The Washington American. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, November 23, 1855 Page: 1 of 4
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'Km
hington
EXCELSIOR
========
—
I
{j# ilform their
ESTABLISHMENT,
STREET,
B. Baxter's Sew Building,),
WASHINGTON,
PERKINS 4 CO.,
DEVOTED TO POLITICS, TEMPERANCE, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, LITERATURE, &C.
Co.
Iain ud aSk itall Tilxu, If iBcrici t flli lilt *i ut ilMcnt-*
1.
WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1855.
NO, 4,
G. W. PERKINS & CO'S.
PLAIN t
m
FANCY
<U<s>Ve> aunil OMurdl
PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT,
WASHINGTON, TEXAS.
WE bare one of RUGGLE'S Improve i
Rotary Card and Letter Press, whku.
will make 3,000 impressions per bear, in a
manner not to be surpassed for aeotnesa of
workmanship by any Printing establish-
ment in the South. All we ask is a trial—
we will satisfy yon in regard to price and
execution.
V '
Y,NOV.
KUDAY BY
W. PERKINS & CO*li222£
———posing a ~
" ot
f«*M8 Qf 8ÜB8CIUPWQN
for one year, «3,00, for
liWJ
taken for a less time than
nadé with the publishers.
No paper will be discoc
the option of the published)
until'
be remitted
Bank notes,
Tft OF ADVERTISING:
per square of 8 linea or less,
j insertion, and fifty cents for
ijuent insertion, if paid in advance;
iT-«(ft,mty percent will be addfed to the
amount. linger advertisements is the same
proportion. To those who advertise by the
fetr. a. reasonable reduction from the above
, provided cash payment
m advance.. No adver-
,be charged by the year unless
I■■ is made with the
*pillal_ _ JB
thaw advertisements strictly to qae
i of business; and any advertisement
from a yearly advertiser, not dirtctly «p-
ysrteiahg to the tmsinsss referred to rn his
yearly advertisements, wil! bacharged extra.
The number of insertions required must
be stated or marked on the advertisement,
or they will be inserted until ordered out,
and charged f^r accordingly.
Eighty words or less, will constitute* a
•Mare. Am Advertisement over 80 words
anil be counted as two squarea, if over 160
words three squarca and sq on. #
No advertisement will be discontinued, un-
til aH arrearages ará paid, except at the op-
tion of the publishers.
/ Professional Carda, (per annum,) ten lines
' or leas, «10,00 in advance, or «12,00, not in
' Announcing candidates for State, District
£raa*P5E^I2;£ri>
par oent. will he added to the amount.
All personal matters, when admissable,
will be charged double tne rates of adverti-
-alug. '* ^ J
Galls on persons to become candidates
Will be inascted as other advertisements, to
bafosi l in every instaure in advanoe.
Au obituaries airf tributes of respect ex-
ceedingflfUtn lines, charged for as adver-
W)y were for its aeceptanoe, and
for its rejection; under the c
do not consider the result of|
test of the opinion o^the people
upon the merits of the Act, and do
it should exercise any influence
ü!C$S¡; z&sssmz
will be charged the same a¿ advertisements;
«ni if not paid for in advance,' must be as-
hy eoae responsible person before
publtcatioB
the nablication of
which is required by law, must be paid for,
in nivance.
Extract frota the law regulating fees of
I. Snbeeribereswho do not give ex
fine aoiise té the ooatrary, are eensier
¡to coatinae their «■Msrip*
Ifenbearibers order the disoontin-
tho publisher may
i to sand (km till all that isdae
be need.
D vjfltW w vi roIIiW W
««¿«a jaüSas
order their papers diseoo tinned.
't « fcabeeeribers remore to other
the* with oat Informing the publisher*,
and the parpar is sent to the former direo-
tion( they are held responsible.
