Our Catholic H eri-tage in T e~as
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of the proceeds derived from the sale of mission properties and held by the City Treasurer be applied to the erection of a school building. The Governor turned the proposal over to the Legislature, which, in turn, referred the matter to the State Governing Council. After praising the initiative of the inhabitants of San Antonio and declaring the project worthy of public support, the Council pointed out that, under the existing State laws, funds obtained from the sale of mission prop- erty could n"ot be used for any such purpose. It suggested that the A ,yuntamiento draw upon the revenues obtained from the Rentas de Propios (income from the City Commons), a fund which was designed by law to be used for local improvements." Mission settlers and. Indian lwsti.Z.ities. While government officials wrangled over technicalities, settlers had been occupying the lands and buildings of the abandoned missions in San Antonio. In 1822 the Pro- vincial Deputation had set the rate on irrigation water from the old ditch built by the missionaries. A group of the settlers in Mission Con- cepcion-who thought the rate too high, sought a reduction in September of 1825. The rate was cut in half the following March. 98 The settlers decided to clean and deepen the old irrigation ditch, which had become filled with silt and debris, but they found their efforts seriously hampered by hostile Indians. In response to their appeal, Com- mandant Mateo Ahumada agreed to send troops to San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. The soldiers were instructed to protect the settlers work- ing on the ditch as also those planting and harvesting their crops. Through the pleas of the akaldes of the three missions protection was extended to Concepcion." Before the troops arrived, however, the Indians, as if to taunt the struggling settlers, attacked them in force. A band of Towakonis raided the field workers early in March and forced the settlers to seek the pi:o- tective covering of the mission buildings. Two weeks later the Comanches, more fierce than the O!her tribes, descended upon Mission Espada, stole the green com, killed the stock, and wounded several men. Ahumada ordered Captain Candido Arcos with his entire company to hurry to the rescue of rhe settlers. The Indians had become so emboldened that t1Consejo de Gobierno, Dictamen, August 19, 1833, Be:ra,. Archives. "Saucedo to Gonzalez, September 18, 1825; Saucedo to Vice Governor, April IS, I 826, Be:rar ,frcMves. "Saucedo to Mateo Ahumada, January 20, 1826; Saucedo to the Ayuntamiento, January 20, 1826; Saucedo to Ahumada, March 10, 1826; Saucedo to Alcaldcs of missions, March 1 o, I 826, Bera,- A,-cnives.
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