Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 6, 1853 Page: 1 of 4
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TRI-WEEXLY STATE TIMES.
1.
CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1853
NO. 10
communicated.
The Leviathan Steam Plough.
• Mr. Henry Cowing, the ingenious inventor
of this very rémarkable and important ma-
chine, has, it would appear, recently submit-
ted a petition to the Legislature praying its
favorable consideration of his invention and
its various capabilities.
Having been favored with an inspection of
the model and all its most minute details, one
cannot help feeling very sensibly impressed,
that if brought oratander influential auspices,
this machine, as its comprehensive titlewould
seem to promise, is destined to effect#aii 'en-
tire revDitókra in matters of agricultural in-
terest, and the mode of cultivating the soil
which at present obtains. The scope of i:s
utility, would seem to be almost unlimited,
whether viewed in its general adaptation to
agricultural purposes, the effective grading of
railroads, or the navigation of shallow rivera.
It is necessarily one of the great desiderata of
the times, which, although the present centu-
ry has already been signally prolific -ürdiscov-
eries and invent ions of the highest importance,
has not as yet been efficiently supplied. The
inventor has entered upon a grandenterprise,
Mid it seems almost impossible to over-esti-
mate the advantages which are likely t0 he
derived, not only by all classes of agricultu-
rists, but the general mass of the public, from
the application and extensive operátion bf this
great triumph of mechanical genius and in-
genuity.
Mr. Cowing1 demonstrates the various mer-
its and capabilities of his invention with re-
markable clearness and precision. The prin-
ciples upon which he bases his deductions ap-
pear to be sound and well digested; and their
practical application in the generation, deve-
lopment, and acquisition of power, and the
extraordinary facility with which the acquired
power is controlled, and adapted to the vari-
ous purposes which it professes to subserve,
are absolutely marvellous.
while the expenses of its management and ap-
plication to all purposes, whether agricultura]
or otherwise, would not exceed the wages of
two hands. Its capability of locomotion, more-
over at tlie rate of from one to twenty-five miles
per hour, would admit of its being transported
from farm to firm, from one end of a county
to the other, at such fixed periods as might
suit the requirements and intentions of "its
employers; and to its proprietors it would in-
evitably become a source of immense and in-
creasing profit. The saving in time would
necessarily be enormous, and it would effect,
as it were, the almost total annihilation of all
anxiety and disquietude in regard to interrup-
tions caused by bad weather or other unfavor-
able contingencies.
It may possibly be contended, and perhaps
with reason, that an invention professing so
much, and involving such stupendous results,
could not be brought, under existing circum-
stances, into immediate and practical opera-
tion. This must necessarily be the "ultima
ratio" that could be urged against it. To dis-
abuse this impression, and to remove this im-
plied ob; tríele, it is to be hoped that the State
rejoices in some opulent and public-spirited
men, who will give the invention "an open
field and a fair fight," not only to sufficiently
test the soundness of its theory, but also to
demonstrate correlatively its practical excel-
lencies, and substantiate its qlaim to popular
favor and support. C. F. M.
Austin, Nov. 29, 1853.
European Armies.
A steam plough, land locomotive, and ma-
chine of all work! This is certainly a very
formidable and comprehensive array of titles;
yet when, all its unimpeachable merits and ca-
pabilities are taken iifto just consideration,
these titles cannot be deemed inappropriate.
The meet ^alient drawback to the prosperi-
ty of every country is an imperfect system of
agriculture; and it will perhaps be admitted
that were an improved and less exacting sys-
tem prevalent in this State, the general result
would tend largely to induce a very rapid ad-
vancement and development of its general
prosperity, through the vital n edium of its
farming population. Taking into considera-
tion the natural capabilities of the soil, it is
believed that there is not a single farmer
throughout the State, who does not desire an
accession of force, which would enable him to
bring into a cultivable condition a much larger
portion of his acres than he has at present the
means of doing. However energetic a man
may be in his individual capacity as a tiller
The last edition of the Ahnanach of Gotha gives
the latent estimate of the Military and Marine for-
ces of the nations of Europe. It will be found
interesting in view of the present war on the
Danube:
RUSSIA :
Ready for the campaign ,.... 486,000
First Division reserve 98,000
Second Division reserve £ 115,000
Stationary forces ....... 198,000
Irregular or Cossack 126,200
ber, and proceeded up the river as high as Isaktchi,
when they were fired upon from the fortress at that
place. Sixteen persons were killed and forty wound-
ed on board the vessel.
It was reported that Count Nesselrode was still
anxious to negotiate with the Turks.
A land expedition was prepared in France and
ready to march for Constantinople.
