The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 32, July 1928 - April, 1929 Page: 340

                                
Southwestern Historical Quarterly

200,000 very valuable skins pass by the same route as well as all
the money that circulates in the country. By the legal opening of
the rivers and sand bars of Sabinas, Neches, Trinidad, and Gal-
veston, these articles could be sent out from that vicinity, thereby
benefiting the new ports by increasing the population, and enlarg-
ing the coasting and import and export trade. These things
would necessarily develop through measures of saving and econ-
omy and give life to those uninhabited places.
The objection that could be urged against this economic and
stimulating measure would be to argue that, after the ports of
Texas were opened, opportunity and leeway would be given to
contraband trade with the interior of the neighboring states which
it is said is now going on. However, a stop will be put to con-
traband trade although there will be a decrease in the tariff duties
and the abolition of the prohibitive system, for it is to be expected
that the next congress, urged on by an enlightened and regener-
ated government, may provide for this decree. This may be
avoided by establishing a guard in the convenient points of Rio
Bravo, since there is not on its left bank any town except Laredo.
It is very small and its citizens are engaged in stock raising. For
all these reasons and others that I could mention, I believe the
legal opening of ports on the coast of Texas for a definite period
of time, to be wise and proper. I also believe that custom houses
are objectionable when they are not properly manned and organ-
ized. After this project is adopted it would, perhaps, be well for
the regulation of the mercantile policy to establish a captain in
the ports in charge thereof, who will look after the collection of
the tonnage and anchorage duties that could be set aside to form
a fund for the construction of warehouses and wharfs, exempting
or lowering in part the payment of the duties for boats which
bring a certain number of families. Concerning the exemption
from contributions and taxes for at least ten years in the terri-
tories, I shall say nothing except that in the old province under
the colonial system, none were known. Under the new order of
things they exist to the dissatisfaction of many towns, notwith-
standing the privileges accorded to the Port of Matagorda by the
Spanish government from the year of 1805. This the national
government recognized but never put into effect.
When at first sight one thinks of the numerous difficulties and

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