CHAPTER XII.

JOINT RESOLUTION ASKING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO SEND A JOINT COMMITTEE TO THE FRONTIERS OF TEXAS TƆ INQUIRE INTO AND REPORT UPON THE NUMBER OF MURDERS, AND EXTENT OF THE OUTRAGES COMMITTED IN TEXAS DURING THE

LAST (5) FIVE YEARS, AND NOW BEING COMMITTED IN TEXAS BY BANDS OF INDIANS LIVING WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND HARBORED WITHIN THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO.

WHEREAS, By the terms of the joint resolution of the Congress of the United States, of December 29, 1845, admitting Texas into the Union as one of the States thereof, it was declared that the State of Texas was "admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever," and,

Whereas, Section 4 of Article 4 of the Constitution of the United States provides, among other things, that the United States shall protect each of the States "against invasion;" and

Whereas, During the last five (5) years the State of Texas has been invaded constantly by bands of Indians living within the boundaries of the United States, and with some of which bands the government of the United States has, at different times, made treaties of peace, and some of which bauds have been fed and clothed by the government of the United States; and

Whereas, Said Indians during the last five (5) years have murdered several hundreds of the citizens of Texas, have stolen and destroyed property to the amount of millions of dollars in value, have not only retarded the settlement of the frontier counties of the State, but have almost depopulated several of the counties thereof most exposed to their invasions, and are at present actively engaged in their hellish work of murder, outrage and plunder; and

Whereas, During the last five (5) years bands of Indians known as the "Kickapoos" and "Lipans" have found a safe asylum within the territory of the Republic of Mexico, contiguous to the western frontier of Texas, from which territory they have made repeated invasions each year into the western counties of Texas, murdering and carrying into captivity many citizens of Texas, and returning to Mexico laden with property captured from the people of Texas, with the full knowledge of the Mexican authorities, and without any opposition thereto having been offered by the Mexican authorities up to the present time, and it is fully believed that not

less than one hundred (100) of the citizens of Texas have been murdered and carried into captivity by said Indians during the last five (5) years, while the work of murder and plunder was never more actively carried on by said Indians than at the present time; and

Whereas, During the last five (5) years the government of the United States has failed to make good its guarantee to protect the State of Texas "against invasion," and the State of Texas is not allowed to make war upon the savages who are under the protection of the United States and ravage our frontiers and murder our citizens, nor to make war upon the Indians who find a safe asylum in Mexico, from whence they invade our western counties, and the people of Texas are thus placed at the mercy of these savages without the means of retaliation; and

Whereas, The appeals of the people of Texas to the government of the United States for the relief and prosection to which they are justly entitled, have been unheeded, and it has been asserted in the Congress of the United States that the statements of Indian outrages in Texas are greatly exaggerated, and in the main have been fabricated by interested parties desiring contracts, etc.; and

Whereas, The Congress of the United States has, at different times, sent committees into different pa ts of the Union to inquire into and report upon the murder of numbers of its citizens; therefore,

Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That the Congress of the United States is hereby earnestly petitioned to send a joint committee from both houses to the frontier of Texas, to inquire into and report upon the facts set forth in the preamble to this resolution, to the end that the State of Texas may be protected by the United States against further invasion.

Be it further resolved, That our Senators are hereby instructed to do all in their power to secure the appointment of a joint committee for the purpose stated in the foregoing resolution.

Be it further resolved, That copies of this preamble and resolu tion be forwarded as soon as possible to the President of the United States, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, and to each one of our Senators.

Passed March 15, 1871.

CHAPTER XIII.

JOINT RESOLUTION INSTRUCTING OUR SENATORS AND REQUESTING OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS TO URGE UPON CONGRESS THE PASSAGE OF A BILL FOR MORE SECURE AND RELIABLE POSTAL TELEGRAPH FACILITIES.

