were entitled as such under the laws of Mexico.

Opposition was made by Dª Rita Giron, claiming the land lying on the west or right margin, and by Dª Francisco Cabazos on the east or left margin of the Rio Grande, under a title for fifty nine leagues of land granted by the government of Spain to José Salvador de la Garza in 1781. In consequence of that opposition it was only on the 15th day of October 1827, that a decree of incorporation was rendered by the government of that State, requiring the local authorities of Matamoros to notify said ladies or any other parties interested in the matter, to appoint their arbitrators, [hombres buenos] and their surveyor to act jointly with the surveyor appointed by the State, to survey the Town and determine their indemnity for the land taken for the City; also to notify them, that the State would give the indemnity.

Protections of Matamoros.

which, even at this time, claims the right to sell that part lying east of the Rio Grande, remaining unappropriated; and even until now negotiations to that effect are carried on between that corporation and certain individuals. Such pretension I will as strongly oppose, as I have and shall continue to oppose the locations and surveys made by virtue of land certificates, should it be attempted to be carried into execution. It seems strange to me that land given for the use and benefit of the settlers, within this part of the town tract, should be sold to speculators, and the proceeds applied to the use and benefit of the citizens of Matamoros, instead of those of Brownsville, from the simple fact that the corporation of Matamoros has been their trustee, and more especially so since that trust is now vested in the corporation of Brownsville.

Had the members of the corporation of Matamoros been residing on this side

the citizens of Brownsville, is to test whether the act of incorporation of the city of Matamoros, granted as above stated in 1828, is VALID OR NOT.

If the law regulating ferries, passed by the last legislature, gives any right to the corporation of Brownsville to claim them, I will certainly do all in my power to secure to the City the revenue of all ferries within the corporate limits.

I will have but little to say on the locations and surveys of Messrs. Charles Stillman and P. C. Shannon, covering almost the whole of this land. My opinion is generally known on this subject; it was made the test question at the last August election between Messrs. Bee and Hord. I then supported Mr. Bee as warmly as the party opposed to me did Mr. Hord: let every one read the circular of Mr. Bee, the 1st and 2d sections of our Charter, and refer to the plan of the land of the City of Brownsville with the locations

Claim of Cabazos.

Locators' Claims.

## CIRCULAR OF MR. BEE.

FELLOW CITIZENS:—I had the honor to address you on Tuesday night last, introducing myself, as a candidate to represent the seven Counties of the District in the next legislature.

I alluded upon that occasion to the various questions of interest to the people of this frontier, and as a local question, expressed my intention to procure if possible a charter of incorporation for the Town of Brownsville.

This matter has been misrepresented during my absence below, and as the election is at hand, I am forced to adopt this mode of placing myself before my fellow citizens, in the same position I occupied at that meeting. I then stated, and I now reiterate, that I am in favor of an act of incorporation, including that part of the Town Tract—amounting to a league or more of land—formerly part of Matamoros, as improved land evi-

too late to appropriate this land for this object,—that it had been located by Texas land certificates; that they had acquired a just claim to the land under their locations; and that if Cabazos does not recover, under his title, the locators under these claims ought to have it, and consequently that Brownsville can acquire nothing under its charter of incorporation.

It is certainly evident that if this land reverted to the Government of Texas, as Public Domain, subject to location, it would now be too late to give it to the corporation of Brownsville. But the 7th section of an act authorizing the issue of promissory notes of the Government, approved January 9th, 1837, provides that "all improved, forfeited lands is pledged for the redemption of these promissory notes," and the Town Tract of Matamoros, as improved land evi-

in the same manner that the property of a person dying without heirs reverts to the Government, and that, it was not a part of the Public Domain at the time it was located, and consequently the locators have till now acquired no right or just claim by virtue of their location,— That the Government can apply it, as I stated at the meeting, for the payment of the public debt, or may relinquish its rights to the corporation of Brownsville, or to the locators, or dispose of it in any manner it may think proper. If the interest I represent prevails, and the Government relinquishes its right to the corporation of Brownsville, when the locators may establish any right they may claim, by virtue of their location, before the courts of the country, where it properly belongs. But I am opposed to the position taken by Mr. Hord at the meeting; that if Cabazos fails to recover, the

to decide whether the interest sent, or the interests of the locators advocated by Mr. Hord, shall be

HAMILTON P. Brownsville, Aug 3, 1849.

## EXTRACT FROM THE AC CORPORATING THE CITY BROWNSVILLE.

SECTION I. Be it enacted Legislature of the State of Texas the citizens of Cameron County State of Texas residing within the of that section of territory situating lying on the left margin of the Grande in the County of Cameron said, formerly a part of the town four leagues of land (egidos) of Matamoros in the Republic of co, be and they are hereby debarred from taking any title of the "City of"