■f- The Court# have decided that ro-
fusiog to take a paper or periodical from
tie office, or removing and leaving it on-
' for, is prima fide evidence of
Be**oy Against The Ravages or ran
Trounr Fly.—A correspondent of the
North British Agriculturalist gives the
following as a remedy against this trou
ÍM the seed ha put into a glased pao
or Mj open vessel, and put to it as mneh
rape ed as will, when stirred together
with a stick; be sufficient to make the
•MdMat. Next add as much .ulphur
•a will, when again stirred together,
OW the sand to «aparate When pre-
^ ®,xed e*e^ ifed will hare a coat
®f snlphur adhering to it; and it will be
**** ** the ingredients, in addition
•pkeeptng off the iaseets in question,
will be a ^eat atimalant to the growth
of the «Op. The seed thus managed
m be sow* or drilled with the same
faoferemenoe as if it were clean. 8.. odd
.«tore seed be prejared th§n is fennd
to be sow* at one time, it will
inate for twelve
iple remedy I
and has only
ature passed a joint resolution insructing
^Senators and requesting our Representa-
vuKNiik'N stNN^ ^ urge their settlement upon the Con- fc, It is unfortunate that these lands were
ÜSSIiÍSÍÍÍf £e8S United 8utes *nd authorizing noVakfirst, set apart to be managed by the
to yon the condition of them tQ accept or wnect any proposition thai State Itself, fcs.a general fund for the com-
tbe State, I
^r"— gw^ * t#ütho proviiÜM
|8th*f February
ljustment of our f
i* üiteá
In lieu of£be\ve. millions of United
still due to thi«
the Act oftorigress of the 6th of 8ei_
r, 1850, the^ct of the 28th of Febra?
the sum of seven
and fifty thousand
of the late Repub-
the revenues of
to be appgrtion-
ture.
of the full and final adjust-
subject to raufi^pftinn by the
seven
dotlárs to thos
Ik of Texas, for w
that Repuhlic were
ed pró rata among
A copy of thik A
for yotir consideration.
effect, as you will percei
assented to byyon ;nor
a law withdrawing and a
and demands against the U
ing out of Indian depredaos of
110
with tthbmitted
is noTto take
until it shall be
you shall pass
toning all claims
" Stated giow-
other
The question of the recepttf • or rejection
of this Act, wks submitted to he electwraef ^^¿tter finantial condition than any other
this State at the late election, ^
427 out of about 45,000 who v<
election, felt interest enough in
to'votoupon it; of those who ~
. but
at that
subject
- IV
Were
were instrumental in getting
n passed, nad in vfew a
these claims in cdnn^dMAi with
it of mir public debt by, the tJni-
tatesin mannerji
Upon a'deliberate review of the'subject'in
all its bearings, I am sátisfied ^iat we ought
to«cceptdf this Act. We shall never settle
Our debt on better terms, arid it seems to be
theonly mode by which it can be discharged
in-any reasonablé timé. I, therefore, recom-
mit! the passage of such a law as will give
i6>eifect concurrently with another law ap-
propriating out of the amount we are to re-
ceive under its provisions, such sum ad will
be sufficient to pay those creditor whose
pro rata will be less than we owe them, the
difference between their pro rata and what
"iVe admit to be due them, which will be about
«118,901 42.x
If this debt were settled, Texas would be
the
lwI am oppcdST to-tiny future relinquish-
ment Of the State tax to the counties, and
think that it should be relied on to meet the
ordinary expenses of the government; this
e rill probably tend to economy in
expenses, for where the means for the
pport of a government are derived from a
direct tax upon.the people, it will be found
that they are more watchful to prevent lav-
ish and improvident appropriations, apd hold
their officers to a more rigid ^Qcountability."
"It will be seen from thestf' reports, that
very few of the county officers^ to whom
duties are prescribed npder the School Lair.
action in ragardto it.
The Act providee for the
the debt of the late Republic
has not heretofore been paid i
own Treasury, and will pay to each credit
£S8 fy.""*!'■ ■ «"formed them >0 «xord.* with it.
SSJ 2 XSrf bv Sir ¿ ír; V1**' This neglect of these oÉBcwslws
In deciding upon the rcáectioh or accep-
tance of this Act. it should be borne in mind,
thit any final settlement of thevdebt em-
braced in its provisions must be assented to
by the United States, the crédito^ and Tex-
as. Texas alone canftot prescribe the terms
on which it shall* be settled, for she has al-
ready, by her previous legislation, consented
that the United States shall retain the five
millions due nnder the Act of Congress of
the 0th of September, 1850, until those cred-
itors, for whose debts, the duties of the late
Republic of Texas on imposts were specially
pledged, shalffirst tile at ibe Treasury of the
United States, releases of Jail claims against
the General Government for on account of
those debts, in such form as shall be pre-
scribed by the Secretary of the Treasury
and approved by the President of the United
States.
The construction given to this provision by
two Secretaries of tlie Treasusy and approv-
ed by two Presidents, requires that all those
creditors who holdfany of the bonds or pro-
missory notes of the late Republic of Texas,
shall file such releases at tho Treasury of the
United States, before any portion of the re-
served five millions of stock can be issued to
Texas. *
. has protested against this construc
tick, and on the 31st of January, 1852, she
yassed a law providing that each creditor of
this class should be paid the amount ot Us
claim as ascertained by her laws, when he
afeouldfiiea release ©f all claim against the
United States and Texas, provided that gov-
ernment would issue to Texas amounts of
the. reserved fire millions équal to the sums
for which such releases might be presented
by Texas to the United States Treasury.
