The Government of this Province under date of the 6th of October
last has applied to this Colony for aid in raising funds to pay the
expenses of the Honorable Dn Erasmo Seguin the deputy in the
National Congress from this Province. Under the Present System
each Province has to support its members of Congress; this Province
sends one member and it probably never will be so important that
he should be respectably Supported as at the present Congress, for
this is the one which is to form the National Constitution and fix the
future fate of the Nation as well as our own—There are many things
particularly interesting to the future prosperity of this new colony
as well as of all the other new Settlements that may be formed
hereafter in this Province that will depend on the provisions of the New
Constitution. I will vouch for Don Erasmo Seguin our deputy that
he will use every exertion possible on his part to secure us all the
privileges and liberties practable. but to do this he must have
something to live on in Mexico while labouring for us, and I have
therefore thought proper to appeal to the well tryed patriotism of
my fellow citizens of this Colony by calling on them for a
voluntary Subscription, not doubting that when they understand the
object for which the Contribution is wanted, and the great interest it
is to them all individually, that they will contribute with the
Liberality So characteristic of the American Character.
Considering the absolute impossibility of raising money, and
Commissioner of the Government the Baron de Bastrop having
Suggested that a contribution of corn would answer the purpose, I have
thought proper to open this Subscription for corn, those who have
no corn can subscribe money, or anything else they are able for
it is expected that every man will give something in proportion
to his means. The corn or other articles Subscribed will be
collected by persons duly authorized to do so and forwarded to San
Antonio de Bexar as soon as arrangements can be made to transport
them and a full statement of the whole will be published for the
information of the Settlers.
Austins Colony Stephen F. Austin [Rubric]
Novr 22d 1823.
We whose names are hereto Subscribed do promise and obligate
ourselves to pay the quantity of corn, money or other property
annexed to our names to the Province of Texas, to be collected by Colonel
Stephen F. Austin political chief and Commandant of this Colony
and paid over to the political Chief of this Province as our
proportion of the contribution for paying the expences of Don Erasmo
Seguin the Deputy in Congress from this Province.
Witness our hands. Province of Texas this 16 day of November
1823-3d-2d
(Copied from the Brazos Paper.)
(Note)—on opening this Subscription the following persons were
present and Subscribed on the Brazos Subscription paper the
quantity mentioned, to wit—
Stephen F. Austin Two hundred Bushels of Corn
Martin Varner twenty bushels___________do
William H. Singer ten Bushels__________do
J. H. Bell twenty bushels______________do
James F. Tong twenty Bushels___________do
James Edmonson ten Bushels_____________do
George Robinson Jr twenty bushels______do
Francis Bigham twenty bushels d° for himself and twenty bushels
more and ten Dollars in cash for his Brother [Thomas Bigham] and
Son in law [Obia Meritt] which he paid down.
[Additional subscriptions were:]
Gabriel Shaw Snider Ten Bushels of Corn
David McCormick Ten Bushels of Corn
Caleb B. Bostwick Ten Bushels of Corn
Subscribers names from the Colorado district
James Cummins Twenty Bushels of Corn________________ 20
Dawson Alley Fifteen Bushels of Corn________________ 15
Benjamin Beeson 20 Bushels__________________________ 20
John Madden 10 Bushels______________________________ 10
James Tumlinson 20 Bushels__________________________ 20
John Tumlinson 10 Bushels___________________________ 10
Thomas Jamison 10 Bushels___________________________ 10
Thos. Gray 10 Bushels Corn__________________________ 10
James Ross 15 do____________________________________ 15
Thomas V. Alley 10 do_______________________________ 10
Nathaniel Whiting ten bushels of corn Cainbreak_____ 10
Subscribers to the corn Subscription from the Lower Settlement.
Benjamin Fowler__________________________ 10 bushels
Saml Carter______________________________ 10 bushels
Saml. Toy________________________________ 10 do
Step. Richardson_________________________ 10 do
Thos. Davis______________________________ 10 do
Patrick Dowlin___________________________ 10 do
Shubael March____________________________ 10 do
Wm. Harris_______________________________ 10 do
David H. Milburn_________________________ 10 do
Robt Keydendall__________________________ 20
_______
110 bushels
to be paid by Martin Varner at his Crib on Cedar Creek
Novr. 28 1823