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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 809
1838 Sept. 5, W. ROBERTS TO M. B. LAMAR
Aransas 5th Sept. 1838
Dear Mirabeau This will be handed you by Reuben who is on his way home, or rather from home to Mobile. The immediate object of this letter is to communicate to you a mat- ter involving the rights & interests of several individuals & your- self among the rest. A few would be head men here, failing to use Reuben for purposes of fraud in the acquisition of certain lands, have resolved to make void, if they can all h'.is official acts,-to get a man in office of their own & to overhall & overturn all that has been done-rub out and begin again, by which me~ns they hope to obtain lands the property of others. With this view they are indefatigable in propagating malicious & lying reports-subsidizing witnesses & in every way preparing to assail Reuben in his official character & now openly announce their intention of impeaching him, if they can not get rid of him in any other way. · Col. Powers- Fulton & a few others are at the bottom of all this, Powers covertly, Fulton, his cats paw, openly. Their object now is to avail them- selves of Reubens absence to declare the office vacant & get their man appointed to fill his vacancy. What I propose is that, if Borden will not consent to suspend any appointment till Reuben returns, I will serve myself pro. tern. if he will give me the appointment. There has not as yet been any board of land commissioners organized in this county & consequently the regular method of bringing for- ward a successor to the County surveyor cannot be adopted, the necessity of the case, however, if the office is vacated by his absence, will justify him in filling the vacancy without the recommendation of the board. If Borden should decline making any appointment till Reuben returns all will be well, if otherwise I must have it if I can get it or important interest will be put in jeopardy. For the want of a land office here it has been impracticable for Reuben to make any returns to the Gcnl Land office & in fact until .a board is formed his presence here is not, very important but for the reasons before stated viz fo keep out others. You will recollect that •the county surveyor has the power of approving or rejecting the sur- veys made by the deputies & as no survey heretofore made has gone out of the hands of the present incumbent, should a successor be appointed, they will all have to pass his inspection & be subjected to his caprice, if he be an unprincipled man, & much embarra!lment, if not defeat to just claims, will, or would be the consequence. As the next session of Congress is near at hand pos1>ibly no Presi- dent of the board of this county will be made untill then. But should one be made before, it is all important to avoid any of the contemptible opposition here, amongst whom you may set down the
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