Statement of amounts paid by the State of Texas for frontier protection from January 28, 1855, to January 28, 1861. For pay of companies under Captains Callahan, Benton, and Henry, (act For pay of mileage, subsistence, and volunteers under Captains Callahan, For pay of paymaster three companies volunteers called out, (act of De- For pay of six companies called out by General Smith, (act of January 14, 1856) For balance expenses on account contracts for six companies volunteers called out by smith, (act of January 14, 1856). Amounts paid. $15, 571 01 5,750 60 100 00 46, 106 83 4,026 43 For pay of Capt. William Tom's company, (act of August 30, 1856). 1,494 72 1,764 86 917 46 408 97 100 00 For pay of three companies minute-men under Sansom, Davenport, and 4,000 00 71,839 03 For pay of four companies under Captains Carmack, Connor, Hodge, and 18,867 62 For the better protection of the frontier, (act of January 27, 1857). For pay and supplies for Capt. G. H. Nelson's company volunteers, (act of For pay and subsistence of Captains Ford's, Bourland's, and Brown's com- For pay of necessary expenses incurred by Captain Tobin's company, (act of January 12, 1869), For pay protection of the frontier, (act of February 3, 1860), For pay and subsistence of troops on Rio Grande, (act of February 15, 1860) For pay of supplies furnished troops on frontier, (act of February 8, 1861). For pay of supplies of Captain Williams's company in 1858 and 1859, (act of February 11, 1851). For pay of Captain Williams's company in 1858 and 1859, (act of April 1, 1861) Total....... 14, 655 40 60,480 00 9.748 28 177, 144 16 36,966 40 21,602 16 7,497 15 10,070 82 509, 111 95 I, Stephen H. Darden, comptroller of public accounts for the State of Texas, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct statement of expenditures on account "frontier protection," as appears by the records of this office. Witness my hand and impress of official seal, at Austin, Texas, this 23d day of December, A. D. 1875. [SEAL.] STEPH. H. DARDEN, Comptroller. Statement of amounts paid by the State of Texas for “frontier protection." Troops called out by Governors A. J. Hamilton, E. J. Davis, and Richard Coke. Payments made volunteers called out by Gov. A. J. Hamilton, October 14 and 20, 1865, (act of November 12, 1866) $3,570 76 Payments made volunteers called out by Gov. E. J. Davis, under acts of €51, 976 14 Payments made volunteers called out by Gov. Richard Coke, under act of April 10, 1874: Amount paid from appropriation, (act of May 4, 1874) 299,986 19 71,842 58 Total 1,027, 375 67 I, Stephen H. Darden, comptroller of public accounts for the State of Texas, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct statement of expenditures on account of "frontier protection," as appears from the records of this office. Witness my hand and impress of official seal at Austin, Texas, this 23d day of December, A. D. 1875. [SEAL.] . STEPH. H. DARDEN, Comptroller. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE OF TEXAS, To the Texas delegation in Congress, Washington, D. C. (Care of Hon. S. GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to call your attention to the following matters of interest to the State, requiring attention at the National Capital: 1. The Government of the United States holds a balance of $101,113.27 due the State of Texas from funds left in the hands of the former to pay the debt of the republic of Texas. No claim is believed to have been presented against this fund within the last fifteen years, and the debt of the republic of Texas is believed to have been fully settled. The State needs the balance of this fund, and ought to have it. 2. I send inclosed statements from the office of the comptroller of public accounts, showing amounts expended by the State of Texas for frontier defense from the 28th of February, 1855, to the commencement of the late civil war, and from the commencement of Gov. A. J. Hamilton's administration, after the war, to date, the amount aggregating $1,536,487.62. It will be remembered that by act of the legislature of Texas, approved February 1, 1856, the State withdrew and abandoned all claims against the Government of the United States growing out of Indian depredations prior to the 28th of February, 1855. This large amount of money is justly due from the National Government to Texas; and I hope that such steps as to you may seem wise may be taken at once for the assertion of this claim. 3. I inclose a public-debt statement from the Treasury Department for November, 1875, which shows that twenty-one of the Texas indemnity bonds and interest thereon are still unpaid. These bonds are not in our treasury, and most probably were stolen during the war, and may be destroyed, or held by parties who fear to present them. I would be glad to know what proceedings are necessary, or will be required, on the part of the State or her officers, to enable her to demand payment of these lost bonds at the Treasury, and, so far as you can do so, to aid in accomplishing the collection of the money. 4. I sent three days ago to each of your delegation copies of AdjutantGeneral Steel's report on Rio Grande troubles; also, copies of the memorial of the late constitutional convention of Texas on the same subject, and refer you to the action of last ses-ion of the fourteenth legislature on the same subject heretofore furnished. I beg, also, to refer you to copies of letter from General Potter, commanding at Brownsville, to General Ord, commanding the department, herewith inclosed, in that connection, and to suggest that if the Government of the United States does not afford defense and security for the people of that border against Mexican invasions it will be impossible to restrain the people much longer from organizing and following the raiders into Mexico, and retaliating summarily upon the Mexican border. Our people have been plundered there until they ought not to submit to it longer. General Ord, the able and efficient commander of the department, is doing all he can to protect our people, but he is utterly powerless. A