Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-30

although Fort Brown is in my district
and although the Forty-eighth Congress
mas appropriated this sum of money
which is pronounced to be less than tn
property is worth, not for the site alone
but for the use and occupation 70
more than forty years. l am no
opposed to an Investigation OF thi
question. II by any accident, = b.
any negligence OF the committee o.
appropriations, or Of the gentleman from
Indiana Mr.. Holman, the Forty eight
Congress passed a law eppropriatiul
more money for this property and its u.s.
and occupation for over forty years thal
they were worth, then 1, IS a represents
tive OF the people of this country, do mo-
propose to stand in my place here and Cd
pose any investigation Of that question. l
the price is either excessive or fraudulen
the people of this country ought not to bt
compelled to pay that price.
do not oppose any investigation o.
the question whether S163, eco wSs toe
much or not for the fee of the property
snd for its use and occupancy since the
year 1916, when the Fort was erected By
General Taylor; but l do oppose, Mr..
| Speaker, the extension OF the rights OF
this special committee of investigation
TO inquire into the necessity for the con-
tlnusnce Of Fort Brown. do it, first,
because the history Of this country shows
that such an Investigation is unnecessary
ana useless. Suppose that the gentleman
from Nebraska and the other distinguished
gentlemen on the committee on military
affairs were to bring in a report to this
House saying the continuance Of Fort
Brown was necessity, and as against
that l produced letters from the COM
manding general OF the Department of
Texas, and the commanding general of
the army, what would the gentleman dc?
And | ask the gentleman from Nebraska,
| ask him to answer the question now,
II sthat sub committee is appointed will
you not Inquire from the Commander-in in
Chief Of the army and from the COM
mander of the Department of Texas
whether il is necessary to continue Fort
Brown opposite the city of Matamoras?
The gent man, If he pleeses, will answer
the question right now.
Mr.. Lsird-I fad General Sher nan In
his report and letters
Mr.. Crain-The gentleman will please
answer my question. If that committee
Is appointed would you not call on GEN
eral Saeri an and General Stanley, the
COMMUNICATIVE chief OF the army and the
commander of the department OF Texas,
to testify whether it is necessary to con-
tinue that fort2 Or would you act on
your own Judgment
Mr.. LSird-I would act on military au-
thority. The military authority is sgainst
the continuance Of fhe post. We have
letters frem General Sherman and 9TH
ers.
Mr.. Crsin-Genersl Sherman is not in
command of the army now.
Mr. Laird-He was in his time.
Mr. Crsin-I hsYe letter from General
In which he asserts that the
OF Fort Brown is necessity.
I will read 1t.
ARMY or UEITED STATES.
WASHINGTON, D. O., Jan. IL, 1888.
HON. W. Ii. GRAIN, House of Repr sentativee.
SIR: In reply to your letter OF the s.h Inst /
have the noror to inform you that have been
familiar with Fort Brown. Texas, since 1854 1t
Is tn ateo on the east bar of tie Rio Grande,
near Brownsville, Texas, and opposite the Mex |
lean town of Matamoras, and during the war
with Mexico was a very Important Etstion. It |
Is now connected By rail with Point Ysabe, 122 |
miles dis ant on the Gulf of Mexico, but has no
railway connection with other points Ia the
United States an there are no other railroads |
In that section of Tel as. II is the priacipal |
trading ,own for that region If the state. and |
through il much of the commerce Of Northeast |
ern Mexico finds Its outlet to the gulf. Mata |
moras Mexico, has population of about 10000; |
Browns vile, Texas, of about 5000, and between /
them and near the nre ent pos: the Gu ,nges In |
the channel of the Rio GTande through the &C |
ton of he periodical overt lws Is continually |
la Ia to tran fer territory from this country to
Mexico, OF the reverse, with all the possibili |
ties of confusion and trouble consequent upon |
r these various reatous I believe a garri |
son should be maintsined at Fort Brown, aud
most lib ely for long ime to come The pres |
ence of larg force Is not necessary, but It
will probably always be advantageous to keep |
here about two or three companies for such |
as might arise as, owing to its
rather isolated position, troops cannot readily |
be assembled there, and l also esteem 1t of
great importance 10 con nue. the post as q
check on smuggling, which is very prevalent
al ng that portion # the Rio Graude. Very
truly yours Z. IL. SHERIDAN,
Lieutenant General.
Now, the gentleman has told US that if
this subcommittee were appointed it
would look to the general Of the army
for information upon the question wheth-
er this post should be continued or not,
and when produce sDd read upon this |
floor with the cquiescence-DaS, With |
the consent, because l asked the general
OF the army for his consent-When pro- |
duce and read upon this floor q state |
ment made by him officially, to the effect |
tina. 1t is necessary to continue the post, J
why, ask, ought this House to author |
lie tue committee on military affairs to |
make special investigation on the sub.
ject? l repeat what have said, that do |
not oppose, an Investigation in regard to
the price Tor the fee, for the use 81 oceu-
psncy, and If the gentleman from Ne
brasks (Mr. LAIRD will permit me to
state the proposition that he and the gen,
tleman from Indiana (Mr Holmap) made
TO me
Mr.. Lsird-I will.
MI Crain-I have the permission Of the
gentleman from Nebraska to make this
statement When the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr Holmsr) and the gentle
man from NsbraskS {Mr. Lairo) sp-
preached me on this subject in the last
Congress, told them both that individu-
ally 1 WAS perfectly willing there
should be an investigation Of this charge |
Of excess in payment, but that 1 would |
oppose an inquiry as to the necessity of
the continuance of the post, and they then |
made the proposition to me, both of them
that they would strike out Ct tn : |
resolution the part which provides for sn
Investigation OF inst question IL would
agree that the other part of It |
should pass. To thst did agree; but, SIS
the gentlemen know, obstacles were inter |