land has been claimed by sundry individuals, some of whom reside in foreign countries, and are not citizens of the republic,-which said acts are contrary to articles fourth, twelfth, and fifteenth of the laws of 1824 of Lhe general congress of Mexico, and one of said acts, for that cause has, by said general congress of Mexico, been declared null and void: It is hereby declared that the said act of 1834, in favor of John T. Mason, and of the 14th of March, 1835, of the said legislature of Coahuila and Texas, and each and every grant founded thereon, is, and was from the beginning, null and void; and all surveys made under pretence of authority derived from said acts, are hereby declared to be null and void: and all eleven league claims, located within twenty leagues of the boundary line between Texas and the United States of America, which have been located contrary to the laws of Mexico, are hereby declared to be null and void. And whereas many surveys and titles to lands have been made whilst most of the people of Texas were absent from home, serving in the campaign against Bexar, it is hereby declared that all the surveys and locations of land made since the act of the late consultation closing the land offices, and all titles to land made since that time, are, and shall be null and void. And whereas the present unsettled state of the country and the general welfare of the people demand that the operations of the land office, and the whole land system shall be suspended until persons serving in the army can have a fair and equal chance with those remaining at home, to select and locate their lands, it is hereby declared, that no survey or title which may hereafter be made shall be valid, unless such survey or title shall be authorized by this convention, or some future congress of the republic. And with a view to the simplification of the land system, and the protection of the people and the government from litigation and fraud, a general land office shall be established, where all the land titles of the republic shall be registered, and the whole territory of the republic shall be seclionized, in a manner hereafter to be prescribed by law, which shall enable the officers of the government or any citizen, to ascertain with certainty the lands that are vacant, and those lands which may be covered with valid titles. SEC. 11. Any amendment or amendments to this consti- tution, may be proposed in the house of representatives or senate, and if the same shall be agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each of the two houses, such proposed amendment or amendments shall be entered on the journals, with the yeas and nays thereon, and referred to the congress then next to be chosen, and shall be published for three months previous lo the election;
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