Up to this time the United States and a
«rtion these creditors have refused to as-
Qt to this law, asid I do not think any rea-
sonable hope can be entertained that this
debt will ever be MUed, either under tha
provisions of the original Act of Congress??
theO th of September, 1850. or nnder thelur
of Texas of theSlstof January, 1852.
It is a matter of modi interest totbe cred-
itors as well as to our own cftiaens that this
debt shall be speedily settled. It was cm-
tractedmestabtishingand ««nUimng our
in «pcodence, and every principle of hbnar
and justice requires that we shall discharge
Í^^ jjas peasihle, sato we now haw the
This act is generally understood to be ae-
ptabáe to the creditors, it is respectful in its
rma. and contains nothing but what we
may accede to with honor, it we provide that
every^credig>r shall receive what we acknowl-
°d^he amount dffet, on the 1st of
July. 1850. as acknowledged by our laws,
was «4,4¿to,6¿8 78, if wé were to pay it with
interest from the 1st <* July, I860, at the
time of paymept, (and I presume oo ene will
contend that, if the United States and the
creditors were to consent to its payment ac-
cording to our own laws, would be justified
^ pay the «amérate of interest
th t the stock is drawing,) we would have
452 31L millions the aarn of S705.-
Fto,,4.11 Act,we «hall receive
l^M ^Ven.v. ?¿t^L8um of«179--
153 90, after paying the creditors according
to its provisions, md úm paying to those
creditors whose pro rata pill be lees than we
°r?fV£Twnce between whrt we
admit to be. due tiiem" and their pro rata, so
t.i>eCUm*ry Tiew ** 1086 but #526,-
? by accepting this Act, instead of pay-
ing the debt in accordance with our own laws.
This is a small consideration compared with
the groat importance of having this trouble-
some business settled upon terms satisfacto-
ry to our creditors.
It is true that, in addition to this loss, we
withdraw and abandon all claims and de-
mands against the United States, growing
out of Indian depredations or otherwise.
These claims, if any such exist, arise from
ft *.uPP^fe^ obligation on the part of the
United States, to pay us the expenses incur-
red by the Republic of Texas in defending
herself against Indian tribes belonging to the
United States, 6 b
expenses were paid by the issue of
promissory notes, which now constitute a
large part of this very debt.
It is not probable that we shall ever wal-
Wvthing^om these claims, except in |he
Ptiare 1 n°!i Prop08ed >_ tl y «"> of
i Standing, and hav# never been seriously
(against theUrrité i States until the last Leg-
lered it impossible for the Treasurer to
rform his duties under the law, at the time
in the manner required. He has, how-
with my concurrence, prevented an en-
Jailure of the law, by coming as near a
compliance with its provisions as was possi-
ble, fader the circumstances.
T«number of children in the State be-
tweemhe ages of six and sixteen years, as
ascercined by the reports of the assessors
and coUctors who have made returns for
the year^855, and by the estimate of the
Treasurfcfor those counties that haverfKUed
to make feurns, is 66.150; and the ¿Snnual
distribution of the fund gives for each Scholar
one dollar fifty cents.
The Sch<^t ,w has proved to be defec-
tive in its d&ig and entirely unsuited to our
condition. I tas not satisfied with it when
it passed, butjt my approval because
it created a lib^l fund, and attempted to
do something towards the establishment of
schools.
These reports i*ow that but few of the
counties have ortalzed and established
schools as required >y this law; in most of
them the population ¡g sparsely scattered
over f great extent Oiterritory, winch can-
not be divided into distfcjts containing a suffi-
cient number of childnp for the maintain-
ance of a school, wkhouVnaking the districts
so large, that the school %Ust necessarily be
at an inconvenient distano from a large por-
tion of the scholars; this, wthout doubt, has
prevented and will continue to prevent, tho
execution of a law like the iresent until our
population becomes more den*.
