WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
558
the Department will enable the State to use the amout at par without the expense of a special agent. You are not aware, I presume, but it is nevertheless true, that it is mortifying to a Delegation in Congress to send on a special agent to transact any busin~ss in behalf of the State which they believe tt their duty to perform without conflicting with representative functions. Hence, I do not believe it my duty to sanction those proposals as I can see no reason for sending on a special agent. The ex- penditure of even a small sum in the present state of the Treas- ury is very important, and should, if possible, be avoided. Sam Houston. 1 Co1npt?-olle1·s' Letters; also Executive Reco1·ds, 1859-1861, p. 111, Texas State Library. Johns's letter to which this is a reply is in the Co·mptrollers' Letters.
To AsA H. WILLIE 1 Executive Department, Austin, March 26, 1860.
Judge Asa H. Willie, Dear Sir: Your favor of the 18th instant enclosing an account of Fifty Dollars against the Executive Department, and in favor of J. W. Barrett, is this morning to hand. The amount, no doubt, is correct and should have been paid long ere this. The fund, however, out of which it should have been paid, is now entirely exhausted. I have already paid several accounts which were standing over unpaid when I came into office, but this being much larger, and one-tenth of the entire amount at my disposal for Contingencies, I must, therefore, decline paying it at present. The extraordinary expenses incident to the present adminis- tration I greatly fear will exhaust the whole fund before the end of the term though upon applicatnon to the Legislature I have no doubt that an appropriation will be made. Sam Houston. 1Executive Record Boole, No. 278, p. 112, Texas State Library. Asa Hoxie Willie (October 11, 1829-March 16, 1899) was born at Wash- ington, Wilkes County, Georgia. At the age of 16-in 1846-he came to Texas and lived for one year with his mother's brother, Dr. Asa Hoxie, at Independence, Washington County; but in 1847 he began the study of law in the office of his elder brother, James Willie, at Brenham. From 1852 to 1854, he was attorney for the Third Judicial District of Texas. In 1857, he moved to Austin to assist his brother, who was, at the time,
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