"Decree No. 18," September 15, 1827

Summary: This law ordered ayuntamientos to take a census of all slave property in Texas. Next, it required that all slaves who belonged to masters with no heirs be set free and if the master had heirs, a tenth of the slaves would still be set free(except if the master was poisoned). Finally, ayuntamientos needed to ensure that all freed slave children be given education or the former would face a hefty fine.

The Congress of the State of Coahuila and Texas decrees as follows:

ART. 1. At the expiration of six months from the publication of the Constitution in the capital of each district, a list of the slaves in the respective municipalities, their age, names, and sex, being distinctly expressed, shall be made in all the towns of the State.

ART. 2. Each Ayuntamiento shall keep a register, wherein they shall keep an account of children (Coahuiltexians) born of slave par-

ents, from the publication of the Constitution, giving notice to government every three months.

ART. 3. All deaths of slaves shall be noted down in said register, of which notice shall be given to government, as specified in the preceding article.

ART. 4. Those who introduce slaves, after the expiration of the term specified in article 13 of the Constitution, shall be subject to the penalties established by the general law of the 13th of July, 1824.

ART. 5. Slaves, whose owners have no heirs apparent according to the existing laws, shall be immediately free on the decase[sic] of their masters, and shall not pass to any other kind of succession whatever under any aspect.

ART. 6. The manumission mentioned in the preceding article shall not take place when the master, or his heirs, are poisoned or assassinated by one of their slaves; in that case they shall be subject to the provision of the laws.

ART. 7. In each change of owner of slaves, in the nearest succession, even of heirs apparent, the tenth part of those who are to pass to the new owner, shall be manumitted; the said portion to be determined by lot, before the Ayuntamiento of the municipal district.

ART. 8. Children and parents by adoption shall not mutually inherit slave property.

ART. 9. The Ayuntamientos, under their most rigid responsibility, shall take particular care that free children, born of slaves, receive the best education that can be given them: placing them, for that purpose, at the public schools and other places of instruction, wherein they may become useful to society.

ART. 10. Ayuntamientos that shall not be faithful in the fulfilment of this law, shall suffer a fine of five hundred dollars, which the Executive shall order appropriated to the benefit of public schools.

ART. 11. This law shall be first published in this town on the morrow, and in the other towns on the day following the receipt thereof, The same shall be re-published annually on the 16th of September until the year 1840.

For its fulfilment, the Governor of the State shall cause it to be printed, published, and circulated.

Given in Saltillo on the 15th of September, 1827.

RAMON GARCIA ROJAS, President.

JUAN A. GONZALES, D.S.

MIGUEL ARCINEAGA, D.S.

Source Copy Consulted: "Decree No. 18," September 15, 1827, reprinted in H.P.H. Gammel, The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, 12 vols., (Austin: Gammel Book Co., 1898), 1:188-189. http://texinfo.library.unt.edu/lawsoftexas