The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 250
319 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
On November 19, the spirit of Congress made itself felt. On
that date a joint resolution was introduced requiring the President
to receive into service a company of volunteers from San Patricio
county, and it was received with protests by the members of the
House led by Sam Houston.80 On December 2, Lamar announced
that Colonel W. G. Cooke had selected a suitable place on Red
River for a military post, and suggested that his policy of frontier
defence awaited an appropriation, or it would have to be aban-
doned. This was answered by a resolution which passed the House
on the same day providing for a committee of five to be appointed
to draft a bill to serve as a basis of retrenchment in all depart-
ments.81
The first act in harmony with the program of retrenchment was
passed on December 5, when the salary of the chief justice was
reduced from $5,000 to $3,000.82 On January 18, 1841, an act
was passed which reduced the civil list from approximately $550,-
000 to $450,000. This was accomplished by abolishing the office
of secretary of the navy and placing his duties on the secretary of
war; abolishing the office of postmaster general and placing his
duties on the secretary of state; discontinuing various minor offices
in the state and war departments."8
The greatest reductions were in the army and navy appropria-
tions. In spite of the failure of all peace negotiations and the
threat of a Mexican invasion, and the recommendation of Lamar
and Burnet, who followed him as Acting President, for prepara-
tions for an offensive war against Mexico, the two Houses of Con-
gress failed to agree on an army appropriation bill, and there was
no appropriation for that year, which resulted in an order by
Lamar disbanding the regular army.s8 At the same time they re-
fused to appropriate money for military aid to a commercial ex-
pedition to Santa Fe, an object on which Lamar had set his heart,
and which he finally undertook in spite of the failure of Congress
to appropriate funds. For the army and navy the appropriation
"sFifth Texas Congress, First Session, House Journal, 127-128.
1Ibid., 181, 211.
ZGammel, Laws of Texas, II, 553.
8Ilbid., II, 569.
UFifth Texas Congress, First Session, House Journal, 720-723.250
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920, periodical, 1920; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101075/m1/256/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.