The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907 Page: 163
ix, 354 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The Seat of Government of Texas.
Honorable body as the temporary Seat of Government for this
Republic. Your orator with respect begs audience &c &c &c
Thos Gay
November 21st 18361
(3) From Fort Bend.
The memorial of Thomas H. Borden and others, to the honor-
able the House of Representatives, respectfully presents proposals
for the selection of FORT BEND as the future Seat of Government.
Fort Bend is situated on a high, healthy prairie, bluffing to the
Brazos river; bounded on the north, east and west by the Brazos,
and lying open to the refreshing breezes of the south.
Your memorialist begs to call attention to the fact that a steam
navigation is regularly <established from the mouth of the river, and
not obstructed at any season of the year by any ordinary event.
This advantage of navigation is not prospective,2 but in actual
operation; nor is there any bar (such as Red Fish Bar,) with occa-
sionally not more than three feet of water, or a reef, (such as that
from New Washington to Shaw's at the mouth of the Jacinto
river to impede the import of New Orleans produce.
The influx of commerce already established at Velasco from the
United States, not equalled in any inlet or harbor of Texas, must
always secure, independent of regular freight for Fort Bend, a
constant supply of provisions, an advantage not possessed by any
proposed location before your honorable house; and in the absence
of all supplies from the States, there is no part of Texas, where a
town has not been already located, possessing greater internal sup-
plies than Fort Bend, a resident neighborhood of farmers, whose
supplies of provisions, butter, poultry, eggs, &c. &c., cannot fail to
render the advantages of Fort Bend unrivalled.
Your memorialist further refers to the testimony of.of the last
fourteen years, for the salubrity and healthiness of the location;
no fatal malady having ever prevailed there, and the water is
proverbial for its superiority. Your memorialist offers to build
suitable houses for the congress and officers of government, and
not to be let at a rental nor assessed at a price, but to be DONATED
to the government, as long as they are pleased to use them: and
your memorialist will grant lots to persons competent to superin-
tend houses of public entertainment, to be erected under the di-
rection of your memorialist and others. In all of which, he binds
himself in dollars; if required, to comply
'MS. 1 Tex. Cong., 1 Sess. State Department.
'No boat had as yet ascended Buffalo Bayou to the prospective site of
the city of Houston.163
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907, periodical, 1907; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101040/m1/183/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.