704
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.·
lenity of this Government as to intrude themselves upon its terri- tory without such evide.nce will be immediately ordered to leave the Province and if the order is not obeyed within .the time specified (which will be ten, twenty, or thirty days according to the situation of the family) they will be sent off under guard and their property seized nncl sold to pay the expenses, and should any resistance be madp they will be whipped or condemned to hard labor on public wol'ks with a ball and chain attached to them according to the nature o.f their offence. Those who are received as settlers have everything to hope-they will get one league of land if they wish for so much and as much less as they please which will cost at the rate of twelve dollars and a half pr hundred acres-The land will be surveyed and the titles de- livered at the houses of the settlers and all the records made com- plete without any additional charge-a very large family, or a per- son who brings a valuable capital and erects mills or establishes :my useful and extensive branch of business that will be of real benefit to the Colony, can get as much as five leagues of land, if he wishes at the same rate- • The Government is yet unsettled tho there is now no doubt of its being a federal republic on the plan of the United States in every particular except toleration, the Roman Catholic is the established religion to the absolute exclusion of all others and will so continue for a few years, but the natural operation of a Republic will soon change that system-private worship will never be enquired into, but no public preaching or exorting will on any account be per- mitted, and I should feel myself compelled to silence any preacher or exorter who would attempt it within my jurisdiction. You may think me rather tyranical relative to those who come without proper recommendations, but I haYe ·been much imposed upon, no recommendation from justices of the Peace will be noticed unless I personally know them, and all bad or idle and worthless men who come here will have abundant cause to curse the hour they crossed the limits-the wellfare of this Colony requires the most rigid police, and my orders from the Govt- on this subject are im- perative and must be obeyed. No credit will be given for lands and nothing taken in payment but money or negros-this is the general rule, but if you and a few more of my old friends come you may have your own time to pay in. If you see any worthless and idle men on the way here try and turn them back. [STEPHEN F. AUSTIN]
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