It is reported in Paris that the Emperor of Rus-
sia again contemplates abdicating in favor of the
hereditary Grand Duke. The report has given con-
siderable firmness to the markets.
It is stated that the Tuikish Government is quite
dissatisfied with the movements of the combined
fleets. The authorities say that there is no need
for vessels at Constantinople, except as active al-
1Í3S—that the Government of Turkey can itself
guarantee, the safety of the Sultan, and for that
purpose requires no assistance. The Turkish Min-
ister of Finance has resigned his office.
It is reported that the Four Powers have drafted
now propositions for the settlement of the difficul-
ties, and the King of Belgium is also using his in-
fluence in that behalf.
The Hungarian General Guyon has been seat out
as Lieutenant General of Asia.
Th3 Russians have a strong reserve at Galatz on
the left bank of the Danube, and fifty thousand
troops at Bucharest. A portion of the corps has
left the latter city for the Danube.
The report that the Russians had defeated the
Circassians in the recent battle, was false. It was
Schamyl and the Circassians that were victorious
on that occasion.
The new Patriarch of Constantinople had been
invited to attend a Cabinet meeting.
The Paris Moniteur indicates that Turkey wiU
be firmly supported in her rights by the French
Government.
The report that the Turks had crossed the Dan-
ube, is confirmed, and Bucharest, a city of
Wallachia, of which it is the capital, being the
residence of the Hospodar and of a Greek Arch-
bishop, is said to be in a state of seige.
The1 very latest reports announce that a serious
battle had taken plaee in Asia—between whom
our despatch does not say ; and it is also rumored
that the Russians had defeated the Turks in Little
Wallachia.
FIFTH LEGISLATURE.
DEBATES EST THE SENATE.
Total i. ......1,023,200
The active army is formed into 96 regiments of
infantry, 64 of cavalry, and 125 batteries of artil- j
lery, with 1,468 cannon.
The Russian Marine is formed into two divis- I
i )ns, the fleet of the Baltic and the flaet of the i
Black Sea. It counts 60 sail of the line, with from
70 to 120 cannoas each; 37 frigates, of from 40 to
60 cannons each ; 70 corvettes, briggs and brig-
antines, and 40 steamers. This fleet is armed with
9,00 ) cannons, and the total force amounts to 42.-
000 sailors, and 20.000 marines.
Turkey:
In the actual state of circumstances, it is diffi-
cult to ascertain the real force at the disposal of
Turkey. The new military organization of 1843,
gires the number of troops at 327,360.
Since the difficult.- with Russia, these forces
have been considerably augmented, and are now
counted at 500.000 men, or more, in which are
contained the contingents of Egypt, Tunis, etc.
/ The Turkish Marine contains 70 vessels, carry-
ing 31,000 sailors and 4,000 marines.
AUSTRIA :
The Austrian infantry counts 384 batallions, of
, , .. _ . 1000 mm each, divided into 62 regiments—38 re-
of the soil, or however great the amount of i gimeuts of cavalry, divided into 276 squadrons, 5
manual labor he may depend upon, consistent- i Siente of artillery with 125 batteries of 8 pieces
i ... r1 ■ v ji" i, i, ' each, and a corps of artificers, wrtli 16 batteries,
lj with the number o{ heads he may be oblo j Tlle AMtP¡an Marine is composed of «.fagotes.
5 corvettes, 7 brigs, and 86 smaller vessels, carry-
ing 742 cannon.
Prussia:
Active army with reserve 225,550. Thisarmy
i$ composed of 144 batallions of infantry, 152
squadrons of cavalry, and 99 batteries, counting ¡
404 cannons.
The Prussian fleet counts 5Í vessels with 188 j
cannon.
france :
The Frcnch effective force is 350,000 men, divid-
ed iato 100 regiments of infantry, each 2000 men,
10 batallions of Chasseurs, 3 regiments of Zouaves, ¡
61 regiments of cavalrv in 5 squadrons. The Gen- ¡
J. T. FL.IHÍT, Reporter.
to enploy, there must still be a limit to his
operations. Further than a certain specific
point, human labor cannot extend. Varia-
tions oftthe temperature—inclemencies of the
season—an impracticable condition of the soil
at the very periods when its speedy prepara-
tion is most important—an over-abundance of
rain—or the continuance of droughts, which
render cultivation either absolutely impossi-
ble, or at best perilous to the crop if attempt-
ed at all; these are among the most formida-
ble difficulties which a farmer has to contend „ —
against and surmount, not only at the ven-i darmerie counts 25.572 men. ^
i . j .i „ u:„ i The French fleet of sail counts 2a ships of the ¡
ootoet, hot during the entire progress of his j 3, friga((;s „ corTCltes 44 ^ >43 SBlall:
agricultural labors. , armed vessels and 32 transports.
