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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
ments on these claims, of which laws he was ail_ much bound to take notice• as any other person, and of which he in fact had notice, for he was frequently in London and Paris, with the Texian Minister making his enquiries, and the Minister had receiYed from me a pamphlet de- veloping these Empresario titles, with all the authorities. and the action of Congress upon them, and acknowledged the receipt of it by a letter to me. Mr Ikin received from me this pamphlet and acknowledged its receipt, and added in his letter that the views taken by me had rather startled him. He might as well have been startled by the plainness and candour of the first interview with me, when he purchased the script. There was in fact no room for this surprise. An affidavit he gave me 29th. Augst. 1836 shews that I meant no speculation, and that he undertook at all tim.es to abide by the laws and policy of Texas, as to those lands. This is a copy 60 of the affidavit: I have had no pecuniary transactions with Mr Ikin except, that while in this city he stated to me some sudden urgency for five hundred . dollars and was at a loss where to get it, and said he had no friend in the city to apply to, and asked me for the loan of it for a day or two, and handed me unasked an endorsed note as collateral securitv: I told him I knew one of the endorsers, a Col. Croskey, formerly of TaiI~hassee, now of Appalachicola, and brother in law to the late Col. McComb. I immediately drew the money from the bank and gave it to him. It was a long time before I could get this money back, and had begun to despair of getting it, when he acquainted me that he had found a person whom he thought might endorse his note for him. I went to this gentleman, whose name I forget. He refused to endorse it without a premium. This premium, to Mr Ikin's knowledge I had to pay to the endorser of his own note to secure my debt. I charged no interest; so that I have lost both premium and interest. The note, when due, was paid at the bank, I suppose by the endorser. The collateral note was afterwards passed by Mr Ikin to me in part of the smaller portion of the script purchase. Col. Croskey has since stated to me the whole transaction of this endorsement. how it was obtained from him by Mr Ikin, what use was made of it, and his opinion of Mr Ikin. He can be referred to, and will state the facts in no measured terms. I had understood that when Mr Ikin passed through New Orleans, certain occurrenc~s took place there which occasioned some prosecutions to be sent on to England. But of all this I know nothing. Some light may elicit at New Orleans, which I have no means of reaching. Every thing which transpired in Europe was without reserve at the last session at Houston explained and submitted by me to the com- mittee of the Senate of Texas, with the other members present at the committee by request of the president of the Senate at the time. A charter was submitted, embracing my views and of those with whom I had had intercourse in England, who were really capitalists, and which passed to a third reading in the Senate with amendments, and probably would have passed both houses in some shape, had not circumstances of
'°This copy is printed as no. 441,-
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