Page:John O. Meusebach - Answer to Interragatories.djvu/11

 of Texas, dated January 29, 1845, the time for the introduction of one-third of the emigrants was extended till the first of March, 1846, but this act of liberality on the part of the Legislature—subsequently passed—does not excuse the light-minded action in closing the contract with Fisher seven months before the passage of the liberal act.

In place of ordering their own agent (Prince Solms) then residing in Texas, to examine personally the territory in question and to report, the leading director in Europe relied exclusively, and with a credulity hardly to be conceived, on the statements of the vendor, who had an interest to sell as quick as possible, and therefore to make it plausible that with 200,000 florins, at 40c., the whole colonization of 6000 families and all the promises to the emigrants, based on erroneous calculations, could be carried out.

To carry out such a contract to the letter, with the promises held out to the emigrants, would have required half a million of dollars, and not a pittance of 200,000 fl., at 40c., equal to $80,000.—The Company was under the impression that they bought land (and no doubt arable land).

"—That Bourgeois d'Orvanne's contract has been declared forfeited by Congress of Texas, and that the Company has made another contract with H. Fisher, by which the more northerly situated extraordinarily fertile (?) and healthy lands on right side of the Colorado River have been acquired and got in possession of the Company. " "11th December, 1844." (Coll. Doc, p. 81.)

"Of the lands which the Company has acquired for their German emigrants, it is to be mentioned that they heretofore belonged to Fisher, from whom the Company has bought them. It is an area of