvement tax sufficient (o establish a proper basis for
State credit before we attemnt to lisp if nnrl ?f wo nMv5fift .
effectual safeguard against using itiinprovidently and extrava-
gantly. The State may well afford to build rail roads upon its credit
ai.oiHWJuu uy LiuMinoii wen wiicn they will not produce a rev
onuo moio man sutticient to pay for their necessary repairs and
: " vjjviiubiijjr iiumu ; ior me power ana resources
ot the btato consist of its population and the value of its taxa
blc property.1 These must bo greatly augmented by the addi
cionai iaci lines they altord lor intercourse and transportation
anu win iunpiy uomponsato xor tne amount expended. The tax
necessary for the support of the credit of the State and for its
uiumare redemption wiien collected irom the entire property
of our citizens falls lightly upon each individual and ho re-
tuivm il uuuiv jour ioiu in tne increased value thev give to his
property and the reduced price for which ho can toko his crops
to a market and recoive his supplies.
oLuto uixiiLiuu is tne most just ana equitabm system by which
works of internal improvement can be constructed. By this
System each individual pays in proportion to the benefit "he re-
ceives for the tax is collected upon the value of the property in
the State. amHhat is enhanced according to its proximity to the
improvements". It is by this system only that the non-resident
holder of property in the State can be made to contribute to
wards its improvements although his property is enhanced in
value by them equally with that of tho resident ; and it is the
only system I know of by which Internal Improvements can be
constructed in a State where it is acknowledged that the reven-
ue to be derived from them will hot. for manv years nnv :i i.ir
inrsfc-upon-Jheii: cost) '
l$o State was ever in a better condition to use its credit for
works of Internal Improvement than our own. We may be
said to be entirely free from debt as the payment of our 1 evo-
lutionary debt is limply provided for by the five millions retain-
ed by the United States out of the indemnity for the settlement
of our north western 'boundary and the law lately passed by
Congress iir-rogard to it.
We haven. largo public domain tho value of which I will
not attempt to estimate : we have besides about fourteen hun-
dred thousand dollars of United States bonds in our Treasury
unappropriated. An Internal Improvement fund may be crea-
ted by setting apart the proceeds of the sale of our unappro-
priated public domain these United States bonds and an in-
ternal improvement tax of fifteen conts on each hundred dol-
lars of our taxable property which will form an ample basis
for the use of our credit. The sales of 'our unappropriated pnb-
li& domain may be held as a sinking fund for the ultimate pay-
ment of theprincipal of such loans us we may contract; and
tl)e fourteen hundred thousand dollars of the United States
ifands with the internal improvement tax of fifteen cents on
tho hundred dollars will enable us to use the credit of tJieState
to the amount of thirteen millions of dollars in the next ten
years. In other words these bonds and the tax will enable us
to pay an interest of six per cent per annum upon thirteen
millions ofdollarsto'bo expended in works of internal improve-
ments during tho next ten years. This amoimt may be expen-
ded oven if tho works to be constructed should produce no rev-
onuo beyond what will be required for their repairs and tho
expense of operating them ; but I think their nett earnings may
surely bo estimated at three per centper annum on their cost
and this will furnish a basis for further credit to the amount of
six' millions and a half. A continuance of the same tax and
nett earnings will enable us after ten years to proceed much
more rapidly.
. This estimato is made by taking our State tax of fifteen cents
on the hundred dollars for the year 1S54- which amounts ex
. kfi.fchQinennRtrnntinn.
M Whon that period doeg.arrivjo they canbpbuii yithout any "cjwiivo bf the poll tax o about one hundred and ninetv-one
donations of land by the State. ' thousand dollars and assuming that the average annual in-
""MVItis now morn than thm vim sinnnthn Rtnt nftWnfl si bo- 'ci'easoin the value of the taxable property of the State from
land 'for each milo1 of railroad construc-
aud it is more than a year 6inco this
tli at vi-
upon our
mi
m dfVght sections of It
dtmauWut in oueratiou.
nfi.r A 4 i . ; .. . ; r .
uumjB was uicreasea to Bixtqen sections ; yet we nija
.. ihouffll ive have 'ihirtv.RRvnn nhnrtorR 'cv railroads
rimnM (YMf a . '. r " r
mCWW ierQ '8 l)too company that nas piacea irseir
;tVi WJjation ip claim ihp lieuefitof either 'of these offers vi:
nWiTs)U1fS11111 wiiqnjui xiuiw(ip- uHniy
winch has voceivod eicrht sections of land nur mile for nineteen
1 I..1U...11 . "i .... i I .. . .
iUryiMjmiies.orroaa. soiarns i cnn. learn tnoro are uut
hr. " J"' 1. 'n" .- ' . ' i ' .'.." !..
