826
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
and in the behalf of said Inhabitants respectfully represent to your sovereignty that should it be deemed Consistent with the general in- terest of the Nation they solicit that the priviledge of raising Tobacco should be granted to the province of Texas on the sn.me terms as allowed to the Towns Orizava Cordova etc or on such terms as your sovereignty may deem proper and also the priviledge of raising that article·for exportation- This is a priviledge if granted will in the humble Opinion of these Inhabitants Greatly benefit the eastern section· of the Nntion with- out in the least injuring that branch of the Revenue derived from Tobacco and it is also one which it is conceived that the peculiar situation of this province and the long sufferings and distresses of its inhabitants gives them strong Claims to ask for- 'The province of Texas must solely depend upon Agriculture for its support hav- ing no mines to enrich it. Also its situation on the sea Coast will afford great facilities £or the exportation of its Agricultural produc- tions If therefore the· Government will encourage its •Agriculture it .Might rise from its present state of wretchedness and misery and in- stead of being an expense to the Nation to defend it from the sav- ages as it now is it probably would in a short time be able to afford its full quota with the other States towards the support and defence of the Mexican Government--- It therefore appears to these Inhabi- tants that numerous benefits would result from this privilcdge-it would aid the distressed Inhabitants of this Country [to recover] the losses caused by 10 years horrid war 'with savages it would encourage agriculture which has alwas been considered the safest and most solid weath of any nation-and which has therefore been protected 0-nd encouraged by the Civilised World. it would save in the Country much money that would be otherwise sent out to purchase Tobacco for the National Estanque and it would actually bring into the Country large sums of Money and ::tvlerchandise that would be re- ceived in foreign Countries for the exported Tobacco and thus give greater activity and extention to our Commerce and industry and 8.11 these advantages it appears to these Inhabitants would be pro- duced without in the least injuring the national Revenue produced from 'Tobacco because all that would be sold in the Country would ho delivered to the Government nnd Consequently the monopoly in that Article would continue unimpaired- Should it not be considered proper to grant this priviledge to this whole province these Inhabitants respectfully hope that the dis- tresses and Sufferings they have undergone in Establishing a settle- ment in an entire wilderness surrounded on every side by hostile savages and struggling as they hav:e through one whole year with
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