Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-07


possession the forts and arsenas and navy and munitions
Not at all The bill said he receive possession Of
ngs and then hand them to another agent who to
mold them IN possession. This unnecessary
n.y. In whose keeping this property now In that Of
agents OF Texas Were afraid that they would steal 1t if
we left It in their custody The property became iSo aco
The property Of the United States Texas was an
admitted State Her agent would deliver up to the proper
agent OF the United States without sending this three thousand
dollar man to stand between the two pass the proper
ty from the other.
Was Texas still foreign State Why should not the
who had stad home in Texas be the agent II the navy
became ours let officer Of the navy receive it. the
omhouse became ours let the keepers of the cusomhouses
receive them We needed agent 10 receive the livery and
sesn and the legal investure. We could authorize the col
lector DO it. The joint resolution for the annexation Of
Texas declared that her public property be surrendered
up the United States That title and we wanted
none other What strange idea was it that must have
agent To 60 hunting up iledeeds
Disguise this thing you pleased, and fling all manner Of
poetic drapery round it. il this-the throwing away
ofS3, 600 without the slightest necessity II was Job if
the gallant little navy OF Texas to be used ours better
give its officers these 3d. 600 than put in the pocket of ia
vorite. When this bill into the House. Mr. b. should
feel u his duty to call for the yeas and nays.
Mr. YELL's amendment modified and read
Mr. HENLEY was for giving back this property TO the State
OF Texas The plan OF annexation at first proposed had
been for the United States receive the public lands Of Texas
and to pay all her debts This strenuousy opposed by
the Wings who told that Texas had no lands left and
that her debts immense Mr. H. for one, had supposed
abandoned and now the plan that did her
lands, and that she pay her debts which she
well able to do But he feared that this bill but the fore
runner OF another providing for the Of the
Mr. MCKAY expressed his regret hat little bill, which
he supposed would have passed the House almost without OBJ
jecton had elected such debate The bill perfectly
simple The opposition Of the gentleman from Tennessee was
the less expected annexation had been bantng Of that
gentlemans In that resolution stipulated that
Texas should cede to the United States all public property be-
longing the Republic The Secretary of State asked for
So 600 to carry that condition. The Committee of Ways
and Means had no Of telling whether So OOO ST. OOO
ST. 600 would be needed for that purpose The Secretary
asked for 3d. 0O0 and thought that would be sufficient
As TO the proposition of the gentleman from Akansas mr.
YELL, it in direct opposition to the joint resolution by
which Texas into the Union. And in regard to her
holding her navy, surely the gentleman must be that
State in this Conederacy could hold navy Of its own,
Notifications custom-houses. All these belonged the
United States All the States joining the Coned
eacy, had made similar cesson. He granted that it might
be better Yet Texas retain the if Congress preferred
such Arrangement, he had no objection to it. :
Mr.. McHENRY regretted that the amendment had been
offered he thought it was by needed. This bill
merely provided for the payment of accredited agent
ceve, the part of the United States the surrender Of the
public property Of Texas in conformity with the provisions Of
the joint resolution to receive Texas into the Union. The
navy, munitions of war, customhouses, Notifications,
and navy yards all public property they be
rendered to the Union but that surrender did contemplate
that the vessels and arms, and munitions therefore be
removed from the State. Not at all All that intended
was that inventory should be made and forwarded
the United States Government and the property formally de-
vered one who should be authorized to receive
it. No doubt it would all be suffered to remain where it
arms the property Of the United States remained in
other States of the Union There need of amend
ment dspong of the property after its surrender If the arms
&c should be needed for the United service they
subject to the orders Of the President As there good
for the BILL he hoped the amendment would be
rashly pressed
Mr.. RATHBUN thought the whole matter unnecessary.
The Government possessed in all the States ground for the
erection Of FORTS arsena and dockyads but did any body
hear Of its sending commissioners TO receive formal
render of such property Texas had agreed cede her pub
lie property, she must OF do when she became
State When her Legislature they would make the
sion according the for annexation, and then the
Governor Of Texas would officially notify the President Of
the United States of the fact and the President would send
the proper officer TO take charge military officer to take
charge Of the forts, arms, and munitions naval officer to
take charge Of the ships and civil officer to take charge Of
the cusom-houses Where them the need Of spending
single dollar in appointing such agent proposed
BY this bill Was not to be presumed that Texas would do
what she had agreed to do The whole thing needless
and he hoped the bill would be rejected
Mr. R. moved that the Committee rise but his motion
not heard, and the floor obtained by
Mr.. JEFFERSON DAVIS, who was in favor Of the bill.
Did gentlemen suppose that the agents of the United States
in Texas to gather together the public property to
take possession Of the customhouses and Notifications and
ships and gather up all the muskes and heavy ordnance from
all parts of the country when there agent of the Uni
ted States empowered receive them The public character
of much of the property could only he asceraned by
pecnt person appointed to the duty Mr. d. against the
amendment he wanted the brought into the asena Of
the United States We had extended egis Texas
and the Of the State would belong to the United States
not to Texas. Her glory the glory of the Union
her people fellow citizens and their deeds Of chva
daring boast much theirs let the that
achieved that glory with the glory the Confede
racy He for appointing agent the most simple,
appropriate, and economical mode Of accomplishing the end
in view
Mr.. HAMI.IN moved that the committee but the mo-
ton negaived ayes SO, noes 20.
Mr.. YELL, Of his friends reluctantly
scented to withdraw his amendment but gave notice that he
should bring joint resolution covering the whole ground
Indians and algivng back Texas all had taken from
her
The question being put on the amendment of Mr. BRowS,
reducing the appropriation TO 81 000 IL negatyed
Mr.. CULVER offered the following amendment:
Provided That shall be the duty OF the Secretary Of State
make careful inquiry into the value OF the property to be
assigned and transferred the United States by the State Of
Texas and it shall be the option OF this Government at
time within year. to transfer said property to the agent
hereinbcore mentioned, in lieu Of all other compensation
He wished inquire whether il possible that State
large States the Of Kentucky could afford five
six Of her citizens perform this duty without sending an
agent all the way from Washington We had four I've
thousand persons connected with the army and he did not
know how many with the navy. Could not they do this
Must send special agent thus oolshy squandeng the
public money Gentlemen had better attempt make
Congress pay too many such appropriations
Mr. MCKAY rose to explain. The bill did not say the
agent should from this CITY, He might be appointed in
Texas
Mr. CULVER asked whether there were not plenty Of ap
plicants here ready for the appointment
Mr. MCKAY said he knew nothing the subject but what
he learned from letter of the Secretary of State