Houston v. Perry

2 Tex. 37
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1847
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2 Tex. 37 (Houston v. Perry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Houston v. Perry, 2 Tex. 37 (Tex. 1847).

Opinion

Mr. Chief Justice HeMpiiill

delivered the opinion of the court.

The plaintiff in the court below, the appellee in this court, states that his testator, Stephen E. Austin, in his lifetime made three separate contracts with the government of tbe state of Ooaliuila and Texas for tbe settlement, in all, of nine-hundred families in the province of Texas, and within the territorial limits specified in said contract.

His first contract with the state was for the settlement of five hundred families, and was entered into on the fourth [39]*39day of June, 1825. The term of all the contracts was six years from their date. That prior to the expiration of the term of the first contract the said Austin had introduced and received more than five hundred colonists, and that titles were issued to four hundred and sixty-two settlers. That titles were not issued in many instances for the reason that the colonists had not the means of paying the fees of office; in others, from the death of the colonists and no person having heen appointed to represent them; and because, also, the commissioner, Arciniega, left the colony before he had completed titles to the settlers who had been introduced, and their issue has been since prevented by the revolution.

His second contract was for the introduction of one hundred families, to be settled on the east side of the Colorado river, above the San Antonio road, and was made on the 20th of (November, 1827. It is alleged that more families than were required by the contract were introduced, but that titles were issued to sixty-one only for the reasons above set forth, and for the additional one that before the expiration of the contract the empresario was employed in the public service, being sent by the convention of 1883 upon an embassy to Mexico, from which he did not return until after the expiration of the contract.

That the empresai’io, having consummated his part of the contract, is entitled to thirty leagues and thirty labors 'of land; that he received as part of his said premium lands, fifteen leagues and fifteen labors, and that he had selected and caused to be surveyed, as a part of the balance of his premium lands, nine leagues and ten labors, the field notes of ten leagues of land being exhibited as the lands selected, and that he is further entitled to six leagues and five labors of land, which have not been selected.

The petitioner further states that on the 29th day of July, 1S25 (it should be 1828), the said Austin made another contract with the government of the state, with the approbation and ratification of the general government of Mexico, for the introduction of three hundred families within the ten coast leagues, between the La Baca and San Jacinto rivers; [40]*40that he had introduced into the said colony two hundred and seventy-nine emigrants and settlers and that more than three hundred were received, and that the whole contract would have been completed, but for the reasons already stated. That of the fifteen leagues and fifteen labors to which he is entitled on this contract, he has received titles for ten, and has located and selected three leagues and five labors, as a part of his remaining premium, and that two leagues have not been selected.

The petitioner prayed for an injunction, restraining the commissioner of the general land office fx-om issuing titles to other persons, for the lands claimed and desci-ibed in the petition.

And that the county surveyors of the counties where the land lies be prohibited from surveying or interfering with said lands and that a good and sufficient title for the said lands be made to the said petitionei1, or that he obtain judgment for the value of the same.

The injunction was granted.

It was proven that the certified copies of the contracts, which had been delivered to Austin for his security, were deposited by him in the general land office.

The translations were certified to be eoiTect by the official translator, and that the instruments exhibited were copies of the translations was certified by the commissioner.

Evidence was taken as to the compliance by Austin, with the conditions of the contracts.

Mr. Williams, in his depositions, states, that there were more families admitted by Austin, under his conti’acts, than wei’e sufficient to have completed the numerical number which he was authorized to settle; that no separate record was kept for families introduced under each conti’act, their namés were put down in a book and they chose for themselves the position which best pleased them, and that the register and applications will show the number i*eceived, and that the reason why the titles were not all completed was, that those entitled to lands neglected to attend to their business; that he does not know of any titles having been issued to persons after they had left [41]*41the country; many persons made selections and never returned to the country, but got no titles; that there always existed a strange desire to forfeit lands, and if any person who had obtained a title left the country, there were always persons wanting to have the same declared forfeited. That the great portion of all the titles issued were made to persons who emigrated to Texas of their own accord. After being in Texas they contracted with S. F. Austin for the benefits of the colonization law and incorporated themselves by asking for admission into the colonies he was authorized to settle. The book or abstract of land titles, the original register of applications and admissions in the several contracts, as well as said abstracts, were read in evidence. They were not transcribed, but were agreed to be read in this court. They were not, however, produced.

The jury found that the plaintiff had complied with his contract. They confirmed to him the land titled and that selected, and found him entitled to ten leagues more, worth twenty-five cents per acre. By the judgment of the court, the finding of the jury was confirmed and it was adjudged that the plaintiff should have and recover of the state of Texas, the lands selected and surveyed and also ten more leagues of land, or the sum of eleven thousand and seventy dollars, the value thereof.

The statutory provisions relating to empresario contracts, and authorizing suits to be brought to settle the claims of empres-arios, are found in sections 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, of the act supplementary to an act, to establish a general land office, for the republic of Texas,” 1 vol. Laws, p. 263. And the 5th, Sth and 9th of which sections were substantially or almost literally reenacted in the 26th, 27th and 28th sections of the act to reduce into one act, and to amend the several acts relating to the establishment of a general land office, passed December 14, 1837.

The sections 26 and 27 of the latter law, upon which this suit is founded, are expressed as follows: “It is hereby declared that all empresario contracts having ceased on the day of the declaration of independence, all the vacant lands of [42]*42Texas are tbe property of this republic and subject alone to the disposition of the government of the same.

“Section 27.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Tex. 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/houston-v-perry-tex-1847.