An acre and a quarter a day would be con- ¡ Of steamers, it has 3 screw of 90, 80 and 120 ;
ádered very meritorious ploughing indeed for f?uns eac*j > } shlP of th® lm^ 20 fhgate3> 27 cor-
one team, and possibly «SavSt?favored by ¡ ' T? J" Tbore "re " !
vue auu, ««u jnraeiuiy a ajjiuci, "J tioii 49 sail and 7 steamers.
tije season, might be able to get through with j„ active service are 27,000 marines, 11, 868 nja-
all his ploughing in due time; but it would rine infantry, and 2,971 artillery. The whole num- \
mainly depend upon the amount of force em- \ ber of men in the marine service is 100,000.
ployed, as well as the quantity of land he was \ . EV'GLAND : 1A, „
desirous of ptec'ng under cultivation, " an ** reeimen °
Infantry, 102 H—.
Colonial *orps ....9,882 !
Cavalry, 27 regiments 12,502 ¡
Artillery .....17,428
Total 147,089
In this, is not comprised the militia force formed
bv rccent act of Parliament.
The artillerv counts 2,410 horses, and 240 can-
—q — ■
mere, especially those of limited means, are
not always contented with getting in as much
as the season will permit them; and there are
few who would not infinitely prefer having a
field of 100 acres to one of fifty, broken up and
planted in due time, even if they were subse-, Th,
quently unable to give it that essential degree nons.
of cultivation which would warrant the antici- The English marine counts 329 sail, with 13,391 i
pation of a foil crop. It is the natural infir-i Thc stram u?ct consist of 8 ships of the
mity of man to wiah for more than he already:linc.- 29 54 atoy an* «I rtter reeael. of
rt a a * • „ , J ! various descriptions.—Savannah Courier.
g—*. Contentment s pwdo* at best, ¡ Thc ;lhove ¿ tho cr of thc Rage¡1>n
almmt wtmUv ^and.tsproaelyt^are; ^ The sUtcJJ°r Col Heneen sbews;
pUah hfoM day a/much fLfthing asu'X ll" Wiable eSttaatc falls short of the above. The |
Sm.moot favorable eireumstaneea ibrtj teams I " commensurate w.th its |
eould be made to accomplish; it is therefore "Jhc d« "9t50 1 st;n"
imponible to foresee or adequately estimate; "'""'í0 «■ «fmeats of other natmus, must m
th^mjmentous benefits wUeh would: result '"'faces be eat,rely a-antiag .a the Rassma
frojoi its practical and general adoption j u l0ns:
throughout the State. i Later from Europe.
Its chief recommendation is the important; HOSTILITIES CuM.ME.VCED.— The following
fact of its extreme economy, as any descrip is clipped from the Galveston Civilian:
lion of crops can be raised for four-fifths less By the steamship Arabia, which has «-rived at
outlay than it requires under the existing sys- York, we have accounts of the commence-
tern of agriculture. The yarious adaptations: of hoatiliUM lietwc™ Ruy „„d Turkey,
and .pnntaaof this machine are so ¿eenliar- ¡, Jshc of were as fol-
Yf regulated that its wear and tear and period-1 Two"Russian steamers and eight gun boats farc-
ical repairs would be comciarativelv trifling, I *d a nassasre into the Danube on the 23d of Octo-
Senate, Nov. 25.
The bill to suppress vice and immo-
rality on the ¡Sabbath, vviih the subs!i-
ture offorrd by the Select Committee,
to whom ihe bill had been ieferred, be-
ing upon its second reading.
MR. PASGUAL said -Mr. President:
I shall vo'.e against the adoption of the
substitute, as I vvou'd against the ori-
ginal bill also. 1 believe that it would
infringe upon our rights—iiglils which
aro secured to us by the constitution.
