The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-07-16
ALIEN LAND LAW.
IT'S BAD EFFECTS ALREADY BEGINNING
TO BE FELT.
The sta'e Central Bank of Waco, Refuses
to Loan Money or Grant Renewals
on Maturing Lands-It will
Bankrupt Texas Unless
Repealed.
From the Waco Day, June 26, 1891.

From the Waco Day, June 26, 1891,
If the Twenty-second legislature had
been especially chosen to enact laws
that would retard the growth of the
state, and embarrass those who are
engaged in pushing Texas to the front
rank, it could hardly have done more
effective work in that direction than it
did. A number of very foolish things
were done, and many wise ones omit
ted to be done, but all others pale into
sickly insignificance in comparison to
the alien land law enacted. Following
is the law in full:
Section /. Be it enacted by the leg
islature of the state of Texas: That
Title III and articles 8 and 10 be
amended and by the addition of arti
Giles 1Oa, lob, lUc, 10d, Zoe, 10f, log and
1Oh, so as to hereafter read as follows:
Articles 8. An alien shall have and
enjoy in the State of Texas such
rights pertaining to personal property
as are or shall be accorded to citizens
of the United States by the laws of
the nation to which such alien shall
belong, or by the treaties OF such ma
ton with the United States.
Art. 10. No alien or q person who
is not citizen of the United States of
America shall acquire title to or own
any interest in the lands within the
State of Texas, and any deed or other
conveyance purporting toconvey such
title or interest to any alien or unnat-
urallzed foreigner, or to any firm, COM
pany or corporation composed of such,
IN whole or in part, shall be void.
Art. 1Oa. This chapter shall not
apply to any alien who SHALL at the
time of acquiring title to lands II
Texas, have declared his intention of
becoming citizen of the United
States of America, and who shall in
obedience to such laws become a citi-
zen within six years from the time
such intention was declared.
Art. lob. All aliens who shall here
after take lands by devise or descent
may hold the same for the space of six
years and no longer. Provided, that
any alien minor or person of unsound
mind inheriting lands in Texas may
have six years after such minor
reaches 81 years of age, or person of
unsound mind shall have hed a legal
guardian.
Art 1Oc. Any alien may, for a valu-
able consideration, take, hold, assign,
foreclose, sell or buy under any mort
gage or deed of trust, any lands within
the state of Texas in which he has an
interest by virtue of having heretofore
made loan of money, subject to the
provisions of this chapter in reference
to alternating said lands within six
years as herein required.
Art. 10d. If any alien shall under
take to hold lands for a longer time,
or in any way contrary to the provis-
ions of this chapter, such lands shall
escheat to and vest in the state of
Texas in like manner as is provided
for the escheat of estates of persons
dying without any devise thereof and
having no heirs.
Art. 10e 1t shall be the duty of the
attorney general and district or county
attorney, when they shall be informed
or have reason to believe that any
trary to the provisions of this chap
ter, to institute suit in behalf of the
state of Texas in the district court OF
the county where such lands are stu,
ated. praying for writ of possession
for the same in behalf of the state.
Art. 10f. The escheat proceedings
provided for in the next preceding
article shall, in the matter of
scire facias, appearance and de =
fault, Judgment, execution and
sale be governed by the pro
visions of Title SO of the Revised Stat
utes of Texas, in so far as the same is
applicable, except that the only
question on the trial shall be whether
or not the questions of this act have
been violated.
Art. log. All laws and parts of laws
in conflict with this title are hereby re.
pealed.
1t takes but little thought for the
business man to perceive the bad re-
suits of this law. Any corporation
which may have one alien stakeholder
cannot acquire title to land in Texas.
This will drive out many of the mort
gage companies now operating in the
state, and upon whose money the
many public improvements now in
progress are now being made. Indeed,
it will drive out all, for no company
can guard its stock from purchase by
aliens; and when one share is SO pur
chased tn titles to III lands 80 held by
such company are vitiatej, The law
viii bear with special severity upCr
debtors, for with the withdrawal OF