THE AUSTIN PAPERS. 629 by profession, and of industrious habits. The Assembly aforesaid admitted the contract on the terms specified in the file of documents, on record in the Archives of this Government, soon after which my father died, leaving me eharged with the duty entrusted to him; this I have performed by bringing into the country the aforesaid number of families, which with the permission of the Governor of said province, I have located on the banks of the Rivers Colorado and Brazos. By this time the independence and emancipation of this part of America had fortunately taken place, and remitting through the said Assembly to this Government an Account of all I had done, up to that elate, I deemed it necessary to present myself in person, with a view to obtain in the most legal form a ratification of my acts, in regard to that settlement. But, the consummation of this hope has been delayed more than a year, awaiting your Supreme pleasure to enact the General Colonization Law. The Junta Instituyente at last determined upon the Coloni7,ation Law, on the 3 rd of January of the present year, which.being sanc- tioned by the Emperor, was published on the 4 th of the same. Until the present time I have been unable to progress with better hopes of success, in the only business which for so great a length of time has detained me in this Capital, and in which so many families are interested, obtaining nt last of the Government on the 18 th Feb- ruary Inst the enclosed commission which I have the honor here- with to present to your August Body: I am informed that under the same date copies of this were transmitted to the Political Chief, and to the Commanding General Pro tern. of these provinces and abo to the Governor of Texas; and although confiding in the good faith guaranteed by those documents and by this which I now lay before your Honors, I could have proceeded on to be put in pos- session of that settlement, yet I deemed it more to the purpose to await the favorable and happy re-establishment of your August Body, and the liberal form of government, which has been en., thnsiastically proclaimed by the Liberating Army nnd this honor- able Na.tion: I have already witnessed, with the greatest pleasure, the consummation of this happy event, and the entire change of the Government, and desirous therefore to insure and secure my own welfare and permanency in this pnrt of America, as well as that of the families that I have conveyed thither, at my own expense, I present said Commission, praying your Honors to confirm it, or decide in the matter according to the Sovereign will and pleasure of yonr Honb1. Body, condescending to take into consideration the very great expenses I hnve incurred in conveying said families, in effecting their settlement, and in having been myself detained at- tr.ncling on this court for upwards of a year, as well us the state
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