Citizen Stephen F. Austin, Lieut. Colonel of the National Militia,
of the river Brazos and Colorado, Judge ad interim for the administration of justice, and Empresario of this Colony.—Most
respectfully represents to your Excellency, that:
having already completed the settlement of the three hundred
families which the Supreme Government of Mexico authorized me
to introduce into this Province of Texas. Application is made to
me daily to receive and settle more families, as colonists, some of
which have already arrived here, others are on the road, and have
written to me, besides a number amounting to nearly three
hundred, who have applied to me from Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Alabama. The only reply I have made at present to them, is, that I
would make their applications known to the Supreme Government
of the State, Stating to them, that it is out of my power to grant
them license or permission to occupy or appropriate any land
whatever, in the district under my charge, until the resolution of the
Government should be known. Among the applicants, are some
few of bad repute, these I have ordered to depart forthwith out
of the limits of this Jurisdiction; a measure of Executive Police
which circumstances required me to take, to preserve good order,
and tranquility among these worthy Colonists, in consequence of
which, that class of people are very much irritated against me, and
under the excitement, disseminating infinite calumnies, and raising
false reports, relative to my conduct and authority; but I feel
perfectly secure under the conviction, that the Government, taking into
consideration the great injury which would result from the
introduction of such characters, will approve the course I have pursued
in this instance; thereby preventing such persons from
incommoding these Colonist hereafter; and at the same time, promote the
progress of this section of the State generally.—I request the
Supreme Government of the State of Coahuila and Texas, in its
acknowledged goodness to authorize me to settle the additional
number of five hundred families on the lands which remain vacant upon
the rivers San Jacinto, Brazos, and Colorado, and their tributaries,
and on the Island and Bay of Galveston, with full power to expel
from this jurisdiction, all persons of notoriously bad character,
who in future may immigrate hither. The arguments I offer in
support of this petition are:
1st—The number of three hundred families already legally settled
is very small to sustain itself against the Savage Indians, who
surround us.
2nd—It is important that the settlement of the vacant lands
contiguous to, and adjoining those already distributed, should be effected
through the same Empresario, or authority who surveyed and
distributed the lands to the present Colonists, in order to prevent all
clashing or dispute between the new and oldColonists, with regard
to their lines and boundaries; likewise, by these means, to form in
this town a general and minute Record of all the lands distributed
within this jurisdiction; a matter of the greatest importance in
preventing hereafter, even the possibility of doubts, or disputes, in
relation to titles.
3rd—Should the National Government make a port of entry of
Galveston, the advantages of sales which would result therefrom, will
not be realized from it unless Colonists settle there, and in its
immediate neighborhood, and inasmuch as I was the first who proposed
this matter to the Government, I entreat the Government of the
State to do me the honor of effecting its settlement, and
completing its establishment.
4th—Nothing but foreign commerce, particularly the exportation
of cotton to Europe, can enrich the inhabitants of this section of the
State; and this cannot be expected without an increase of population,
and physical force; for without this, Capitalists will not undertake
to enter into it, with vessels of sufficient size, for European
Commerce ; and to obtain these great benefits to the full extent that would
indubitably result to the nation, by the enterprise and industry of
these new colonists, it is in my opinion a matter of the greatest
importance, to authorize the emigrants to bring in their Slaves and
Servants ; and that the right of property in these servants so introduced,
as well as their descendants, be guaranteed to them by law; for
with-out this security, we cannot expect colonists with large and
competent means, nor can we have hands for the cultivation of Cotton
or Sugar; and consequently these fertile lands, instead of being
occupied by wealthy planters, will remain for many years, in the
hands of mere shepherds, or poor people, who will scarcely raise a
sufficiency for the sustenance of their families, without any
over-plus of sufficient importance to give an impulse to active foreign
commerce.—Therefore, I pray the Government of the State of Coahuila
and Texas, to grant me authority to settle Five hundred families
more, at the places above mentioned.
Town of San Felipe de Austin, 4th April 1825.
Most Excellent Sir,
Stephen F. Austin.