country, in secLions of 640 acres each, for Lhe purpose of satisfying with the proceeds, all duly aulhenticaled claims of said McK & W-for supplies, munitions, transportation, & money hitherto advanced by them to the government, as also all claims for future advances of the like character, (said claims to be also properly authenticated)-for a more particular description of which application or proposition, reference is here made to the Communication of said McK & W.-refcrcd lo above & made part hereof beg leave to report, that in consideration of this subject the first question to be disposed of, related to the power of the present Government to dispose of the public domain, for any purposes whatever-The question your Committee feel no difficulty, in resolving in the affirmative, conceiving as they do that the 1st article or Resolu Lion of the Executive Decrees, clearly confers plenary_ powers to do whatever might be demanded by the necessities of the country, during the existence of the Government, ad interim, wiLh the exception merely of legislative and judicial acts. The supplying the necessities of the War, upon which the very existence of the Country evidently depended, must have been the most important object, to which the plenary powers confered, were expected to he applied, and applied too, in the utmost variety which could be required for the great end in view.- The 9th Article of the Decrees, which confers the power to raise a million of DoUars; by a Loan predicated on the proceeds of the sale of public lands, cannot, be construed to be exclusive of the power to raise money by other means, unless it can be supposed that the convention intended to Decree that the world should without the right of refusal loan to Texas a million of Dollars, upon the mere pledge of the public faith, and that the exigencies of the War within a given time, should not demand for their relief, pecuniary aid beyond the Sum of a million of Dollars, a Species of limitation this, which it can scarely be supposed, a powerful invading enemy would be at all indinr.d to consider or respect- That part of the Constitution which is directory in regard to the public lands, saying that no survey or title which may hereafter be made shall be valid unless such survey or title which may hereafter be made shall be valid unless such survey or title shall be authorized by this Convention or some future Congress of
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