The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918 Page: 234

                                
The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

First as to the fees: on August 18, 1821, just before leaving
San Antonio to select the land for his colony, Austin submitted a
plan to Governor Martinez for the distribution of the land to set-
tlers. Every man, whether married or single, should receive a
town lot and a parcel of farming and grazing land, the former
fronting on a water course. If married, two hundred additional
acres should be granted in the wife's right, eighty acres for each
child, and fifty for each slave.    Martinez endorsed the plan and
forwarded it to the commandant for approval.        In the meantime,
he thought Austin might proceed on the assumption that it would
be approved, as he felt sure that no important alterations would
be made by his superiors.     From   Natchitoches Austin wrote him
on October 12 that he had decided to diminish the amount of
land to single men and increase it to heads of families, giving them
640 acres for a headright, 320 acres for the wife, 160 for each
son, and 80 for each slave.40 In neither of these communications
did Austin say anything to Martinez about charging the colon-
ists a fee for the land.41    He had, however, already made con-
tracts with colonists, agreeing to deliver land at 121 cents an acre
and bear all costs himself for surveying, issuing and recording
titles, stamped paper, etc.42   Half was to be paid on receipt of
title and the other half a year after.     On retiring to New      Or-
leans, Austin published these terms in the newspapers and they
were widely copied by the western press.48     He sent Martinez and
Garzal copies of the papers containing his announcements and as-
sumed that by their silence they approved. It must be obvious
OAustin to Martinez, August 18, and Martinez to Austin, August 19,
1821. Austin Papers. Austin to Martinez, October 12, 1821. Univer-
sity of Texas Transcripts, archives of the Department of Fomento, Mexico.
41Austin said in his explanation to his colonists (June 5, 1824, Austin
Papers, miscellaneous), that he wrote Martinez from Natchitoches "that
as the land which I was to, receive for myself would be no compensation
for my labors and expenses in an enterprize of such magnitude, I must
receive something from  the settlers or I could not proceed with the
Business."
Agreement with J. H. Bell, October 6, 1821, and with William Kin-
cheloe; October 16. Austin Papers, miscellaneous.
. .     . "And explicity stated that those who settled under the said
permission to my father must pay me 121 cents per acre which would
be in full for all expences of surveying and everything. I was particu-
lar to make these terms as public as possible that no one might come
without knowing distinctly the conditions of his reception."-Austin to
his colonists, June 5, 1824.

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