The Writings of Sam Houston, Volume III

WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842

101

1·eturned to Austin and took up his duties as cha1·ge again. For the official documents concerning "The War of the Pig," as this unpleasantness is humorously called, see Diplomatic Correspondence of the Republic of Texas (MS.), Texas State Library; also, Garrison (ed.), Diplcnnatic Correspond- ence of the Republic of Texas, I, passim.

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1

Executive Department, City of Houston, July 15, 1842.

To the Honorable, the House of Representatives: In reply to a resolution of your Honorable Body of the 1st instant, I herewith transmit an estimate from the War Depart- ment of the amount required to pay, equip and provision four companies of cavalry for six months. Sam Houston.

1 Executivc Reco1·d Book, No. 40, p. 118, Texas State Library.

TO THE TEXAS SENATE 1 Executive Department, City of Houston, July 15th, 1842 To the Honorable, the Senate: In pursuance of an intimation in my communication of the 9th instant, transmitting the correspondence, &c., upon the subject of the removal of the national archives, I have the honor herewith to enclose a copy of the order of Lieutenant Colonel W. S. Wallace,2 addressed to Mr. George Noessell, 8 and directing the detention of wagons, the examination of trunks, &c., &c. Sam Houston. 1 Executive Reco1·d Book, No. 40, pp. 118-119, Texas State Library. 2 See Houston to the Senate July 9, 1842. 8 By a provision of the Texas Constitution (Section 3, general provision) the president and heads of departments were required to 1·etain their offices at the seat of government unless removed by permission of Congress, or unless in cases of emergency in time of war the public interest might require the removal of these offices to a safer location. When news of the Mexican invasion reached President Houston, he ordered (March 10, 1842) the removal of the archives of the Republic from Austin to the city of Houston. The citizens of Austin held a mass meeting and appointed a committee to organize resistance to this order. They notified the Land Commissioner, Thomas William Ward, that they were ready to assist him in removing the Land Office papers to a place of safety, but that they, and not the President would select that place of safety. The affair caused

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