The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume III

94

TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

& that no reduction could be made on it. I could not see the sufficiency of his reason for changing his mind on that all important point and inasmuch as the whole of my propositions had been founded upon his to reduce the duty on Texian cotton I told him that we must com- mence at the beginning & make entirely .new propositions-to which he objected and insisted on holding me to my terms, even after he had refused to comply with those he had proposed; I told him that that was impossible, and that the negotiation must be broken off if he in- sisted on such unequal concessions We then separated with the prom- ise on his part that we shall meet again after he shall have commu- nicated to his Govt our conversation. I am now persuaded that I shall be compelled (if we agree at all) to make reductions in the Tariff of Texas on some of the leading French articles without receiving in re- turn anything but recognition-Such would not have been the case if I could have finished the business previous to 1\fr Saligneys arrival. Since I have conversed with Genl H- I am prepared to yield more than I previously believed I could have consented to; but still I am determined to delay the business rather than make a Treaty that will embarrass Texas in her negotiations with either powers and even to break off the negotiation rather than make one that would be in the slightest degre [eJ disreputable. I am in no very good spirits or humour and have delayed writing this letter until the last moment before the Packet mail starts in order to give you the latest news & therefore I write it in great haste

I 'have the honour to remain your Most obdt & very humble sevt J Pinckney Henderson

To His Exclcy

Genl 1\I B Lamar &c &c &c

[Endorsed]

J. Henderson Sep. 1. '39

No. 1434 1839 Sept. 2, H. HUMPHREYS, [HOUSTON, TEXAS], TO M. B. LAMAR, HOUSTON, [TEXASJ 53

Monday morning

Dear Sir

Mess'rs Festus Doyle & Patrick l\IcGlone have just called upon me requesting me to open a poll for San Patricio in a depopu- lated County The only law 54 which [ J 55 however on the [ J 55 examination [ ] 55 now give is on page 232 of the first vol- ume of the acts, which provides that the President . "be required to "order the polls to be opened for election of representatives for the de- 08A. L. S. "Act of June 5, 1837. Printed in Gammel, H.P. N., Laws of Texas, I, 12!12. ""Words missing where manuscript is mutilated.

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