State Gazette Appendix. (Austin, Tex.), No. 10, Ed. 1, Tuesday, November 20, 1855 Page: 4 of 4
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'40
-LEGISLATE ER0GEEDr8T6S.
XOT. 20.
'"llesolted That each Senator wear crape on his
left arm for the space of 30 dayB as a testimonial
of respect for the deceased.
llesolted That we hereby tender to the bercav-
d wife of the deceased our condolence for her
irreparable loss.
llcsolccd That the committee from the Senate
be requested to act in concert with the committee
on the part of the House of Representatives.
Resulted That the Secretary of the Senate be
requested to forwanl a copy of these resolutions
to the wife of the deceased.
Mr. "Whittaker said: Mr. President I arise
to second the resolutions olfered by the Senator
from Cherokee but before doing so I will remark
that an acquaintance of several years with the do-
ceased makes it obligator- on me to pay a feeble
tribute of respect to the highly appreciated char-
acter of the deceased. I have known him lor
many years. He was a man of modest and retir-
ing habits but possessed in a remarkable degree
all those sterling qualities of mind which charac-
terise a true gentleman and worthy citizen. The
best tribute of respect we can pay to any man
however talented and great he may be is to say
that he was a good and just and christian mau
Mich was the character of the late Rcpresentathe
from Cherokee.
Mr. President I second the resolutions offered
by the gentleman from Cherokee.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Mr. Taylor of Ilouston said: As a further
testimonial of respeet to the deceased I move
that tho Senate do now adjourn till to-morrow
morning at 10 o'clock. I fully endorse the senti-
ments expressed by the Senator who introduced
these resolutions. I have known Mj. Harrison
intimately for a number of years; as a worthy
man as a brother husband and friend he has been
an honorable and upright man.
The motion was agreed to and. the Senate ad-
journed till to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock.
nODSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday Nov. 10 1855.
After.the Treading and'adoption of the journals
off Saturday
Mr. OCHILTREE addressed the House as fol-
lows: Mr. Speaker: It is with feelings of tho deep-
est and most heartfelt sorrow that I desire to an-
nounce to this House tho death of Joseph C.
Harrison a member from the counties of Cher-
okee and Angelina.
Never has the solemn admonition contained in
Holy Writ "that in the midst of life wo arc in
death" been more full' verified than in the pres-
ent instance. "Which one of us could have antic-
ipated when we adjourned ou Saturday that our
meeting to-day would bo but to render the last
solemn duties to one of our own body 1
Mr. Speaker I knew the deceased well and in-
timately. For several years he was a citizen of
my own county and though we were ever politi-
cal opponents ho was one of those generous no-
blemen whom it is a pleasure to meet iu politick
combat. Firm unbending and unsuspected in his
own political position he respected the position
and opinions of those who differed with him. He
w.ir a foeman sir worthy of any man's steel.
' Never has the dread summons come to one so
fiitirely prepared to meet it. He was a practical
christain an honest mau.
I see that his colleague is now jn his place no
is far more able to do justice to the mauy virtues
of the deceasfd thau I can pretend to do.
Mr. Rushing addressed the Houso as follows :
Mr. Speaker : It is with mingled feelings of
sorrow and regret that I rise to announce the
death of Hon. Joseph O. Harrison Floating
.: Representative from tho counties of Cherokee
and Angelina.
In making an announcement of so mucli mo-
ment to the House I hope-that I shall be consid-
ered as being actuated by no' motives of personal
or sinister naturebut merely as paying the last
' Sadtributo to one that I have known long and
":veljvaridto whose'.many social and manlyjirtnes
I can" humbly. testify.' The subject of these re
marks was born in the State of Alabama as I am
informed and emigrated at an early day to the Re-
public of Texas and after seeing the "Lone
Star" of the Republic submerged into that of an
independenthappy and sovereign State; after liv-
ing long enough tb receive the mo3t flattering as-
surances of esteem and respect from an intelli-
gent constituency who sent him as a delegate re-
commended and" endorsed to the Legislature of
the State of Texas ; and when in the very midst
of the full expansion of his mental energies and
in the bright meridian of manhood his spirit
leaped from its jeweled casket of cold mortality
to the purer and the better land where " God's
own name is writ in stars."
He died Mr. Speaker after a protracted and
lingering illness of Pulmonary Consumption on
laot night the 18fh hist. 30 minutes after 11
o'clock P. M.
"While it should be our "duty to bow with sub-
mission and meeknessH to the mandates of the
grest Ruler of the Universe yet this is a fitting
time to remember that in the " midst of life we
are in death" and that we cannot bo too cautious
or too just in our intercourse as private men or
public Legislators. All those noble and elevated
traits of character which make man the noblest
work of his creator were the elements which en-
tered profusely and to an eminent degree into the
mental organization of the lamented Harrison.
Honesty integrity and open dealing governed his
whole life and were truly and in fact the sum to-
tal of all that he was and all had health favored
that he might reasonably have been expected to
have been.
The brilliancy of his once intellectual ee has
been dimmed forever and as pure n soul as ever
animated mortal and dying frame has ascended
there forever there
" Tt muse amid the starry glow
Or hear the streams of glory flow
Or. on the living cars of lightening driven
Triumphant wheel around the plains of Heaven."