police force, irregular troops, rather than a strictly military organization, is required there. If the President would take into the service of the United States Captain McNelly, with say three hundred and fifty men, (five hundred would be better,) such as he would recruit, they would protect that country. They will do service such as the officers and men of the United States Army cannot or will not do. They never have done any good against the predatory bands of robbers who are devastating that country, and never will. None but Texas troops have ever checked their operations at all. If the United States Government will not protect that border, the State must and will; but it is a burden which she ought not to bear. I do hope that you will leave nothing undone, no effort unmade, to procure the requisite relief. On this subject I refer you, also, to General Ord's last report, and believe I can assure you of any assistance you may desire from him in procuring measures for relief. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, RICHARD COKE, [H. Res. 23.] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January 6, 1876.-Read twice, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Mr. REAGAN, on leave, introduced the following joint resolution : JOINT RESOLUTION authorizing and directing the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the State of Texas one million five hundred and thirty-six thousand four hundred and seventeen dollars and sixty-two cents on account of moneys paid out by said State for frontier defense. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to pay, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the State of Texas, the sum of one million five hundred and thirty-six thousand four hundred and seventeen dollars and sixty-two cents, with lawful interest thereon, to re-imburse said State for moneys paid as compensation and for supplies for troops for the defense of the frontiers of Texas from the twentyeighth day of February, eighteen hundred and fifty-five, to the commencement of the late civil war, and from the commencement of the administration of the State government by Governor Andrew J. Hamilton to the present time. [House of Representatives. Mis. Doc. No. 185. Forty-fourth Congress, first session.] Joint resolution of the legislature of Texas relative to the protection of the frontier of said State, and compensation for past expenditures by the State in that behalf. JULY 17, 1876.-Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to be printed. SECTION 1. Be it resolved by the legislature of the State of Texas, That the Federal Government owes to Texas protection of her exposed frontiers, by virtue of her right as a member of the Union to an equal par ticipation in the benefits and blessings which its Constitution guarantees to all the States, among which is defense against invasion; and the republic of Texas, upon her accession to the Union, having ceded to the United States all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and har bors, navy and navy-yards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defense, the faith of the United States thereby became solemnly pledged to extend to the frontiers of the said republic of Texas the most ample protection, without which, as a condition precedent, Texas would have had no sufficient inducement to surrender her independent political position. SEC. 2. That our Senators in the Congress of the United States are hereby instructed, and our Representatives are hereby requested, to present to Congress now assembled these resolutions of the legislature of the State of Texas, and to urge upon that body the enactment of such laws as will secure to our frontiers ample military protection against Indians and Mexican freebooters; the military forces of the United States on our borders being too weak under the most effective command to afford such protection, and the State of Texas being compelled, in defense of the property and lives of her citizens, to maintain in the field a considerable military force at her own expense. SEC. 3. That our said Senators be instructed and our Representatives requested to present and urge before Congress the passage of a bill reimbursing the State of Texas for the large appropriations of money which, from time to time, have necessarily been made by her legisla ture, because of the failure of the Federal Government to provide sufficient protection to our frontiers. SEC. 4. That the governor of the State be requested to transmit to our Senators and Representatives in Congress a copy of these resolu tions, together with an itemized statement of all expenditures made by the State in the protection of her frontiers. SEC. 5. The fact that Congress will adjourn at an early day, and the necessity for prompt action, requires that this joint resolution take effect, and it is hereby declared that it do take effect, from and after its passage. Approved July 6, 1876. THE STATE OF TEXAS, * I, A. W. De Berry, secretary of state for the State of Texas, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original enrolled senate joint resolution No. 169, passed by the fifteenth legislature of the State of Texas, and now on file in this department. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed the seal of State, at the city of Austin, this the 7th day of July, A. D. 1876. [SEAL.] A. W. DE BERRY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, At a regular meeting of the Committee on Military Affairs of the House of Representatives, held June 21, 1876, the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the joint resolution (H. R. 23) for the payment to the State of Texas for expenses incurred in her defense against incursions from Mexico, and the accounts filed therewith, be referred to the Secretary of War, with the request that he will have the amounts for said expenses duly inspected, and make report thereon of the amount really due the State of Texas on account of the same. A copy.-Attest: JAS. A. DAWSON, Clerk Committee Military Affairs, House of Representatives.. |