WHEREAS, The increased population and wealth of our State, and of the great States composing the Federal Union, demand an increase of postal facilities; and

Whereas, The monopolies known as the Western Union Telegraph Company, and other telegraph companies chartered by Congress, have exacted such exorbitant rates as to preclude from its benefits much of the commercial interest of the country, to the detriment of all classes of the people of this Union; and

Whereas, An act of Congress passed in 1866, providing that the United States may at any time after the expiration of five years from the date of the passage of this act, for postal, military and other purposes, purchase all the telegraph lines, property and effects of any or all of said companies, at an appraised value to be ascertained by five competent disinterested persons, two of whom shall be selected by the Postmaster General of the United States, two by the company interested, and one by the four so previously selected; and

Whereas, The time for the continuation of the charters of said companies having now expired, and the United States are authorized (if in their judgment it be deemed best,) to purchase and take control of the lines, property and effects, of any or all of said companies, as provided by the section heretofore cited; therefore be it

Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be and are hereby instructed, and our Representatives requested, to immediately urge upon Congress the necessity of the passage of a bill for postal telegraph facilities, under the control of the United States authorities, relieving us from monopolies and guaranteeing speedy and reliable communication at rates within the reach of all classes of the inhabitants of this Union.

Resolved, That one copy of this resolution be sent to each of our Senators and Representatives in Congress, and one copy to the Postmaster General, Washington, D. C.

Approved March 18, 1871.

CHAPTER

XIV.

JOINT RESOLUTION RESPECTING OUR POSTAL SERVICE.

WHEREAS, The State of Texas embraces an area of nearly two hundred and seventy-five thousand square miles, and the distance from the eastern to the western boundary is near nine hundred miles, and the great distance between the postoffices, as well as the exposed condition of the mail routes in the interior of the State, subject our mails to great risks; and

Whereas, The increased mail depredations and robberies in this State are such as to greatly impair the efficiency of the postal ser⚫vice, and it is believed that in many instances these robberies and depredations are committed by postmasters, and others connected with the postal service; and

Whereas, It is utterly impossible for the postal agent of this State, R. B. Baer, to visit the various portions of the State, correct irregularities, and ferret out depredations and robberies; therefore be it

Resolved, That our Senators in Congress be instructed, and our Representatives requested, to urge upon the Postmaster General the necessity of at least three assistants, to act as detectives under the supervision of the special agent for this State, if consistent with the postal laws of the United States. Approved March 18, 1871.

CHAPTER XV.

JOINT RESOLUTION INSTRUCTING OUR SENATORS AND REQUESTING OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS TO USE THEIR EXERTIONS TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF BANDS OF COMANCHE AND KIOWA INDIANS TO A POINT AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES FROM THE CIVILIZED SETTLEMENTS OR ORGANIZED COUNTIES IN TEXAS.

WHEREAS, It has been made manifest to the Legislature of the State of Texas, that large bands of Comanche and Kiowa Indians, well armed with repeating rifles, and mounted, periodically enter the State of Texas from the United States Indian Reservation,

known as Fort Sill, in the Indian Territory, with the avowed purpose of making war upon the citizens of the State of Texas; and Whereas, Said bands of Indians do murder and rob our citizens, and capture their children, and return to said reservation with their plunder and captives, and are there harbored and protected; and

Whereas, It is believed that the removal of these Indians from their reservation on the frontier of Texas is absolutely necessary for the protection of the lives and property of the citizens of the frontier counties of the State; therefore,

Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That our Senators be instructed, and our Representatives in Congress be requested, to use their exertions to effect the removal of said Indians to a point at least one hundred and fifty miles from the civilized settlements, or organized counties in Texas; and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, and to our Senators and Representatives in Congress. Approved March 18, 1871.

CHAPTER XVI.

JOINT RESOLUTION REQUESTING OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO PROCURE THE PASSAGE OF AN ACT CREATING AND ESTABLISHING A PORT OF ENTRY AT THE CITY OF ROCKPORT, ON ARANSAS BAY, IN THE COUNTY OF REFUGIO, IN THIS STATE.

WHEREAS, The city of Rockport, in the county of Refugio, has become the principal point of shipment on Aransas bay, and is now the most accessible and principal port having outlet for marine purposes through Aransas Pass to the Gulf of Mexico; therefore

Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That our Representatives in the Congress of the United States be instructed and our Senators requested to use their influence to proere the passage of a law creating and establishing a port of entry at the city of Rockport, on Aransas Bay. and appointing suitable officers for said port; and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded immediately after its passage to each of our members in Congress for their information.

Approved March 22, 1871.