We should not be deterred y the failure
of this attempt Let us amerx the presen.
law by imposing heavy penaltie&upon those
assessors and ooUectors who fadto make a
return of the number of scholar , in their
county within the time prescribe! and in
Jieu of that p¿rt of the pr£mt law h«h re-
uires a division of the counties into dgtricts,
st us declare all schools that may be «¡pt in
the State, public schools, and allow tbifun(j
distributed to each county, to be disbursed
under the orders of the county court, to *eh half millions as tlj«ir
teachers as the
e parents guardians of \he
children may choose to employ for their 4.
ucatiori. j£_Kú¿2|
This plan, 1 am satisfied, is better
to qur present situation than any ether
can be devised, and I believe it will be much
more acceptable to the people than that
vided for by the present law.
and attention that will be required to realise millions, simply by a prudent use of our pub- each amo worth three dollars will then pay
their full value ■' lie domain and an annual tax of fifteen cents two mills and four-tenths of a mill.
on eacu nundred dollars of the taxable pro- This example clearly demonstrates that a
perty of the State for the next fi teen years, general tax for internal improvements oper
The system of works should consist of ates equally upon all in proportion to the
Railroads, improvements upon our naviga- benefits which they receive.
hie rivers, and canals connecting the differ- The present system of making donations
ent bays and streams along onr coast. of lands to railroads is much more unequal
State itself, a&a general
mon benefit of all the counties, for they
would have beetf' selected long since, in sec-
tions of the State where their value would
have greatly incrersed by the settlements
since made.
They would, without doubt, be much bet-
ter managed by the State than by the coun-
ties. for they could be placed under the con-
trol of a single officer, whose special duty it
would be to superintend thsin. "attend to
their survey and sale, whenever it might4>e
d< emed adv sable to bring them into mariret
and invest their proceedsj instead of being
under the management of tbe officers of
ninety-nine different counties, who are too
remote from the lands and too much occu-
pied with other official duties to give much
attention to them.
It will be found that those States of the
Union, which have retained the lands granted
to them by the general government for schools,
an<finade them a general fund for the whole
S^ate, have realized far more benefit from
theta¿,then those who have left them to the
control of tbe different township in which
they ire situated.
I suggest for your consideration, whether'
it would not be well to propose an amend-
ment to our Constitution,1 declaring that all
of these grants shall be vested in this State
to be administered as a common fund for the
benefit of all the counties, and sold from time
to time under the dir cti< n of tbe legislature,
at not less than a minimum price, after they
shall have been subdivided into small tracts;
the proceeds of such sales to be added to the
present school fund, and the income thereof
to be applied in the same manner as the in-
come of the present fund.
If this disposition were made of then), they
would, in a few years, add at least three mil-
lions of dollars to our present school fund.
Should these suggestions not be accepta-
ble to yon. then I recommend ah amendment
tolhe Constitution similar to that proposed
to the la§t legislature, which was, that the
counties should be authorized to sell these
lands at not less than a minimum price, the
proceeds of such sale to be kept as a fund,
and the income applied to the snpport of
schools."
What our citizens need is a
tern of Internal Improvements
river improvment and canals, that will ex-
tend its benefits to every section of the
State as nearly as practicable, and give
them a cheap transportation of their pro-
ductions to a market.
This. I believe, can be obtained within the
next fifteen years by á judicious use of our
pnulic domain, aided by a moderate intern-
al improvement tax; which will never be
onerous to our citizens, and for which they
wdl be repaid ten fold in the increased val-
ue that such a system will give to their
property, and the reduced rate at which
they will be furnished a transportation of
their productions an<r supplies.
Our unappropriated public domain is es-
timated at abeiut one hundred millions of
acres. Suppose that one half of it is valu
less or unsuitable for cultivation, which is
very large estimate this will leave us
fifty millions of acres, which at seventy-
five cents an acre, is worth thirty-seven
and a half millions of dollars. This, every
one must admit, is a small estimate of its
value, and under a judfiÜous system of sales,
to be effected gradually as the wealth and
population oi the State is increased by the
proposed iaiprovemeoMUt would undoubt
Sixteen hundred miles of railroad can be
so located as to accommodate every section
of the State that is now inhapted, and so that
no neighborhood, (except the north-west
corner of the State) that is not within a
convenient distance of a navigable water
course or a canal, shall be more than twenty
five miles from a railroad.
The average cost of building and equip
ping railroads in this State will not exceed
sixteen thousand dollars a mile, if paid for
with money when the work is done: At
this rate, sixteen hundred miles would cost
twenty-five million and six hundred 'thou-
sand dollars. This, amount deduced from
thirty-one and a half millions the estimated
>sum to be realized from our public domain
in the next fifteen years, would leave five
million and nine hundred thousand dollars,
which could be applied to the improvement
of our navigrble rivers, cutting canals to
connect all the bays and water courses, along
our coast from the Sabine to the Rio Grande
and to any other objects of public utility,
This system, to be successful, must be
made the permanent policy of the State and
incorporrated into our Constitution so as to
be placed beyond the reach of change by le-
gislation.