MMK-wHipauwini tuo Pjparo map njivo aono any wynt -igW.jrpadsjvijs:
Thq Gqlyeion anct jlei River Railway
0y winch has graded about twentyivo mil.es and tho
tmpiU Houston and .Ilenderson Hailwav -Company wllicli
haBgved8oma six or eight miles. '
' vkvowffiiB uuic;nificont grant of twenty secicmsof im to tho
toiniie iotijo Mississippi iindKnojllo Railr.Qftqv wlM ! WB;va-
vmwoiK jariU3nciui3ht. of the alturnato Rp.ctimiR of tho vacant Janu.
for thirty inon each side of thoroadi has liiihertp failoU to
y that has tho ability to comply
secure tho contract.
gin.K l'esuUs have satishop mo that wo cannot
to uuuu railroads tor us; xt is
r own cijeuBliavo not the capital
4oiuQfanai4npyQ Oisenjoi-ced yeiuetanyv.. Xo 1 10 conclusion.
pf Texas eseJlQjinyo JhQJbenf
btiilfc dh tliefcrodit ofnho- State.
'either wholly or in part.
rear to year for tho next ten years will be twelve per cent.
This estimato is considered a very safe one for it is six per
cent less than the average nnpual .increase since 1846 which"'
has been eighteen per cent ijicjeed it may be assumed that
with'Siicha system of internal improvements in progress the
future inoreuso will bo. much greater than i hao been since
IS-1G on account of the additional facilities that will be jiflpr
odfor intevcourse.and transpor.tation' and. vthestimulus.'that
theoxpohditiireof.Buchian.amount'Of money wjll.giyo to every
-branch 'of business." ..
Thirteen millions of dollars will build and equip eight hun-
dred 'miles of railroad at slxteon'thousand dollars a mile which
16 a high estimate tor tho'cost ot railroads in this btute when
wo consider that every thing is proposed to bo paid for with
money as tho work is done. Tho Harrisburg road with its
equipments I am assured has not cost exceeding twelve thou-
sand dollars a mile and it was built under innny 'disadvantages
and partly with credit. If we estimate tho nett oarning's of the
improvements as they progress at but three per cent per an-
num and this used us adurthor basis for credit wo may expend
'nineteen and a half millions in tho next ten years for railroads
and thi at sjxteou thousand dollars a milo will build and equip
upwards of twolvo hundred miles.
' An internal 'improvement tax of fifteen cents on tho hundred
WjiSftYM i < by our citizens when they begin to enjoy
the advantages that may ho obimn.ed by it. .Qur prQaenState
tax for tudioxpensos of the government ib fifteen cents pn' .the
hundred dollars ; this if it continues to increaso as fast as it ha.
sinco'l&tG may be reduced in 185G to ten cents and in 1SGI
to five cents so that our entire State tax will then be but "twen-
ty cents on the hundred dollars which is the same rate of tax-
ation that we paid from 1846 to 1S50 merely for tho support of
our government.
In order to give capitalists confidence in our internal Improve-
ment fund as" a security for loans itshould he created by a con-
stitutional provision aiid placed beyond the reach of repeal
until all loans contracted on the faith of if are pnid. There
should also be a similar provision declaring that no loans shall
bo made for an amount bevond what the internal improvement
tax and tho unappropriated bonds now in theTrcasury will pay
the interest of. These provisions will insure ourobtaining loans
as fast as we shall need them.
The two millions belonging to the school fund may be bor-
rowed by the State to commence the system and progress with
it until further loans cnn bo obtained.
The great difficulty in establishing such a system will be to
agree what works shall bo' constructed upon the credit of the
State and o prohibit the commencement of any other on its
credit until those first agreed upon shall be completed ; this
must also be done by a constitutional provision and placed be-
yond the reach of change by ordinary legislation ; else we shall
probably run into the error of undertaking too much and the
system will break down here as it has in every other State
that has attempted it without first providing these necessary
restrictions.
It is contended by some that the influence of local and
sectional feelinc is so great that it will be impossible for us to
limit the use of Stale credit to the construction of a few i;oads
of acknowledged utility that will when completed accommo
dato equally as nearl' as possible tho different sections of the
State ; but' I believe there is among our citizens sufficient
patriotism and State pride to induce "them to submit to a light
burden in the shape of taxation to carry into execution i sys-
tem of internal' improvements that will in tei. years give
wealth and population to the State we cannot attain in forty
years without it. even although every neighborhood may not
recoive exactly tUo same benefit from the system.
