The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. Ma. HUNTER,
OF VIRGINIA.

provide for the payment OF such creditors OF me ale
republic OF Texas as are conpTehended III the ACT OF
Congress of September ., 1850.
Mr. HUNTER sal!
Mr. President / was in the minority The Commit
lee on finance from which This bill wasreporedi and as
have regarded il of The most extraordinary de-
rnands which have ever known 10 be made upon The
treasury OF the United States, should ike, IN AS lew
words to present my objections TO the measure
do not thak there any considerations either OF JUS
ice or equity sustain this demand and believe that
the Senate will give their attention to bref narrative
Of the facts OF the case they will concur with me IN that
opinion. -
The iont resolution for the annexation of Texas
tanned several provisions which were 10 be the conditions
OF that annexalon as prescribed IN the resolution sei
One was that the State OF Texas should retain all The
yacan, and unappropated lands lying within It's mls
TO be applied to the payment OF the ebs and liabilities
Of said republic OF Texas aud the residue OF said lands
after dischargng said debts and Liabilities 10 be disposed
OF as said State may direct; but in event said debts
and liabilities 10 become charge upon the government
of the United States" The creditors OF Texas were
thus notified before the annexation that the United States
would not be bound for its debis and the public lands OF
that State to be sci apart to secure the payment OF
those debts by that State IN the event OF her accepting
the offer OF anne xaon upon The proposed terms These
conditions accepted by Texas in her act OF annex
atlon and presume that by those reciprocal acts OF
mutual legislation, each of them passed upon conditions
the two governments much bound TO each other
as il the obligation had been incurred under treaty
need not argue that point By those acts the Stale OF
Texas became bound apply her lands as security Tor me
payment OF the debts which she owed at the lime OF 'e
Annexation By thai acl too, the creditors were warned
that The United States would not be bound Tor those deb
aud as no complaint against the ACT OF aneSaon Of s
terms was made by them, might DC aiT 10 imply their
assent if it were necessary 10 esaosh hal posoh 10.
he sake OF the argument But as il is not waive that
The State OF Texas was thus annexed to the United
States The United States, it is iiue took IRON Texas
its revenue from the cusoms but II IS also true that the
United States relieved IRON the charge OF separate
army separate navy, and separate diplomatic esab
lshment In other words, the United States relieved
probably from burden far more than equivalent to any
benefit derived by IRON from the customs Pre-
vious 10 the annexaton Texas had been ia uncertain
condition Its future prospects uncerain TO say the
least of hem-so uncertain and so gloomy as to reard
settlements and prevent emg ration, and the rapid deve
onment of its resources The the act of
aion was consummated the whole state OF things was
changed The broad 1sis OF the government OF the
Union extended over It, Settlement became safe
the country filled up rapidly and think that man
can doubt that the creditors OF Texas supposng that they
looked only to the Stale oil Texas for the payment OF their
debs were placed in better condition alter the anneya
lion than before when they looked 10 Texas with
it's whole for the payment OF their debts pre-
sumo that time just previous TO the period OF annexa
ton, il you had put that question 10 the creditors OF
Texas there would not have been dissenting voice
all OF them would have preferred 10 take their security
after the annexation upon the terms prescribed in the act
of than trust 10 lher chances 10 the State
OF Texas alone if there had been no annexation.
But, sir, the Stale of Texas was young. II was en-
numbered with the debt its revolutionary 1t had
vast resources. but they undeveoped II was not
ready to pay at once Ii the condition in which
our own government described TO have been by the
senator from Maryland Immediately alter our revolu.
oo and her creditors began wis,fal eye towards
the treasury OF the United States. We began hear
said by their that the United States were bound to pay
the debts of Texas, because the United States were
the enjoyment oil the receipts from the customs OF Texas
The United States have acknowledged that obliga-
ton TO this day II was not acknowledged IN the resou-
ons of annexation, at the time the boundary act was
passed. That act provided that slo,oooooo should be
paid TO Texas; and inasnuch that diminished that
fund-to wit, the public lands-whch bad been estab.
shed by the act o annexation as security to the creditors
OF Texas II substituted what was more than an ample
equivalents substituted provision thai $4,000, 900 OF
the amount granted BY the act should not be paid
to The State of Texas until the creditors, or al least
all Of those for whose debts The customs were
Unlled States Thus it will be perceived that The gov
ernmeni OF the United States, throughout the whole mat
ter adhered 10 lis original theory, o-wl' that the debt
OF Texas previous TO the annexation was the aHar OF
Texas, and not OF the United States. IL u provided IN
the boundary act, that $40 100000 shout be pald-to
whom Motto the creditors No. SIR; but 10 the State
OF Texas; reserving, however, the right 10 retain
S5,000,0O0 the treasury oil the United States, until
those creditors who had been secured on the public lands
should file their releases in the treasury OF The United
States that, so Tar IRON this provision IN the bound
any being recognition oil an obligation on The part
OF the United States to pay the debts oil the State OF Tex
asbefore the annexation, tits an adherence 10 the org-
nal idea ha, the debts OF Texas the affairs OF Texas
and that the United States would do than
the creditors whatever 10 be received by the com
pact with the United States from its public lands
The State OF Texas, in looking into those Obligations
has chosen to say that she owed but certain sum, and
that abe would scale those obligations that she not
bound pay what appeared to be due upon their face
but would only pay the amount OF cash value which she
had actually received; and understand from a member
OF the House OF Representatives from the State OF Texas
that the table upon which the debt scaled one
which the creditors al meeting originally presented
scheme which they would be willing to take The State
OF Texas scaled the debt according 10 that table but the
creditors finding that they could not receive dollar for dol
lar from the State that they would not receive, accord
ing TO that law the whole five millions, have now
come back upon u.s. and proposition is introduced here
pay them not only the FIVE millions for which we were
bound by the boundary act but TO pay them instead,
1888 1893 33f-that is, such principal sum as will
amount at three per cent, TO the same annual interest
with FIVE millions at five per cent.
object to this proposition for several reasons One
is that il we do this assume for the United States
liability for the debt OF Texas Another is, that after
assuming that liability, II discharge as is here pro-
posed do what we reproachng Texas for doing
we are repudating portion OF the debt and scaling II !;
for this will pay dollar for dollar the face OF
the oblieaton for which, according the Secretary OF
the Treasury the from the customs of Texas
were bound and IN the next place not only is II act
OF reputation in that point of view, but it is laying vi
olent hands upon money which promised TO pay 10
Texas for the boundary act provides not that should
pay To the credtors but TO Texas herself, when the
creditors should have filed their releases
Suppose that were TO pay these SS,333333 33t,
does any suppose that Texas would not come and
claim the S5 600 which due TO her by this stat
ute, this solemn compact, upon the consideration OF The
vast domain which she ceded for the $40 100000 She
..I 10, not host IN saN al n