THE AUSTIN PAPERS 185 The law most postively requires the Ayto to keep a register 0£ births nnd deaths in the jurisdiction, and to make a return every three months to the Chief of Department. 1 The old Ayto of last year paid no regard to the law, in fact they did nothing on any subject that they ought to have attended to. The Chief has pos- tively told this Ayto that he will fine them if they neglect this duty any longer, and to save expence to the muncicipality the plan was suggested by me to advertise all over the country requesting every one to make a return of the births and deaths in his family, and this plan was adopted and the advertisements were posted up- Strange and incredible as it would appear to any man who possessed com- mon sence, that this measure should create discontent and misrepre- sentation, it is nevertheless true, every father and every mother and every child in the jurisdiction is interested in this law, for it is of the highest importance to children that a legal register of their births should be kept for it secures to the children beyond the_possibility of a doubt important privileges as native born Mexicans that some day or other may be of the greatest advantage to them. But inde- pendent of this it is the law and should be obeyed- My reasons for advising [the Ayto.] to take the plan of advertising for all per:. sons to make the return was to save expence, for if this plan had not been adopted, the sheriff would have been compelled to have gone to each man's house .and taken the list every three months and this would have cost the people of the jurisdiction about five or six hundred dollars each three months- It was the wish of the Ayto to comply with the law, to save themselves from fine and punish- ment and to benefit Parents and children by forming the register of births and deaths as the law requires, and at the same time to do it in a way that would save expence to the jurisdiction, and for doing this I am told that the PEOPLE are discontented and say that it is to get fees into the office, there are no fees to be paid, but if the sheriff is sent round to each mans house every three months, his fees would have to be paid and you and all others may rest assured that if the returns are not sent in as required by the notices, that the sheriff will be sent round, and the people will be taxed to pay him- for as I before said the Ayt 0 are cornpeled to make these returns every three months-and it will be putting about 1000 Dollars a year into the pocket of the Sheriff if the people do not comply with the notices that have been posted upon the subject, and taking that much from the pockets of the people- this is the fact ns to this subject of [active¥] clamor. 1 Seo .Art. 121 of Decree No. 37, quoted in Ibid., 300. The order of the ayuutamicnto on the subject 1a 1n Ibid., 400. · 88370-28--13
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