The unanimity displayed by our Inst Legislature in the passage
of tho law providing for the construction of thp Mississippi and
Pacific railroad shows that we are capable of rising above the
influence of local and sectional feelimr and uniting in the con-
struction of a great work of internal improvement when largo
and populous sections are to receive no other benefit from it
except what they may be supposed to derive from an increase
of tho aggregate wealth and population of the State.
While I offer these suggestions as the result of my investi-
gation and reflection upon the subject embraced in your letter
I am willing to unite upon either of the other plans by v;hioh it
is prposed to use State credit in the construction of works of in-
ternal improvement if a majority of our citizens shall consider
either of them more practicable provided we can first agree to
submit to the payment of a tax sufficient with our available
means to form a basis for the use of that credit and provide
against its being improvidently and extravagently used. Unless
such restrictions are provided and placed beyond the reach of
change by ordinary legislation I am unwilling to resort to
the use of State credit in any mannor fbrlfeel certain the sys-
tem will fail.
I am decidedle infaver of calling a State Convention to meet
during the next year for the purpose of amending our Constitu-
tion when the advocates of all the different plans for the use
of State credit in the construction of works of internal improve-
ments can canyass their merits and I doubt not they will be
able to harmonize and agree upon spme one by which a judi-
cious system of internal improvements by the State either
separately or jointly with individual capital cap be.cojnmenced
and successfully prosecuted.. Unless this course is pursued I
am satisfied that Wo shall not have the "benefit of railroads to
any great extent until the time arrives when our own citizens
shall have become possessed of the capital necessary to buil
them and thev shall promise to be a grofi table iuvestrnent.
Yery respectfully your faiend and olvt sqrv't.
:E. M. PEASE.
Miuace. A person standing at thefoot of the stairs leading
up into the Qity Hall last Tuesday conjd see extendpjg along
the street in frontof the jail as pretty a miniature lake as
one would desire to meet in a summer's day. T.he water was
clear and bright and reflected images as distinctly as a mirror.
Persons walking a'ong tlie other side were distinctly delineated
and it required a change of ground. or a strong mental-effort
to convince tho spectator that the lake like tlio objects it re-
flected was a mere optical illusion. Xet &uch it was. We
ve before witnessed this phenomneon m Texas; but not in tin
ha
city for several years. Itis djfhcnlt to apcoipit for ip satisfac-
torily to the ignorant though ij i familiar and easily explained
to persons of scientific attainments. Writers of that descrip
tion says that it is produced by tho meeting of rays of light in
an obliniie direction with tho surfaco of a lesp refracting me
dium than that in which they were previously moving; that
' . ." . . T ' .1.
Ill
di
nil
of the earth beaming-hfijitod oomnmnicates a portion of its .
warmth to the layer or air immediately jahoye it. wjiieh thus
becomes less douse than that whichjs still .higher. The rays
of light proceeding from objects in thq .heated jayor nro con-
sequently bent downward and ni;rjye at fjie end U.sich a di-
IYMirm o'q tn nniicn tlin nhifif'.t. to fmnnflT nbOVO itS aCttUll 1)"1-
. xwi-.wi. (ho iv vuuau iuv "" - ' I yrj r -- . i
ev are thus turned back into the original Tnocipnu in cue sumo
rectiou in which they wpuld bo impelled by reflqction taking
ice at tho common surface of the two mediums lho surtacc
tion a level surface thus assumes the appearance of a lake
just over the surface of thegroupd. This expiation is not
very o.lnnr hut th fnot itself is of frequent occnijrence in des-
-- -. . .- .. ..
fil-fc or nlinmnnlriin nnnntrmR. TllO 100??UU Ol ODlpCtS appear
ing to bo higher or larger than they really are respite from the
same cause and is" lamilmr to many who have not seen this ap-
pearance of water. AtBeggio on the straits of Mssma in
Italy from a singular refraction of tho atmosphere multiplied
images of tho surrounding coasts appear in tho air over the
aiiffiinn nf Ron. Tn cm. imvts of the world men arid niumalfi
havosomo times been thus ropeatod in the air greatly to tho
terror ot the ignorant and superstitious. sv.u;.
rr- A crazv man.renentlv npcemled into thr cupola of the Pref-
ljvterian church nt Marshall and sot jt on fire. Isot much damngu
was done'before the fire was eeen and put out. . - .
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Oldham, W. S. & Marshall, John. Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, April 28, 1855, newspaper, April 28, 1855; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81183/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.