respectfully, place before you the following declarations and facts. I am the more decidely persuaded to make this defence, from the fact of having received through a highly authentic and respectable source, an extract from the Governor's message, accompanied by a letter in relation to the affair of the schooner Hannah Elizabeth, penned and directed by J. W. Fannin, jr., to the Governor and Council of Texas. My wish is lo meet the false imputations they contain. If I succeed in the effort, my most anxious hopes and exertions will be amply gratified and rewarded: therefore, I submit to your candid and impartial examination, the following statement of the facts, with the accompanying proof, the witnesses being those whose names are attached. Matagorda, December 17, 1835. To the Honorable the Provisional Government of Texas. Gentlemen,-1 had this honor, under date of 2d instant, and shall give you below, an extract, and then proceed with the leading facts relative to the schooner William Robbins. Sometime early in November last, we, understood that our coast was blockaded by one or two Mexican armed vessels, and the Commillee of Safety of this jurisdiction considered it important that a vessel should immediately be armed and equipped, to attack and drive them off. The schooner William Robbins was at that time in this bay, and by a resolution of this committee, Ira R. Lewis, Esq., and myself were appointed to negotiate the hire or purchase with her captain and owner, William Watlington, who, however, positively declined making any other disposition of her than that of a sale. This, then, we we were compelled lo do, and the price was thirty-five hundred dollars. She was then placed under the command of captain Hurd, and considered a government vessel. From a former conversation with T. F. McKinney, Esq., I was induced to believe that a draft on his house would be accepted, on behalf of the public; and in accordance with that belief, I gave my exchange as chairman of the committee, in virtue of a resoluLion of the body, lo captain Watlington for the amount, taking a bill of sale, and holding the register; and in order further to satisfy captain Watlington that he would be paid, the following named gentlemen entered into a written obligation to hold themselves individually responsible to
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