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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1858
marvelous and wonderful to connect with their names. Let scien- tific gentlemen be satisfied with their sciences, acting in their appropriate spheres; but I protest most solemnly against ~nything that will delay the running of this line. Texas has, for years past, earnestly desired its consummation. She is aware of the difficulty, and we are aware of it too, in Congress, notified in our official character that there is a conflict now between land titles on the boundary of New Mexico and Texas. We hear individuals complaining of detriment in conse- quence of it; and these difficulties will be multiplied by every delay. If you wait until midsummer before you commence this important work, we shall find that it will linger on till autumn; and then they will have to leave there, and make a second cam- paign; and instead of the reasonable amount of $80,000 pro- vided in the bill-and $40,000 ought to accomplish it-it will take $140,000 if it is not adopted immediately, and the work set about and accomplished so soon as practicable. If you send men to make scientific discoveries and write books to t}).e number of forty or fifty, who can read those books? A man who is industrious, or intends to make an honest living, has no chance to do it. You are throwing impediments in the way of industry when you are creat- ing these books. You create a morbid appetite in children for pretty pictures. They will not learn their alphabets. [Laughter.] I will have none of it. [Mr. Davis, Mr. Henderson, the Vice-President, and Mr. Fes- senden speak.] . Mr. Houston. This amendment is in perfect accordance with what I think the true interests of the State of Texas and of the United States require. It will not preclude the President of the United States, or the War Department from sending such an escort as is necessary; but it will prevent an incumbrance of the commission by a number of officers who would delay the expedition on their march, and would necessarily be distributed over the country in making scientific observations and delay the completion of the work beyond the time that would be requisite to accomplish it in a proper manner, if the number is restricted to the provisions of the amendment. 1 Congressional Globe, 1857-1858, Part 3, pp. 2210, 2211. The Senate in Committee of the Whole took up the consideration of House Bill No. 152, it being to authorize the President of the United States in conjunction with the State of Texas, to run and mark boundary lines between the territories of the United States and the State of Texas. The question pending was on
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