[Copy by Austin]
To the Inhabitants of the Colorado
District in Austin's Colony, Province of
Texas convened at the house of
Sylvester Castlemans at a public meeting—
By order of the Governor of this Province I have convened you
together to inform you of the powers and faculties which the
Superior Government have conferred on Citizen Stephen F. Austin—
what those powers and faculties are you will see by the following
translation of the said Governors Official letter to me dated at
Bexar the 16 of last month (here read the letter).
I therefore, the Baron de Bastrop Commissioner duly appointed
by the Government for that purpose, now, in this public manner
invest him the said Stephen F. Austin with the before mentioned
offices and powers, and I charge the inhabitants to respect and obey
him in every thing relative to the good Government and prosperity
of the Colony, and the defence of the Nation to which he belongs
under the penalty incurred by those who disrespect or disobey an
officer or magistrate of the Mexican Nation.
The number of families is limited to three hundred for this
Colony, those therefore who are not received by Mr Austin into it,
must move further into the interior of the Province or if they are
of bad character Mr Austin is ordered by the Supr Govt to remove
them out of the Colony, for which purpose he is authorized to use
military force should it be necessary.
In registering the Families all those who are connected either
by blood or marriage must be registered as one family, and the
land for the whole must be taken in the name of the head of the
family—Single men must either be included in some family, or a
sufficient number of them must unite to form a family and draw
land for all in the name of one.
The Colonization law agreeably to which the land for this Colony
will be distributed, was repealed on the 10 of April last, as regards
every other person except Mr Austin and the Families which he
is authorized to introduce. As respects the titles to your land, the
settlers may rest satisfied that they are indisputable and must
always be good under any circumstances, or any change of
Government— The original Concession for this Colony was granted by
the Spanish Government before the revolution, it was then
confirmed and the quantity of land designated by the Emperor
Augustin, by his Imperial Decree dated February 18th 1823, and the
whole was reconfirmed by the Sovereign Congress of the Mexican
Nation by their Decree dated the 10 of April 1823 which was
approved, published, and ordered to be executed by the Supreme
Executive Power on the 14 of the same month—The Grant and
all the Decrees and papers relative to it are regularly recorded in
the office of the Secretary of State for Interior and exterior relations
in the City of Mexico, and also in the office of the Commandant
General of these Provinces in the City of Monterrey, and also in
the archives of this Province in the city of Bexar, and Mr Austin
has a certified copy in his possession
Agreeable to the grant, the title Deeds for each tract of land will
be made in the name of the Mexican Government and signed by
Mr Austin as the founder of the Colony, and by me as the
Governmental Commissioner appointed for that purpose by the Governor
of this Province, and records will then be made of them in the
archives of this Province in Bexar—Mr. Austin is also authorized to
establish a Recorders office at the Capital of the Colony in which the
titles will also be recorded.
I cannot too strongly recommend to you the necessity of good
order, industry, and obediance to the Constitutional authorities, and
that you should be governed in all things connected with public
matters by the founder of this Colony Mr. Stephen F. Austin, a man
whose former character in the United States, and prudent and
correct conduct in this country has acquired him the full confidence of
the highest authorities of the Mexican Nation.
Castlemans on the Rio Colorado
August 9, 1823—3d year of Independence
and 2 year of Liberty.
El Baron de Bastrop [Rubric]