260
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1861
The Executive in his message, presented for your considera- tion the following figures, showing the probable receipts and dis- bursements for the present year:
Amount due for Rangers' pay and subsistence_______$ Interest warrants in circulation____________________________ Defense of frontier ------------------------------________________________. Ordinary expenses of Government (see Comp- troller's Report for September, 1859) ________________ Amount due on outstanding debt ______________________________ _ Amount of debt of Republic which wiU be ca11ed for__
155,000.00 129,556.99 500,000.00 331,400.00 50,000.ou 10,000.00
Total ___ ·----------------------------------------------------------$1, 175,956.99 The expenses of the present session of the Legislature are also to be provided for. Total receipts to August 31, 1861 (see Comptroller's Report, September, 1859) ________________________ __________ ______ $343,344.27 Amount in Treasury subject to disbursement, Janu- ary 19, 1861 (per Treasurer's report)_________________ 14,785.62 Total _____ ..·-·--·____ ·-----------------------------------------$358,129.89 The above amount shows a deficiency on the 19th of January, 1861, of $817,827.10. The amount due Rangers alone for serv- ices rendered up to this period, amounts to at least $300,000, and unless means are adopted to pay their claims in money the same will depreciate, and no temporizing expedient can prevent that res~lt. The government must go 'on performing its func- tions or anarchy will ensue, and to keep it in motion money is necessary. The frontier must be defended or the settlements must give way, and no matter .what expedient may now be resorted to: both men and money must be had, and the Execu- tive implores the Legislature not to wait until the call for men and money comes laden with the dying shrieks of women and children. The Legislature may vouchsafe to the people of the frontier the privilege of protecting themselves at their own cost, depend- ing upon promises to pay in the future; but such a policy will be found totally inadequate to the present emergency. Cash will be needed to pur_chase ammunition and supplies. By the Treas- urer's report, received on Saturday, the 2d instant, it appears
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