I find in the 4th section of the bill of
rights of the constitution that "no hu-
man authority ought, in any case what-
ever, to control or interfere with the
rights of consciente in matters of reli-
gion ; and no preference shall ever be
given by law to any religious societies
or mode oí worship." It farther says,
■ hat 'it shall be the duty of ihe Legis-
lature to pass snoh laws as may be ne-
cessary to protect eveiy religious deno-
mination in the peaceable enjoyment, of
lheir own mude of public worship.*'—
Now, if it were a bill which had for its
object tile protection of religious wor-
ship. I would vote for it. 1 would vote
for a bi.l giving protection to any de-
nomination in its own peculiar m.>d^
ol worship; because 1 believe that all de-
nominations have rights of their own
in matters of conscience, pertaining to
their religious worship, and that they
also have the right to ask the protec-
tion of the law, whenever those lights
are trample ! upon by others. The law
should be so írarm d as to thro-\ its pro-
tection ar.iund those who worship God
in anv maner, protecting ail denomina-
tions, bur. favoring none; and not be
converted into an engine of oppression,
as 1 fear the bill before us would be.—
The friends of the b II tell us that its
object is to defend their rights, in mat-
ters of religious worship; that it is to
«uppress vice and immorality on the
Sabbath; but by fixing a day certain for
all denominations to observe, as JSab-
bath, and subjecting all w ho do not con
form to it to a penalty, you strike at
once at the rights of conscience of the
Jew who may he within the limits of
your State, thus making the law which
you claim to be your protection, an en-
| gine of oppression to infl inge upon the
rights of others. As 1 hold the rights
of conscience .«acred to every one, I
| carr ot vote for tint bill. ) say leave
| it to the moral senliment and tone of
¡the communi y to frown down viola-
tions of the sanctity of that day which
¡ Christendom has set apart for the wor-
! sh p f G^ui. Public opinion will be a
sufficient safeguaid of th« rights of
those who obsei ve i ; and then we shull
be tiee from that bigotry and spirit of
intolerance which the history <.f the
world has tauzht us, leaislation upon
matters of religion begets. We are re-
strained by the constitution from enact-
ing a iaw which gives preference to any
religious society or mode of worship;
but this bill does give a preference to
those societies who observe Sunday as
a day of worship, over those who ob-
serve Saturday—a preference not war-
ranted by any principle of right, or by
any provision of the constifution.
MR. HART—Mr. Presidí at: Irise
to m-ike a few remarks in regard to the
constitutionality of the bill before us
as several gentlemen seem to think it
clearly unconstitutional. It may seem
strange to Senators that I should arro-
gate to myself the ability to argue a
constitutional question with the gen-
tleman from Bexar. This bill of lights
which we find in our constitution has
been incorporated in ihe several State
constitutions since the days of Jefferson,
since the days of 1776; and there is not
one of tho.-e but that has the article in
it which the gentleman has r*-ad to you.
in at lea.\tvtwcnty-five of those States
laws to prevent the violation of the Sab-
bath have been passed similar to the
bill now before us, and the courts have
upheld the laws as clearly constitu-
tional.
MR. WREN—Mr. President: I
have been listening to the discussion
upon this subject, and have heard the
various rbjec ions which have been
raised. Ii does seem to me that there
are ample provisions hi the bill to
cover almost any objection.
The gentleman from Galveston rais-
ed the objection, that if a vessel cm me
into port on Sunday, and unloaded her
cargo, that the merchants to whom it
was consigned would have to leave it
upon the wharf u:>tiI Monday, or by a
violation of the Sabbath in removing
it, be subject to the penalties of this
bill. I will answer that objection, I
think in a case of that kind that it
would be a work of necessity to re-
ino ve the goods from the wharf.
There is a clause in the bill th.it wise-
ly provides for works of necessity and
charity Does any ¿rent!email believe
that under a bill of this kind, with a
provision that a man may attend to
works of necessity and chari y on the
Sabbath, without being subject to its
penalties; that a court would decidej
that when vessels land their cargoes
in cases of the kind just above stated,
that the merchant should not have the
right to take care of his goods?
Does not that bill also provide for all
other objections ? If gentlemen will
¡show us that it cramps the rights of
any man or any set of men, we will
try to amend ir so that it shall not.
MR. POTTER—I would like to ask
the gent'eman b\ what rule of right or
justice, he would allow the rich man
with bis many hands to pur.-ue his reg-
ular avocation upon thc Sabbath, and
denv the peor man the same privilegs?
MR. WREN—Mr. President: It
does not give the rich mana right to
work upon the Sabbath, and deny the
same privilege to the poor man; bo.h
have the right to work in cases of ne-
eessiiy, the poor man as well as the
rich one. Wc frecfuently see the own-
ers of many hands force them to work
upon the Sabbath. The object of one
provision of the bill is to prevent
them from doing so. If the pnor man
had not the same right to woik in cases
of necessity that the rich man has^ I
would vote against the bill. The bill
aims to prevent farther vices than the
common violations of the Sabbath by
working; such as keeping open grog-
shops, and gambling houses on the
Sab:>ath. Tne t>il! sets apart a partic
ularday for the worship of God. that
those who choose to worship him may
do so in peace, and aims a blow against
those who purposely go about upon
the Sabbath, violating: the civil rights
! of a man to worship God in quietude.
