THE AUSTIN PAPERS 435 de lnbradores, y estos son intrusos que sera nesesario manejar con bastante prudencia, y buscar medios de establecerlos en puntos retirados sin que vengan otros del norte • Pnrece que hay una necesidad del establecimt 0 formal de una villa Maritima sobre la Isla de Galveston, Tengo completado las mensuras de toda la Margen occidental de esta Bahia, y datos suficientes de la oriental para formar una mapa topografica ecsacta de ella, la que remetere a V. si acaso no viene V. aqui pronto pa qe. pueda V tener todos los datos posibles sobre -la ma.teria, pues entiendo qe. los estab- lecimt 0 • de esta naturaleza son peculiares a la comision de V. Por mi parte coadyuvere en cuanto puedo, para cumplir los deseos de V en el adelanto de Texas- Parece que hay ideas [This draft ends here.] [ESTEVAN F. AUSTIN.]
HENRY AUSTIN TO AUSTIN
Matamoros July 2d. 1830
Col S F A US'l'IN MY DEAR Sm I have recd your favor dated Bexar June 1st and regret to observe you have heard nothing of my application for a grant of land- l\,fy agent at Saltillo said under date 8 May that he had made enquiry and found my business in a fair train, that some document wanted :your signature, this the Govt l~ad sent to Texas for signature and so soon as returned signed the solicitation would be atended to-but as orders have been recd from the Genl Govt not to grant any inore land to citizens of the US I fear I shall be defeated- • • • The law of the 6 April no doubt originated in a Jealousy of the Views of the US and fears·of the growing strength of the Colonists in Texas- The Govts and people of :Mexico appear to become more hostile daily to the citizens of the US. and I am of opinion will ulti- mately drive them from :Mexico or reduce the US to the necessity of compelling them to respect the rights of her Citizens- The au- thoritys here are now enforcing a law of this state which requires all foreign Merchants except English, Ge1'1nan and Dutch to pay one pr ct on their capital° ~n trade and on all i'lnportation ~uring the last year, whether on acct or consignment- This 1•efroactive law in direct contravention of the Cons[titu]tion is levelled so directly against the citizens of the US (they being the only merchts affected by it) as to give good grounds for serious alarms, they are compelled to pny instanter or go to prison- Gen I Teran is still here with two or three hundred men 'he is sup- posed to have orders to march to Texas but I am of opinion he will
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