Tbe routes over which railroads are to be
constructed—the rivers whose navigation is
to be improved, and the canals which are to
be cut, must be specified—the lands must be
set apart as an Internal Improvement fund
—the time and manner of their survey and
sale must be fixed—the Internal Improve-
ment tax must be levied—provisions must
be made that the credit of the State shall
never be used to an amount beyond what the
internal improvement tax and the net earn-
. general sys-
1 by railroads,
edly sell for
amount within M
Let us suppose I
an acre, whicois'a J
dual survey of
deemed advisable to I
ket, the cost of sui
dred millions wo
lars This would
applied to works of in
As this amount cou
thirty .one anda
tobe
vement.
from
by gradual «aise thrqi igba course
onier to eommenoethe system
it would be necessary to aa-
proeeeds, by tfaéuse of the ere-
tate, to sustain which an internal
Improvement tax of fifteen cents pn each
As our'sitnationchanges, some Qfl*r|jr^ ^^«ddollars of the taxable property of
tern more suited to our wants will no
suggest itself and can theffbe adopted.'
A reference to these reports will show
that there is now in oar Treasury about one
hundred, and twenty-four thousand dollars,
which has accumulated from' the oné-tenth
of the annual revenue Set apart by the Con-
stitution for the support of schools, fifty-
three thousand of which has already been
invested in tbe United States five per cent,
bonds. I recommend that the residue be al-
so invested in like manner, that the whole
be added to the two million school fund, and
that hereafter this tenth, together with the
would be required: Such a tax
on the assessment for the year 1857, which
***o*rly as the system could be commenc-
ed, would produce at least «268,000,00.—
This wotid pay an interest of six per cent
on four a*d one quarter tnillions 6f dollars.
The Sfcnetax, allowing the increase in the
value of <fcr taxable property to be one
fourth l«sseachyear, than it has been since
the year (and it would, without doubt,
be much gr*ter,) would produce in 1860,
the sum of |377 000 00, which would pay
amntorostotgix coat. on six and one
quarter mirfiote °f dollars.
Ihia would Enable us to use the credit of
as directed by the school law. rter
By, tkis means, the annual amount applied the
by thb State, for the support of schools, will the
be about one hundred and twenty thousand the;
dollars, which will be gradually increasing as
our revenue from taxation increases.
The school fond may be greatly increased
by a judicious use of the four leagues of land
that nave heretofore been granted to each
county of this State' for public schools.
It is questionable wherher these lands will
ever accomplish much good, if they are allow-
ed to remain in the possession of the coun-
ties, for it appears froiu information ftar-
nisbed by the Commissioner or the General
¿and Office, that but '954,181 acres of the
1,753,488, to which the ninety-nine counties
of the State are entitled, have yetbosn^se-
lected. Forty-one counties only have ¿¡elect-
ed their full amount, twenty have selected
227,989 acres of the 354.240, to which they
are entitled, and thirty-eight have made no
selections, so that 799,307 acres yet remain
tó be selected. Nineteen of the counties
which have made no selections were organized
in 1846 or previous to that time, six were
organised in 1848 and thirteen were organ-
ized at different periods between the years of
1849 and 1854.
It is reasonable to expect that those who
have neglected, for an long a period, to avail
■ rrantsof land will
lollars before1 the close of
aithout taking into account
of the public works, as
would be at least three
t, equal to one half of
," uld be paying on the
„ each year from tb
sale of the public domain, increased in value
by the improvements already made; and our
works opuld proceed naich more rapidly to
of that time,
uotl
■manage
might expend from twen-
mühon of dollars upon a
of internal improvements
fifteen years, and at the end
\ whole w\il have been paid
by the proceeds of thesal^ otour public do-
main and the internal improvement tax.
The State would be tl^ owner of the
works constructed and co«d reduce the
price for transportation nnA travel-to such
rates as would keep them in^repair and oper-
ating them, would produce an annual in-
come amounting to over seven hundred and
fifty thousand dollars, might be applied to
the expensas of the government, or to extend
the system, until every neighborhood in the
State wou|d be furnished with ample rail
road facilities.
