Stephen F. Austin to General Public, 07-06-1826


Summary: Calling election of delegates to revise judiciary system and to frame tax regulations.


notice

The various duties imposed on me as Empresario and the time which must necessarily be devoted in the Course of the next fall and winter, to closing the affairs of the old Colony and commenceing those of the new added to Indian matters will render it difficult for me to give that attention to those subjects which their importance requires and at the same time attend to the Judicial business of the Colony in detail, for this reason a change is necessary in the organization of the Judicial system of the Colony, such a change can be provisionally effected under the general authority vested in me, but I feel an unwillingness to do it without the advice of the settlers: I therefore request that the settlers of each Alcalde district will convene on the first Saturday of August next at the following places—In the district of the Bravo at the house of William Millican, in the district of Sn felipe at the town of that name, in the district of Victoria at Bolivar in the district of Mina at Amos Rails, in the district of Colorado at James Cummins and in the district of Sn Jacinto at the mouth of Buffalo Bayou; for the purpose of electing two representatives from each district. The said representatives thus elected will meet at this place on the third Monday of August next for the purpose of forming a new provisional Judiciary System for this Colony and to adopt an equitable system of taxation for the support of such new system and to meet the exipences which may arise out of Indian difficulties.

The above mentioned representatives are to be elected with the express understanding by the people that the acts of a majority of them which may be approved of by the Empresario are to be binding on the whole Colony.

The Alcaldes of each district will preside at the said elections and give to the persons elected a certificate of their election and a Notice to meet at this place on the third Monday of August next.

Sn felipe de Austin 6 July 1826

S. F. Austin [Rubric]