THE AUSTIN PAPERS 341 a matter to be neglected any longer. If they tnke money to pay the stamp paper they can hnve their petitions made out in Spnnish by Williams nnd sign it, nnd then they need not return to San Felipe any more untill they go after their titles. Will you do those families the favor to attend to this matter and inform them what they must do. vVilliams will be at the office if I am not and can do all thnt is necessary. The object of the certificate of reception is to place a legal docu- ment in the hands of each one, thnt he was recd. as a settler by me under my contract with gvt. and as such is entitled in virtue of my contracts and the law to a certain portion of land. I hnve adopted this pian for the safety of the emigrants in case of my death before they get their titles in full, for should I die at this time what legal proof have nny of the families who came with you that they form a part of my settlers? they have none for there can be no legal register of their names untill they have taken the oath. I wish this matter at- tended to, for it is becoming rather dangerous to calculate too much on my life. :My health is greatly impaired and is getting worse, and I have reason to fear that in case of my death, the emigrants would have to wait a long time before they get their titles. I therefore ngain repeat : neglect tlds matter no longer. It was my wish to come to some final plan as to this place-but your absence has defeated that, and it must be defered to some other period. There is in human affairs a certain time, a point when the iron is hot, which ought never to be neglected-that point in your affairs was when the commissioner was at my house. You could then have had all your affairs arranged, and now I fear there will be some difficulty to get a tract for you as the heirs of your deed. father, but all that can be done by me sltall be done. A petition in Spanish must be drawn up on stamp paper and signed by you and the other heirs, and I will then manage it to the best advantage for you, but untill I get that ·petition with the signatures to it I can do nothing for you. S. F. AUSTIN [Rubric]
.A.usTIN TO Euas R. WrnHnIAN Memorandum for 1t'Ir. Weigh[t]man Surveyor
y OU will lay off four quarters of a League next below H. H. League on the west side of colorado and the balance on both sides of the river below Betts on the east side, and below the above men- tioned quarters on the west will be laid of in League tracts~ach League will not have more than two thirds of a League in width in a straight line front on the river, and the quarters in propor-
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