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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1861
he has ever regarded it as subject to the same appropriation and being within the purview of. the authority expressly granted to use that fund. The grounds upon which the Executive would recommend the use of the Land Sales Fund would be the pressing emergency existing for furnishing the troops in the field, in defence of the frontier with actual necessary supplies. The Comptroller may decline to meet the emergency brought upon the Government by the distressing condition of our frontier inhabitants, upon the ground that there is no law authorizing the use of a dormant fund, but, in as much as considerable force is attached to precedent he surely cannot want for that assurance to set aside the laws, as several special funds have hitherto been paid out upon his warrant either special or general authority. Had the Comptroller respected my orders and not paid out the University Fund for the Cortinas Wars, there would not now be any necessity for using this special Fund. The Executive regrets exceedingly that he is powerless to supply the troops in the field. But as he has used every effort to defend the inhabitants of the frontier, the blame attached to the failure to supply the troops already sent forward must rest upon others than himself. The previous mismanagement of govern- ment funds, as well as the letter of the Treasurer of this morning, assure me that no more money can be drawn from the Treasury without conflicting with the sum necessary to meet the current monthly expenses of the Government. · Sam Houston.
1 Financial Papers, Texas State Library.
To HARVEY H. ALLEN 1 Executive Department, Austin, Texas, January 14, 1861. Hon. H. H. Allen Sir: The Washington County Rail Road Company having completed one section of five miles or more of its road, and hav- ing made application for an Engineer to examine the work done, You are requested to proceed at once and make the necessary examination of the work already done, and report, under oath, the same to this Department. You will also report, under oath, the condition and standing of the affairs of the said Company, in
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