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port of government a direct tax of one half per cent advalorem on real estate!" ( !t7JCeep dark, says a wise one to a. another all this while) And all, again, cry-"AMEN"! (Here again the wise ones caucus, and select from Eeclesiasticus, chap 13th, verse 19th, for their Motto:- "As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness: so the rich eat up the poor." "But Mr. Speaker, it IS absolutely necessary to keep up the c1trre11cy. And, to do this, we must have recourse to the successful exnedient of a Tariff: We were BORN in the land of 'l'ARIFFS ! Every member pres- ent, knows its principle, and the Modus operandi! Lord Sir, let us have only a 'l'ariff, and it requires not the spirit of prophecy to argue how, the LAND will flourish!" (The simple ones, all this while, listen- ing with PROFOUND attention,) and then, once more, all cry aloud "A:r,rnN."-And lo! and behold! a Tariff "is born" in Texas!!- The wise ones, no doubt, being well aware, that such law could not, by any possibility, be made to operate justly on all the good people of Texas; particularly on the inhabitants of the Eastern part, which is bounded by from 6 to 8 hun [dred] miles of the Red and Sabine rivers. Where from the very nature of things, it is impossible to enforce a due col- lection of duties. While the Southern and Western parts, which bore the bru,nt of INVANSION [sic] and WAR, and which stand in need of "much importations, brought by Vessels into port, are made to pay; for, in these cases, there can be no EVASIONS by SMUGGLING. And in this way is Western Texas paying more than her just quota: she pay- ing, not ONE HALF per cent only DIRECT, but from 10 to 25 per cent, INDIRECT tax! And all these too, forsooth, to save the large land- holder the payment of his just proportion of expense. And is this to be continued, until, by time and circumstances, these large unoccupied landed estates shall have _grown Valuable? Pshaw! Let this system of things cease: and, the sooner, the better. In lieu therof I hope to see a wholesome direct land tax of from ONE to 1 AND HALF per cent. Then will these enormous landholders probably soon disgorge them- selves of their surfeit. Then will these lands likely be occupied by the actual improvers who constitute the stamina of all countries- And if we can have, at the same time, a free commercial intercourse, not trammelled by RES.TRICTIONS, IMPOSITIONS and PROHIBITION, we may expect soon to see a happy and prosperous condition of Texas. Much, I hear, has been lately said of removing the permanent loca- tion of the seat of government; and, that likely an attempt will be made in the coming session to this effect. Whether there will be mem- bers there, so lost to all sense of propriety, as to advocate such measure remain to be seen. Certain I am, that it would be most IMPOLITIC & UNJUST: because, it would, in the first place, tend to destroy all CON- FIDENCE and CORDIALITY, which ought, above all things, to [be fost]ered and cherished among the Citizens of 'l'exas; and secondly, it would annihilate every principle of PUBLIC FAITH; and consequently, present our Government in the Aspect of derision and scorn -amongst the Nations of the earth. Only a passing word with respect to present affairs, and I close.- I am well pleased with the course which has been lately pursued in relation to the Indians. I think it is such a
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