532
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1844
3 Cruger & Moore were the editors of the Telegrctph and Texas Registe,-; they did a good business in job printing, and had been recently elected to do the government printing. Francis Moore of this firm was intensely anti- Houston. • 1 George K. Teulon was the editor of City and State Gazette (Austin), an anti-Houston, anti-administration paper. To THE TEXAS SENATE 1 Executive Department, Washington, January 27th, 1844. To the Honorable, the Senate: The Executive is constrained from motives of safety and public policy, to return the biW "requiring the Auditor to audit certain accounts therein mentioned," without his approval. As stated in the bill, these claims are for services in trans- porting the mail in the year 1841; but upon inquiry at the Bureau of the General Postoffice, it appears that no such claims have ever been examined or certified by the proper officer. The Execu- tive, therefore, conceives it to be a bad precedent to approve these appropriations unless based upon the data usually demanded of other contractors. Indeed, a different course would render the government liable to be defrauded out of a large sum of money, and to pay the same claim more than once. How is it possible to ascertain with certainty, except by reference to the records of the proper office, that a portion of this claim, at least, has not already been paid? Even a transcript from the books at Austin could not be satisfactory; for who can tell that those books exhibit all the proper charges against the contractors? They may not have been fully posted up. There are doubtless numerous other contractors in precisely the same situation; and were this bill to pass, they would with equal justice call upon Congress and the country for similar relief, and if their calls should not be met, they would have just reason to complain of partiality. The provision for the payment of these claims in drafts on sheriffs does not make the burther lighter upon the country. ¥le need every assistance in supporting the currency, and if these drafts should now be issued the taxes which they would pay would be paid in Exchequer bills. It is a matter of serious regret to the Executive that the finances of the nation require that the payment of this as well as many other claims should be postponed until the means of the nation will enable it to liquidate them. Claimants for advances to the amount of millions are importunate for remuneration. The
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