536
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
1837 Fe~. 24, MICKLEBERRY FENELL, LA GRANG-E, [GEOR- GIA] TO MIR BEAU [BUONAPARTE) L lAR, CO UM- BIA [FORW RDED TO] BRAZORIA, TEXAS Asking his co-operation in finding his runaway son, Augustus Fenell, and getting him started in business. A. L. S. 2 p.
No. 535
1837 Feb. -, .A1 TO. 1 l~IOUS 'fO [S.) _HOUSTON, [HOUSTO1 ?]
Excellent Sir Pursuant to the intimation your Excellency did me the honor to give me a few days ago, "that you would like to see my views of the fi cal concerns of the country on paper-" I beg leave to State, that from the commencement of the revolution my main anxiety ha been caused by fear that the means, (i\Ioney, the Sinews of War) would not be obtained in sufficient amount. to enable us to carry on the war with efficiency· Not for want of sufficient resources but from want of practical men wen· versed in financial operations to call those re- sources into valuable nse- At the comencement of the fir~t Campaign the writer of this article address'd a note to Genl ustin, then exnecessitate Commander in Chief suggesting to him that the land dues payable by law to the State of Coahuila and Texa which the condition of the country put it out . of the power of the people to pay in money, migbt be made available for the e,'{penses of the Campaign by a decree appointing an officer to audit all claims, for services in the field, for cattle, provisions or other articles, delivered for the use of the Army and on authentication, such papers to be made receivable in payment of land dues, with the object of enabling the poor settlers who could not pay their Govt. unes in money to avail themselves of Services in the feild or of the delivery of property to di charg-e the obligations of the law, to make their title. Secnre, This mea. nre was estimated to cover the Sum of 80,000$ toward<; the expenses of the Campaign on the supposition that tho e who had due to pay and had rendered no servico would purchaso from tho e who had u surplusagc,- Tt wa adopted and was of ome relief to the treasury until the reception of drafts on the treasury in payment of dues, was s11spe11ded. 'fhere ha at no time hecn any want of disposition in rapitalists in the U to ftlTnish Texas with large snms of money or term which to my apprchensio11 this Govt ou~ht to ha\'e promptly acceded to, under the conviction that any acrificc which the country Conld mako good five or ten yearn hence, ,were better than to risk all by uot having money enongh immediately to pay and supply tl10 Army and su lain the credit of the ountry. Durin~ the rciE,ril of the fir. t provisional ftOV rnment money wn freely offered for land at 50 Cents pr acre n price at which indi- vidual Cit izcn. we>re willi11g to ell the best lands in Texas h ld undor Secure title , but the Commis r. were not clothed with authority to
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