Harrisburgh January 10th 1831
Dios y Libertad
My Dear Sir
My object in coming to this place was to load the Schooner
Champion with lumber or freight for Tampico, and I intended to
keep her in the coasting trade provided I found it to my Interest,
knowing it was decidedly to the advantage of the Colony to have
a vessel as well calculated as she is to carry off their produce. But
I have to state to you with regret that unless a different
construction of the maritime laws shall be made, or the laws themselves
changed, it will be impossible for any vessel to pursue it. I waited
on Colonel Bradburn with the letter you honored me with, and
found him as you represented a Gentleman. I stated to him that
I had paid in Aransaso Bay a Tonnage duty on the Schooner, and
all the other Government dues for which I had a receipt from the
Administrador; that after leaving there we entered the Bay of
Matagorda in ballast, and finding no loading had come on to this
for lumber to proceed to Tampico: he said his instructions were
positive, and that I must pay the tonnage duty here, and that had
there been an office at Matagorda, the same would have been
required there; and further, that the same must also be paid in
Tampico : this then, amounts upon the Schooner whose tonnage per U. S.
Register is 65, besides other port charges to $552.50 from which 16
p. c. is to be deducted; no vessel can stand this, and unless a change
be made the Trade must be abandoned. I am not prepared to
dispute the legality of Col. Bradburn's demand, but Mr. Hiram, and
several other gentletmen here say they would not pay it, for Colonel
Bradburn has nothing to do with this Colony, nor has the
ayuntamiento at Austin ever received any official notice of an officer
having been placed at Galveston entrance. I have no hesitation in
addressing to you, my dissatisfaction, but under the present feeling
between the two people prefer a slight submission (for submission
I consider it to be) to being the means of increasing that feeling.
I understood Colonel Bradburn to say his orders were from
General Teran, and that as he conceived no vessel upon having payed
the Tonnage duty in one Mexican port should be required to pay it
in another, unless her last clearance was from a Foreign one, he
would write to the General upon the subject, requesting him to give
instructions to have the payment made here returned in this case
and not demanded in future; but God help us! as the fable tells us
there are many tracks into the lions den but none out of it—he
further added that he would write to the General, to grant to the
Schooner a coasting licence for six months, now my dear Sir, if you
would back this request by also addressing the General it would
oblige me.
In the course of conversation the Colonel mentioned that the views
of the Mexican Government were such that he had no doubt but all
north american emigration would be prohibited in the course of a
short time, even to this colony; should this prove to be the case, I
shall most truly regret it, for my attachment to this my adopted
country, where I have located all my interests, and whose prosperity
I consider as identified with my own, is such, that I cannot view
without pain a step of such short-sighted policy. The Mexican
Government have at all times been most liberal towards us colonists and
the people we have ever found to be amiable and hospitable; on the
other hand we have been true and faithful citizens, ready at all
times to protect the country from Foreign invasion, and Indian
aggression, as well as to support the execution of the laws, we have
Industry and mechanical and agricultural knowledge wherewith we
can enrich the country and set a good example to our Mexican
brethren. Any step therefore on the part of the Government which might
check this Industry, and the good feeling existing between the
Colonists and the native Mexicans I consider injudicious.
I shall forward this via Tampico, and return in a day or two to
San Felipe.
S. Rhoads Fisher [Rubric]
Colonel Stephan F. Austin.
[Addressed to Saltillo]