All thfo may be aocomplished and 'the
wealth of our citizens increased hundreds of
not be carried on simultaneously until their
final completion—all this must be done by
a constitutional provision—otherwise, it is
possible future Legislatures may undertake
other works before thosfe designated shall
have been completed, or may become impa-
tient with the progress of the works, and
endeavor to hasten their completion by «g
increse of taxation, so as to make it oppres-
sive, or by the use of State credit beyond tbe
A fetyHtx^;
provided for sustaining it, a¿d t)>eto- ye
by defeat the whole system. £ JfT®?1°me'
Vf V aZivl that, if the plan here proposed, cannot be
* willing to see certain leming
the increase of the population and
progresé
fy with (
wealth of the State. Each mile of improve-
ment will increase the value of the public
lanág and of individual property .and the abil-
ity of tbe State to prosecute the system will
increase in the same ratio.
Such a system can never become oppres-
sive under the restrictions proposed, because
it can never draw from our citizens, more
than the internal improvement tax. This
will be light compared with,the Benefits to
be obtained. Our entire State aid county
tax, including this, will be but ^thirty-Seven
and a half cents on eaoh hundred dollars,
equal to three mills and seven and a hair
tenths of a mill on the dollar. Which is less
thm is paid id three-fourths of the States of
the Union. , t
The increase in the value of the taxable
property of the State that will attend tin
prosecution of such a system, will enable us
to reduce our tax for the ordinary expenses
that of the government, so that in a few years
(our aggregate State and County tax, inclu-
ding this, will not exceed twenty-tWo and
a half cents, On the hundred dollars, or two
mtUeand two and a half tenths of a mill on
the dollar, which is .the same we now pay
>r State and County purposes.
Every citizen will be amply compensated
for this tax, by the increased value its ex-
penditure will give to his property, and the
reduced price he will have to pay for trans-
portation and travel.
It is true that the benefits will be greater
to (hose living ih the tfeinity of the improve-
ments than to those living remote from
them; but as soon as the system is com-
the relative taxation of those living
the improvements will also be greater,
for all property in the State is^taxed accord-
ing to it#, Value. '
There will be no more inequality in the
operation <if this tax, than attends every tax
for the expendithres of the government; for
those living in the vicinity where such ex-
penditures are made, derive more benefit
, they give to their property;
this is, in a measure, counterbalanced by
the additional tax on the increased value.
Suppose for an'exaqiple, we take a section
of country fifty miles in width, where the
average value of land is now two dollars and
fifty cents an acre; when this system cont-
inences each acre df this land will pay three
milflg and three, quarters of a mile, for this
internal improvement tax, but when a rail-
road shall have been commenced through
the centre of this section, fifteen dollars an
acre, those more than five w d less than ten
miles from it will be worth ten dollurs ^
those more than ten and less than fifteen'
miles from it will be worth six dollars, and
would be in receipt of those more than fifteen and not exceeding
twenty-five miles from it will be worth three
dollars an acre ; then each acre of this land,
worth fifteen dollars will pay two cents and
one quarter of a cent; each acre worth ten
dollars will pay one cent and a half-, each
acre worth six dollars will pay nine mills,
and each acre worth three dofiars will pay
four mills and a half mill, yet-all will pay
the same rate of tax as at ihffct, Viz: fifteen
cents on eafch hundred dollars worthofland.
Now eacbacre of this land pay fiyc m"ls
and five-eighths of a mill towards our tax
for State and county purposes, but when the
above increased value is given to it by a rail-
road the same amount of money produced
by tne present tax of twenty-two and a half
cents on the hundred dollars, may be raised
bv a tax of less than eight cents on the hun J "by othprs, and 1 felt that it was a
dred dollars, or less ^!ban. eight-tenths of a —
" acre of this land
pay one ceut
mill on the dollar, each acre of
worth fifteen dollars wfll then pa
and two mills towardp this tax;
worth ten dollars will then pay eight mills;
leach acre worth six dollars will fhfen pay
four mills and eight-tenths of a mill, and
in its operation than their construction by a
general tax; for those sections of the State
only, whore the population and business
promise to make railroads a profitable in-
vestment of capital, can avail themselves of
these donations, while nnder a general sys-
tem by the State,'the paying section of road
will contribute towards the construction and
support of roads in those sections where
they will not pay a profit, and thus
they will be extended to portions of the State,
where they would, not be constructed for
many years, if ever, by individual capital.
The State may well afford to carry out a
general system of internal improvements in
this manner, even if in the aggregate they
riever pay mdre than the cost of their repairs
and of operating them, for the State is com-
pensated by the increase of its population,
and the increased value ofits public domain
and taxable property, which constitutes its
real wealth.
One of the great advantages that our citi-
zens will derive from having works of inter-
nal improvement constructed and owned by
the State, will be, that instead of keeping the
price of transportation and travel at snch
rates as will make them a source of profit,
as would be done if they were owned by
corporations, the State may, if it chooses,
reduce these rates to the lowest point that
will operate and keep them in repair.
