1110
AMERICAN .HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
AusnN ·To BUFORD
[May -, 18251]
Mr. WARREN BUFORD .You state that a number of your neighhors and friends from the Attaclmpas and Oppelusas wish to remove to this Colony and have requested of me to inform you on what terms they can be recd the quantity of land that will be allowed them etc in answer to which enquiry I have to inform you 1-I am authorised by the Government as a Contractor (Em- presario) to introduc·e nnd settle five hundred families on the waters of the Brnzos and Colorado rivers including also the East side of La Baca and the \Vest side of San Jacinto from the upper or San Antonio road to within ten Leagues of the Sea Coast, no new grants of upland can be made nearer than that distance from the Coast. · 2-The 5 th Article of the law of Colonization declares that all new settlers shall prove their Christianity morality and general char- acters by certificates from the authorities of the place where they moved :from. If these certificates are satisfactory they will be recd and if not they will be rejected, for the law, contemplates and the instructions of the Government strictly enjoin that none but men of integrity, Sobriety and industry should be permitted to settle in the country- Criminals, fugitives from justice and notorious vaga- bonds proven to be such are ordered to be driven from the State by military force or otherwise punis[hed] for having imposed or at- tempted to impose them[selves] on the Govt. for honest and indus- trious men. 2-The 11 th article of the same law says that" a Square of land which measures one League or five thousand varas (::Mexican yards) on each side, or what is the same thing a Snperficie of 25,000,000 Square varas shall be called a Sitio a.nd this shall be the unit for counting one two or more Sitios, and the unity for counting one two or more labors shall be a Superficie of one million Square varas, or one thousand varas on each side which shall compose a labor of land 3-The 14 article of the same law says that" to each family whose " only occupation is cultivating the earth (labrar la tierra) there " shall be granted one labor, if he is also a Stock raiser there may be " added one Sitio of land proper for raising stock, and if he is only "a Stock raiser he can only have a Superficie of Said Stock land of " 24,000,000 square varas 4-The 15 Article provides that Single men shall only receive the fourth part of what is allowed by the 14 article for married men-
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