418
AMERICAN HISTOilICAL ASSOCIATION
It will be necessary for emigrants to procure pasports from some Mexican consul-the. law requires it, and one pasport for the head of the family answers for the whole, but the number of the family should be stated. They should report themselves to the local authori- ties of the frontier, or port where they enter, and the recommenda- tions of good character which the colonization law requires must be produced. Those recommendations should be given by a Judge or some civil authority of the place where the emigrant removes from, of a higher grade than a justice of the peace The Government have ordered that the 13 article of the Stat~ constitution should be rigidly enforced, that article is as follows "No one can be born a Slave in this state after the publication of this Constitution in the capital of each civil jurisdiction; and six months after such publication the introduction of Slaves is prohibited, under any pretext whatever " The constitution was approved the 11 of March 1827 and published in due form at this place in May of that year- A law has been subsequently passed by the Legislature of the State garanteeing all contracts made in foreign contries, with hirelings or indented servants No duties will be collected untill after November as I informed you when here. 1 The law of 6 april last permits the free introduction of all Kinds of provisions and lumber into Galveston and Matagorda for two years free of duty, also all kind of furniture tools etc for the use of the colonists is free of duty-Tobacco is contraband as it always has been and will be seized. The exportation of the produce of the colonies in foreign vessels is permitted by the Same law to the ports of Matamoros, Tampico and vera Cruz, or in other words foreign vessels are allowed to engage in the coasting trade from the colonies to the above Mentioned ports. The main object of the law of 6th of april is to keep out turbulent and bad men vagabonds and Slaves, and the true prosperity and happiness of this country requires that all of those classes should be for ever kept out- The honest and industrious farmer who brings his family hns nothing to fear and will be well received and obtain more benifits and privileges than have ever been granted by any Govt. on earth. The imprudence and thoughtlessness of some on the Sabine fron- tiers and the excessive noise that has been made in the U. S. papers about the purchase of Texas, seems to have had a much greater weight in Mexico than a matter so essentially unimportant ought t-0 have had. It appears to have caused an impression that the North Americans are all turbulent and that the Govt of the north wish to
1 Lenmlng hnd not been In Texas. It Is possible that Austin hnd in mind James F. Perry while he wns writing.
Powered by FlippingBook