No argument against the practicability of
the plan here proposed, can be drawn from
the experience of other States, which have
attempted a general system of internal im-
provements, béfcause none of them have, be-
fore commencing, limited and described the
works to be constructed—none of them have
first provided the means necessary to sus-
tain their credit and declared that their credit
means;
are
stitu£
islatio
had to
sis for
uld justify; all of which provisions
part of our con-
if change by leg-
d Tabove all, none of them have
die domain; we' possess, as a ba-
use of S tjljioredit and for its ul-
mption. W '
ell sat Sifted thatjifce interior por
State will pot hnve the benefit
during the present gen-
are constructed by the
either wholly or in part,
ted to and received tbe sanction of tha peo-
ple.
Nor do I think that any aneh system
should be commenced, until a constitutional
' ikm has been adopted, securing it from
and improvident legislation.
1 use of the credit of the State in either
of the modes here proposed, will require an
amendment of the Constitution. This may
be done, either by calling a convention for
that purpose, or by your proposingan amend'
ment to be voted on by the people. I should
ho unwilling, however, to see a convention
called until a vote of the people is first ob-
tained in favor of such a measure.
Should these views be unacceptable toyoni
I shall interpose no obstacle to such gonstitu-
tional measures as you may adopt, to aid in
the construction of railways and in the im-
provement of our navigable rivers, if they
shall seem likely to effect those objects, and
the interest of the State is properly guarded.
An election was held on the first Monday
in August 1854, in each county of the State,
in accordance with the provisions of An Act
regulating and restraining tbe sale of spirit-
uous liquors," passed Uth of February 1854,
to determine whether their sale in less quan-
tity than one qtM should be abolished or con-
tinued. Most of the coqnties voted, by large
majorities, to abolish such sales, and sinoe
that time, no licenses, authorizing such sales
have been issued, except in the counties that
voted for continuing them.
Owing to a supposed defect in the Act,
in not providing any penalty against
se, the lawlias b
routes designated, to
furnish the iron
tions, after the
hich the State shall
a needed for their construo-
road&ed shall have been pre-
pared, by corporations, for its reception, and
take a mortgage upon the road for secürity;
or I am willing to see the State become
subscriber for one-half of the capital stock
necessary to construct them, whenever the
other half is taken by individuals.
But ijahtdopting either of these plans, the
same constitutional provisions would be ne-
cessary to establish a proper basis to sustain
the credit of the State and to guard against
its .improvident use,, as if the State were to
undertake to construct them herself.
Neither of these plans here proposed orig-
inated with me; the main features of each
have been advocated by others with far more
ability than I can bring to the subject .
I belive any one of these plans to be en-
tirely practicable, but I think tbe first would
be the most successful, and would diffuse its
benefits more generally and more equally
than either of the others.
If any better mode can be sugge&ted for
the use of State credit in works of internal
improvement thin here proposed, it will re-
ceive from me a cordial support
Those who have not maturely reflected on
this subject, may think that a svstem of in-
ternal improvement, requiring an expendi-
ture of twenty-fire to thirty-millions óf dol-
lars, is too great an undertaking for a
containing three or four hundred the
inhabitants, but they should rtcollect that
only a small portion of this expenditure is to
be made immediately, that it is to be extend
ed over a period of years, before the expira-
tion of which our population, under the im-
pulse that snch a system will give to immi-
gration, will have increased to at least one
and a half millions, and that we have.a pub-
lic domain, such as no State, of our popula-
tion, ever before possessed, which will be
trebled in value by these improvements, and
will be more than suffcient to meet this large
expenditure.
They may also think that fifteen years is
from theimthan those at a distance, by the a long period to wait for the promised bene-
fits Of this grand system of internal improve-
ments, wieh is to produce these great results,
but they should also recollect that few great
enterprises are ever completed di
age of those who commenced them.
Twenty-five millions is a small amount
compared with the future resources of this
great State, with its extensive publie domain,
when its agricultural and mineral Wealth
sháll have boeft fully developed; and fifteen
.years is but a short period m its history. i
Those who legislate for such a State, should
keep in view, not only the present moment,
bnt the future, when it will be inhabited by
thousands where it now has hundreds, and
when its exports shall have increased an hun-
dred fold. ....
