WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
66
a receipt for the money left with him. Saligny called again the next week, but was told the bonds were still not ready. After that time Saligny called at the Stock Commissioner's office twice weekly, but was told each time that the Texas government had still not received the bonds. By April 10, 1841, Count Pontois, for whom Saligny was making the investment, ordered him to sell the bonds. Saligny then demanded that the bonds be delivered to him, or that the Promissory Notes which he had deposited be returned. But DeMorse refused to return the notes, saying that they were no longer in his hands, but were in the possession of the Texas government and could not be reissued. Thus, Saligny was prevented from selling as Pontois dii:ected, at the time the bonds were selling at 33 cents on the dollar. By June, 1842, these same bonds were worth only four cents on the dollar. . Concerning this matter, Houston also left a memorandum to the effect that the Texas government must redeem the notes at a value of $1,420.40, their value on April 1, 1841, as the fault lay with the Texas Government or with its agents. See Garrison (ed.), Diplomatic Col'1·esponclence of the Repttblic of Texas, III, 1368-1369. To ANSON J ONES 1 Executive Department, City of Houston, June 10, 1842. To the Hon. Anson Jones : Sir,-You are hereby constituted and appointed a commissioner on the part of the Government of Texas, and empowered to nego- tiate a loan under an act, entitled an act to authorize the Presi- dent to negotiate a loan of 1,000,000 of dollars, approved January 22, 1839. You will proceed forthwith to the United States in the discharge of the above duty, and be governed by your letter of instructions, which will be handed you with the privilege of making such changes in the negotiation as you may deem ex- pedient. You will receive for your services the compensation allowed by law. Sam Houston [Seal] 1 Anson Jones, Memoranda and Official Co1·respondence, Republic of Texas, 203. Another copy of this same letter-with slight changes in the word- ing-is to be found in Compt1·olle,·'s Lette,·s, Texas State Library. The letter of this latter source is dated June 5, instead of June 10. The letter of instruction to which Houston refers was a form of contract with Alexander Bourgeois d'Orvanne in which d'Orvanne agreed to lend the Republic of Texas 1 million dollars on the pledge of receipts from the sale of certain lands. The docum•?r.t is in Public Debt Pa])ers, Texas State Library. Anson Jones claimed that he negotiated the loan and was entitled to a commission of one per cent, 01· $10,000.
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