, 1935-03-24
WI ROBeN lee STAIeh

MATCH Eos 1o10.- OOAAO4AdAAAS JAG
stories OF LaSalle and the ami
yersary dates of French occupancy
OF Texas and the consequent claims
of France TO the country as con-
trasted with those of Spain. 1t Is
worth while TO consider that at the
time OF LaSalle's landing and for
l many years thereafter Texas was
an Indian country and but sparsely
Populated by them. Further. that in
4 ali the official correspondence prior
to the treaty OF 1919 concerning the
ownership of Texas, Spain never
contended that any OF her people
had located on Texas soil prior 70
LaSalle although Spanish explorers
are supposed to have traverSed the
country in l544). but always assert
&c her rights as growing out OF
voyages OF DeLeon. DeSoto and
others, supported by the grant a
Pow Alexander VI and her sub
sequent decree forbidding foreigners
TO enter the Gulf of Mexico. In the
course of that correspondence, the
Secretary of State of the United
States OF America gave the follow
ing interpretations to the rules q
LIlC law Gold044oAACd 0s OFS0AA
governments concerning their
American discoveries, Cd That
when any European nation takes
possession Of any extent OF sea
coast, that possession Is understood
as extending into the interior coun-
try to the sources Of the rivers empty
ing within that coast, to all their
branches. and the country they
cover, and to give 1t a right in ex-
clusion Of all other nations 70 the
same. (2) That whenever one Euro
pean nation makes a discovery and
takes possession of any portion OF
this continent. and another after
wards does the same at some dist
ance from 1t. where the boundary
between them is not determined by
the principle above mentioned, that
the middle distance becomes such,
of course. CD That whenever any
European nation has thus acquired
a right 10 any portion OF territory N
this continent, that right can never
be diminished or affected by any
other power. by virtue Of purchases
made. BY grants, or conquestS Of
the natives. within the limits there
Of.
March "a. 1885 This Ia the
tenth anniversary OF the date OF
the passage Of the colonization law
OF the State OF Coahuila and Texas
under authority Of the law framed
by the general constituent congress
on August 18th. 1884. in the course
Of the formation OF the Federal
Constitution. The state law. being
Decree No. is, contained 48 articles,
each of which has at times been
referred to IN this series. The pre-
amble is now quoted in part ana
two of the articles quoted in full.
Preamble: The constituted con-
rress OF the State OF Coahuila ana
Texas. desiring by every means to
augment the settlement OF It's ter
ritory, to advance the raising and
the increase OF stock, and the prog
ress OF the arts and commerce, IN
conformity with the conStitutive act.
ire Constitution OF the Republic,
and etc..-has thought proper TO
decree,
Article /: "All foreigners. who.
IN virtue OF the general law OF the
l6In Oh AUEuSL AO@1f WAAA~A S@@
entees the security OF their persons
and property in this Republic. shall
wish to emigrate 10 any OF the
seftlementS OF the State Of Coahuila
arc Texas. are permitted to do so;
and the said State invites and calls
them"
Article ~: The government shall
sell to Mexicans, and 70 them only.
the lands they wish 70 purchase.
but shall take care that there shall
not be united IN the SAME hands
more than eleven leagues and sub
tect to the condition that the pur-
chaser shall cultivate those he shall
acquire by this title within six
wears from the acquisition, under
the penalty of f~orfeiting the same.
Allowing the aforesaid condition, the
price for each sitio shall be 500 for
Grazing land: $50 for tillage land
not frrigable and $3.50 for irrtgable
tillage land"