Mexican Consulate New Orleans Dece 4 1830.
Col Stephen F Austin
Dear Sir You have herewith a publication made by the Mexican
Minister at Baltimore, which has gone forth in a great many papers
printed in the United States, this publication has created a belief
in the minds of many thousands that all North Americans are
prohibited from going to Texas to Settle, and is calculated to do your
Colony verry great injury, I feel verry certain that Col Tornel did
not mean this prohibition to extend to any grants which stood on
the same grounds yours does, and so I have Explained his meaning
to all who have called on me—
I am under the impression that it would be well for you to
publish in the Texas Gazette under your Signature as Empresario a full
explanation, send it to me and it shall go into the News papers of
this Country— Unless the prohibitory Idea is explained it will
prevent thousands from Emigrating this Winter and Spring that
have intended doing so until they saw or heard of this publication
Jas W. Breedlove [Rubric]
[Inclosure]
MEXICAN LEGATION IN THE UNITED STATES.
Having received information that several offers have been made to citizens
of the U. States to colonize the lands in the State of Coahuila and Texas, I
consider it my duty to caution them by publishing the 11th Art. of the law
of the 6th of April of 1830, which is as follows :-—
"Art. 11. In virtue of the authority which has been reserved by the General
Congress to itself, by Art. 7th of the law of the 18th of August of 1824, all
foreigners, whose country is bounding on said State and Territory of the
Federation, shall be prohibited from settling within the said State or
Territory, in consequence of which all the contracts that have not taken effect,
and are opposd to this law, shall be suspended."
Wherefore, I declare, in the name of the Mexican Government, that
whatever contract shall have been made in violation of the said law, will be null
and void, it being understood that colonization in the State of Coahuila
and Texas, and the territory of New Mexico, by citizens of the United States,
has been prohibited.
Jose M Tornel