Our imfbense public doBSarn is being rap
idly wasted for unimportaní purposes.—
When it shall have entirely, passed from us
without our having secured any substantial
and permanent benefits from' it, as it surely
will unless we soon make an appropriation
of it, to some object of great public utility,
like that here proposed—and when time sha 1
have folly disclosed its real value, posterity
will wonder that this generation should have
done so little to develope the reasources and
increase the wealth and political importance
of the State, with the magnificent means at
its dosposaL
I have dwelt upon this subject at length,
because my views in regard' to it have been
Misunderstood by some and misrepresented
by others, and 1 felt that it was a duty I
owed .to'myself, to place them pioperly.be-
forO you'afiid the people of the State.
Neither of these, nor any othor system
selling without licence, the law has been in-
operative, and spirituous liquors have been
sold in 8mall quantities in every county of
the State toas great an extent as they
were previously.
When this act was presented to me on
the last day of the session, I considered it
too defective to accomplish the object inten-
ded by it, but there was no time to return
it to the tegi|Utare and have another pass-
ed, supplying its defects.
Believing it may do some good by obtain-
ing an expression of public sentiment on
tbe subject, which would inflaSfcee future
Legislation, I allowed it to become a law.
It is very probable that the result of tbe
▼ote upon this question, may induce in ef-
fort, at this session, to pass what is com-
monly called a prohibitory liquor law, such
as has been tried in many of the Northern
States.
While 1 do not question the constitution-
al power of the Legislature to enact a law
prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors
in the State, except'so for as their sale may
be authorised by importers under the laws
of the United States, I feel constrained to
say that I believe the enactment of suah a
law would be impolitic."
The American PArrr.-Never before did
a party acquire so much strength in so short
a time as the Know Nothings. It is about
nine months since Know Nothingism was in-
troduced into the Southern States; and
already has it achieved wonders- As a
knowledge of the Order spreads 'its princi-
ples will be adopted, until no State in the
Union will ha able to rasietits&iflneaoe. We
firmly bilieve that it willbe successful at
the next Presidential electfm, sweeping down
all cliques, combinations, and fusions, and
establishing the good principias which for-
merly provided in our public affairs. An
American feeling is rap"'
through the nation, aadaf
tion that the Union shall be [ ^
country.
UltrarAbolitionist, tn* secessionist and
disorgrnisers of every dasa, will have to
give place tohoester men—to men who havn
no other aim than to advanoe the honor and
glory of the nation, and the general hapiaasi
of the people. Bigots may ory aloud, and
brawling partisans deolaim mfavwr ef |' '
public affairs under the
ere, but amerioaa
right to rule their ovm
of I
mortal Wwfoington, they will carry out his
principle, thnt native Anmcans should be
entrusted alone with the management of their
own «Basra. Ia its infancy tha *
party has struck terror tol
another year will ese them-prostrate in
the dust This is their "manifest destiny,"
which it will be in vain for them to rdsist.—
Boltimort dipper.
Provisionstill be abnndent andebeap
the coming winter. Potatoes are soiling
at from 12 to 15 cents per bnahel in the
interior os the northern and western
states. Tho Lafayette (Ja.) Courier
says that contracts hare already been
made for large amounts of eora, to be
delivered during *the winter, and previ*
vius to tbe opening of tho canals in spring,
at ttoenhy cents a bu6kd. Beef is selling
at 2 1-2 cents per lb. in the same neigh-
borhood. A letter from Burean cewnty,
lUinoise, from dne Who has lived ia the
State erer sinee 1834,says:
'The crops are remarkably fine; I
think they hare never been so good
since I lived in the State, taking them
all together. Tbe amount of wbrat rais-
ed is astonishing. The railroads are
crowded with it woody, and it le foiling
constantly in.prieei I sold some Ike day
I got hep for 90 cents a bushel ¿ « week
or two since the price wae 1 10, and now
it is 85 cents. Apples ia this neighbor-
hood are abundent; they are fine and
fair, and I think will eren exceed in sise
those of 1852.? •
The Savannah BepaUieaa says: Tbn
rice harvest is progressing satisfactorily.
Indeed, the weathwAh^h warm, could
not be more fotoraMé either for rice or
oottón, ih this portion of tho state.—
Galveston Commercial.
each acre-of internal improvements should be under
taken, requiring an expenditure o>f money by
the State.-which would have to be-supplied
by taxation until it ha3 first been pubmit-
" Uncle, has old Mr Jones joined the
Quakers?" "I don't know, indeed.
Why do you the ask tbe question V'
" Because I heard him nsing plaia Isp-
gusge." -What did he
called anothtf man a good for notbivg
lying' scamp''
kw
j* V*
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Crawford, G. W. The Washington American. (Washington, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 4, Ed. 1 Friday, November 23, 1855, newspaper, November 23, 1855; Washington, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth181923/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.