49
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1854
treasury; and here follows the affidavit of Moore relative to the -claim and transfer, as well as the letter of the treasurer, which, when all summed up, presents one of the most remarkable cases of veracity or defective memory on record. The committee of the Legislature of Texas, to whom the matter was referred, recommended a bill for the relief of the heirs of Wells. But here is the affidavit of Commodore Moore: "City of Austin, State of Texas: "I, E. W. Moore, of Galveston, Texas, do solemnly swear that a certificate of second class debt of the State of Texas, was issued to the "heirs of Fleming T. Wells, deceased," and placed in my hand as administrator of the said Wells, by the auditor and Comptroller of the State of Texas, amounting to $4,125.28; that the said certificate is not now in my possession, but is illegally and improperly held by some person who has not authority to draw or receive the said money from the treasury of the State of Texas, it being the property of the aforesaid "heirs at law of the said Fleming T. Wells." "I therefore hereby enter this my protest against the same, or any part of it, being paid by the treasurer, or other proper officer to the present holder of the aforesaid certificate, or to any one, except the duly authorized person to receive the same for the heirs at law of the said Fleming T. Wells, deceased. "Given under my hand this 16th day of February, 1852. "E. W. Moore, Late Administrator." The document of which the above is a copy, sworn to, and subscribed before Francis T. Duffan, a notary public of Travis county.... Moore solemnly swore to that in the presence of a notary public; and it is certified as a truthful and authentic document by the chief clerk of the House of Representatives, the proper certifying officer. The chairman of the committee on public debt addressed a letter to the Treasurer upon the subject, to which that officer replied, as follows: "Hon. James W. Scott, Chairman Committee Public Debt, House of Rep1·esentatives. 10 "Sir: In reply to your request, asking for such information as I am able to give, relative to the situation of the public debt certificate of Fleming T. Wells, deceased, amounting to $4,125.28, I will state the following facts incident thereto:
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