Is it not an intrusion upon the rights
of ihe religious portion of the commu-
nity to have their worship disturbed
by drunken revelry in the streets? If
any gentleman will say that it is the
service of God to play billiards or get
drunk upon the Sabbath, then I will
admit that there i« a constitutional ob-
jecion to the. bill. The legislature is
a creature of the people, and ought as
near an possible carry out their will. I
think that the majority of tho people o!
this State are now in favor of a bill of
this kind. 1 know that there is a large
majority in my district in 1'avurof it.
Perhaps 10 or 12 years aso it would
má
not have done to have passed a bill
this kind; it might have then
ahead ot .public sentiment; but
publicsentiment calls for it; the
pie are ripe for the law. Is the moral
sentiment of the peopls of Texas so
bad in the year 18-53 that they would
repel a law of this kind? Has not
the day yet rolled around for the
pie to wish to suppress vice Htudfe*
morality? I hope that the time jp ^
come; and if we cannot get th#
as we wish to have it—let us amend
it. I earnestly hope that the bill may
pa«s.
MR. BRYAN said—Mr. President:
I deem it my duty to mako a few re-
marks upon this subject, as I was the
one on comrfcittee who opposed the
biíl.
Religion Sir, is the foundation of
society. It is the main pillar of our
government; Christianity and educa-
tion have done much for man; they
have made us what we a e. The doc-
tines of Christianity teach tolerance;
the rights of conscience were battled
for and taugh by our fathers aod should
be practised by their cbildreu.
1 object to this bill, because its pro-
visions are uhwnsiitutional. In the
bill of Rights, secíion 4'h, I find the
following language •« butit shall be the
duty of thelegislature to pass such
laws as shall be necessary to protect
every religious denomination in the
peaceable, enjoyment of their own
mode of public worship."
The legislature has done this ; there
is a law on the statute book doing
all that this clause of the constitution
requires. The legi>lature has gone this
far, I could go no farther. The ¿ame
section says, "no human authority
ought, in any case whatever, to contrui
or interfere with the rights of con-
science in matters of religion.
Is it not an interference, when we
say for reasons of conscience, for re-
ligious reasons that man shall and
shall not do certain things on Sunday?
Is it not for cppsciencious reasons that
we wish jo control the consciences of
others on*• hat'"the Lord's day." as it
is termed in the hiil? Is it not for re-
ligious purposes hs set forth in the bill
! that this restriction is attempted, to
| make the Jew and* o hers regard the
Sabbath of the Christian ? The same
section of the fbillof Rights says, "and
no preference shall ever be given by
law to any religious societies or mode
of worship." Is not this giving a pre-
ference to the society of Christians over
all other religious societies? Do we not
indirectly legalize their modes of wor-
ship over all other modes, by making
legally sacred the day by them only re-
garded as the '"Lord's day!'
To legislate upon this subject in the
manner proposed is to go directly in
opposition to the constitution, as 1 un-
derstand it. Such legislation is op-
posed to the genius of our institutions
and the teachings <.f our fathers; pub-
lic opinion should govern in such ca-
ses.
In a society like ours where the
prominent religion, is the relig on of
Christ; public sentiment will sooner
or later protect th* Sabbaih; the be-
nevo'ent and enlightened christian
seeks by persuasion, not force lo prop-
ogate his creed ; this is the law of his
Divine Master, taught by H;s precepr^
and example. I am then opposed flP
the fail? because it is in opposition t^
the eor^ituiion and the genius of our
goverr ment. Again I say let enlight-
ened p tblie opinion regulate reli^tóu
and p' ofect the Sabbath.
MR. PASGHAL—Mr. President? I
am sorry that this bill should he has-
tened through; for a* it is J am satis-
fied that it is not impartial in its provi-
sions, and aUo of doubtful policy. As
it now is, a large portion of the citizens
of the State are exempt from the penal-
ty fixed in the bill for a violation of the
Sabba'h, by pursuin? their ordinary
avocations on that day, and thafiiecause
they are rich—becrfuse they are men of
large means—-because they have many
hands to work. So if a man has large
means aud a great many hands, he can
work th*m upon the Sabbath with im-
punity; while the man with small means
and a few hands must not do so, under
the penalty of the law. The poor man
with nothing but his own hands lor sup-
port, must not presume to labor on that
day. I have been taught that the law-
should be no respecter of persons, but
be impartial in ftU of its provisions^-
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Ford, John S. Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 6, 1853, newspaper, December 6, 1853; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth181715/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.