556
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
To HENRY M. TRUEHART 1 Executive Department, Austin, March 26, 1860.
Henry M. Truehart, Galveston, Texas Sir: Yours of the 23rd instant has been received. Upon re- ceipt of a letter from the-Comptroller, requesting my approval of these drafts, I wrote him on the subject as per letter enclosed. The law required the Governor to be satisfied that the cor- responding amount subscribed bY. the citizens has been paid before he approved the drafts. I requested the Treasurer to furnish me this evidence which he was not able to do. I then stated to him that the certificates of the State Engineer to that effect or any other substantial evidence that the corresponding drafts had been paid would be satisfactory. The law is clear on this point and is equally clear in refer- ence to the right of the State Engineer to draw directly on the Treasurer. I therefore, did not regard the action of the Comp- troller necessary. The intent of this law was to place the River Funds beyond the reach of the Comptroller. It is now being paid our warrants to meet general appropri- ations daily. I cannot sanction such illegal proceedings, but will approve the drafts as soon as certificates necessary are sent either to me or to the Treasurer. The Comptroller could have had no other motive than to prej- udice you against the Executive in retaining the drafts without stating my reasons. · · Sam Houston. 1 Executive Reco,·d Book, No. 278, p. 110. Texas State Library. Henry Martyn Truehart (March 23, 1832-August 19, 1914) was born in Louisa County, Virginia. He came to Texas with his father's family in 1845. His mother, Anne Tompkins Minor, was the aunt of Commodore Matthew F. Maury. Her four brothers were all men of eminence, two being professors of law, and two physicians of national reputation for their skill in surgery. The boy Henry Martyn had scant public schooling, but was taught at home by his mother. And long before his majority he was thrown upon his own resources, and found it necessary not only to earn a living for himself, but to contribute to the maintenance of the family. In 1857 he was elected Collector and Assessor of Taxes of Galves- ton County, a position he held for ten years. He joined the Confederacy in 1862, and on January 1, 1863, participated in the battle of Galveston, and upon the recapture of the city by the Con- federates, was appointed Assistant Provost Marshal with the rank of Cap- tain. Shortly after the battle of Galveston, he transferred to the army of
Powered by FlippingBook