Mr. Rushing then olfered the following reso-
lutions :
"Whereas Joseph C. Harrison late member
of the House of Representatives departed this
life in the city of Austin last night at 30 minutes
after 11 o'clock therefore
llesolted That a committee of ten Represen-
tatives be appointed to make the necessary ar-
rangements for his funeral and superintend his
burial at the Austin Cemetry this evening at 3
o'clock.
'llesolted. That each Representative wear crape
on the left arm as a testimonial of respect for the
deceased 30 days.
Resolecd That we deplore the loss of one whose
life was so exemplary as a civilian christian and
patriot.
llesolted That we do hereby tender to his be-
reaved family and friends ourcondlence for their
irreparable loss.
llesolted That the committee of the nouse be
requested to act in concert with a like committee
on the part of the Senate Austin Lodge of Free
Masons and on the part of the citizens generallv.
Resolved That the Chief Clerk be requested to
furnish by mail a copy of these resolutions to
Mrs. Ann'llarrison at Liuwood Cherokee coun-
ty Texas
llesolted Thst the nouse adjourn until to-morrow
morning at 10 o'clock A. M.
Mr. Brown said: Mr Speaker. It might not
be expected that I should say a word to the House
ou this solemn occasion as I do not hail from the
vicinity of the deceased. But sir from the pe-
culiar relations between us I beg to add an hum-
ble tribute to his praise "We were Loth for a
considerable time connected with the press in
different parts of the State. In that way and
through private correspondence I knew him
well. He was a vigorous writer a man of fine
intellect and flattering geniu. He was high-
toned inanly and honorable in a high degree.
His course" was such as to win the afTectiou of
political friends and the esteem of opponents.
He was emphatically the noblest work of God
" an honest man." He scorned to resort to any
other than houorablo acta to accomplish an end.
During the late exciting political canvass in this
State we were in frequent correspondence and I
say it with equal pride and pleasure that he man-
ifested throughout that ordeal a tone a desire and
a high regard for principles of truth and honor
which should commend his memory to every hon-
orable man
I have known two of his brothers one of them
resides in my county aud I beg the indulgence
of tho House for arising on this melancholy oc-
casion to mingle my sorrows with theirs and tin
members of this House in the death of one whose
character for usefulness in the halls of legislation
renders his demise a loss not only to us but to
the State. I endorse sir all that has been said
in his praise by the gentleman from Nacogdoches.
(Mr. Ochiltree) aud the gentleman from Chero-
kee (Mr. Rushing) who were his more immedi-
ate neighbors and I cordially second the resolu-
tions submitted by his colleauge Mr. Rushing.
The resolutions were then adopted.
SENATE.
Tuesday Nov. 20th 1855.
orders of tiii: day.
A bill granting Pelican Island in Galveston Bay
to the corporation of the city of Galveston.
Read third time.
Mr. Grimes said : I should like to hear some
explanation of the necessity and object of the
passage of this bill before I am called upon to
vote on it.
Mr. Martin said : It appears to me that thi-
Island can be of as little value to the city of Gal-
veston as the State. 1 should be perfectly will-
ing however to allow the city the privilege to
build a hospital on it and am in favor of amend-
ing tho bill to that eflect.
Mr. Bryan said : I have seen the Island fre-
quently and have no hesitation iu saying that 1
consider it of no value to tho State whatever. I
have heard it stated that it is important to the
protection of the harbor that this Island should
come into the possession of the city ; for if at
any future period it should fall into the hands of
an" individual who should remove it it would ef-
fect tho value of the harbor very'niaterially.
Mr. Flanagan said : I have never seen th
Island but I am perfectly satisfied from tho in-
formation given by the Honorable Senator from
Galveston that it is worthless to tho State ; and.
if it were worth $15U000 I shodld be in favor of
the bill. I am anxious that we should have at
least one large city in the State. I am in favor
of building up our coast cities.
Mr. "White said : I have seen the Island iu
Galveston Bay and think the value of it was cor-
rectly stated by the Senator but although I re-
side on the coast yet my zeal for tho prosperity
of the cities on tho. coast is not suhVieutly great
as to influence ma to favor the gra iting of the
Island to the city of Galveston. If Galveston U
poor aud needy I am perfectly willing to make a
free donation of it; but I cannot conceive tliat
this Legislature has any right to show preference
to the claims of a city to those of an individual.
However worthless it may be either to Galveston
or the State it is a part of the public domain.
Mr. Taylor of Cass said ; If I understand
the nature of this bill it simply grants to the cor-
poration of tho city of Galveston all tho right
which the State has to this Island.
Mr. Potter said : That is the effect of the
bill.
Mr. White said : If necessary I will admit
that the locator acquires nothing by his location :
that the lands of the islands were reserved from
location. The claims of the parties are if not
equal they are not in favor of Galveston city ;
for tho locator of the certificates cancels that
much of the State liabilities If this Legislature
makes the grant to Galveston it will bo a gratui-
tous favor to tho strong over the equitable claims
of the weak.
Mr. Armstrong said ; Mr. President I have
hitherto raised no objection to the donation of
Pelican Island to tho city of Galveston but tho
Senator of Victoria informs this Senate that a lo-
cation has been made by n citizen of the State on
said Island and 'I think -that a citizen isas justly
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Oldham, W. S. & Marshall, John. State Gazette Appendix. (Austin, Tex.), No. 10, Ed. 1, Tuesday, November 20, 1855, newspaper, November 20, 1855; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81215/m1/4/: accessed May 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.