Texas on the Eve of t/1e 11'/exican Revolution
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In forming his policy concerning foreigners, Bonavia decided to share with the governor the discretionary power granted to him and to permit the governor to pass on the admission of those residing in Salcedo. He was to submit a formal list with his recommendations to Bonavia for final approval. Bonavia reported to the governor on June 6 that he had studied the various cases submitted and found eight which needed to be decided individually. Of these, Juan Magui (John McGee), Miguel Quin, and Juan McFarland were involved in the scandalous contraband case against Enrique Kuerke, a Kentuckian resident of Nacogdoches. Bonavia instructed Governor Salcedo to suspend final action on these three until the trial of Kuerke was terminated. Bonavia, who was inclined to be lenient, declared that three of the other five might be permitted to stay, since, judging by the records, their conduct should give little uneasiness to the authorities. Of the two remaining, the commander pointed out that one of them needed instruction rather than expulsion and the other, a habitual drunkard and a Protestant, could adduce no grounds for clemency. Governor Salcedo, therefore, was ordered to expel Guillermo Burxer as a hopeless case. But it seems that not e"en he was ever forced to leave the province. 51 Nacogdoc/1es. Flushed with success, Governor Salcedo proceeded to Nacogdoches, where he directed his attention to the disposition of for- eigners and undesirable immigrants. After holding a review of the garri- son and inspecting the weak fortifications of this important outpost, he summoned all foreigners and had each family head fill out a rather detailed questionnaire. Each had to give his name, age, birthplace, religion, length of time and places of residence under Spanish juris- diction prior to his coming to Texas, date of taking and the name of the person administering the oath of allegiance for the first time. More embarrassing-because it was incriminating in many instances-was the demand for a statement of the number of times the declarant had absented himself from the province and the reasons for the absences.~ It is strange that Nacogdoches, with a population of more than six hundred, had registered and questioned at this time only twenty-nine foreigners, for there had been almost twice that many listed as for- eigners in 1801. This disparity may be accounted for by the fact that the inhabitants of Bayou Pierre had not been notified, consequently did 51 Bonavia to M. de Salcedo, June 6, 1810; Causa seguida a Kuerke, Magui, McFar- lan ... por contrabandistas . . . Bexar Archives. S2Expediente sobre Extranjeros de Nacogdoches, May 8, 1810. B1:rar Arcltiv1s.
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