The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1 Page: 14
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Laws, Orders and Contracts
14
had been surveyed up to that time; but, as the said Bastrop had been
elected a member of the legislature of the state of Coahuila and Texas,
just established, he could not remain long enough to complete the sur-
veys and titles for the whole of said 300 families, all of whom had by
this time emigrated, and were in the country. He therefore departed
for Saltillo, in September, and left a part of the titles unfinished, which,
together with the other unfinished business of the colony, was completed
by the commissioner Gasper Floris, who was specially comissioned -for
that purpose by the lieutenant governor of the state of Coahuila and
Texas, Don Victor Blanco, then exercising the duties of governor.
By referring to the 23d article of the law of 4th January, 1823, it
will be seen that the lands granted under that law, in virtue of the con-
cession of the 18th February of the same year, are subject to the con-
dition of being cultivated by the grantee, within two years from the
date of the title, and the same condition is also inserted in each of the
titles; which condition being complied with, the title is unconditional,
clear, absolute and inviolable, as will be seen by examining said law, and
particularly the 22d article.
As regards the limits of the old colony, it will be seen by reference
to the concession of the emperor, of 18th February, 1823, that specific
limits were not considered necessary, because the colony would be com-
posed of the lands occupied by .said 300 families. The rambling dis-
position of the emigrants dispersed them from the east bank of Labaca
to the east side of San Jacinto, and from the sea shore to the upper, or
San Antonio road, and land was granted to them in those limits. All
the vacant lands that remained -after supplying the settlers and the
empresario with their portions, was, of course, the public land of the
nation. This dispersed settlement of the emigrants, rendered the task
of locating, protecting and governing them, much more difficult and
expensive than it otherwise would have been; and it was only tolerated
on the ground, that if the settlers could sustain themselves from Indian
attacks, (and they thought they could,) a scattered settlement, within
reasonable bounds, would ultimately be of more advantage to the nation
than if the emigrants had all been huddled together; for it disseminated
facilities for an establishment of new emigrants, hereafter, over an ex-
tensive tract of country. The good policy of this scattering system is 1
now daily proved: corn, pork, &c., can now be had in every direction,
without the trouble of distant transportation. It is, however, also at-
tended with inconveniences which hardy enterprise alone would sub-
mit to.
The foregoing narrative, with an examination of the documents re-
ferred to, will, it is believed, be sufficient to explain to the settlers of the
first colony how, and under what authority, they originally came into
this country; the delays growing out of the revolutionary state of politi-
cal affairs, and other circumstances, that were beyond the control of
Austin, which embarrassed the progress of ■ the settlement in its first
stages; the exertions made by him to remove these embarrassments, and
procure titles for the settlers; and finally, the nature and validity of these
titles.
As regards the local government of the colony, it will be sufficient
to state, that Austin finding on his return from Mexico, that it would
be impossible for him to attend to the land business of the settlers,
(14)
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Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen. The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1, book, 1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5872/m1/22/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .