and with this view they shall exist in all which have heretofore had them. 156. In the towns which may not have them, and where it is necessary they should be, they shall be placed. The capitals of districts shall have them, whatever their population may be, and also those towns, which of themselves or with their precincts, contain 1000 souls, unless they are united to another municipality; in which case, should peculiar circumstances prevent their separation, it shall be necessary, in order for them to obtain an Ayuntamiento, that Congress shall decree it, on the recommendation of the Executive, accompanied by a memorial setting forth the territory which shall compose the new municipality. 157. The towns which have not the prescribed number of souls, but which can with advantage be united to one or more, can form municipalities, which shall be formed, and the Ayuntamiento shall be established in the place which in the judgment of the Executive shall be deemed most suitable. In particular circumstances, the Congress may decree, upon previous petition and recommendation of the Governor, Ayuntamientos, in those places of lesser population. 158. In those settlements which cannot have the establishment of an Ayuntamiento, and in the interior government of which, by reason of their distance from other municipalities, cannot be taken care of, the electoral assemblies of the district to which it is attached shall appoint a commissary of police and one Syndic, (procurador.) who shall discharge the function which the regulation for the political government of the towns shall designate. 159. The Ayuntamiento shall be composed of the Alcalde or Alcaldes, Syndic or Syndics, and Aldermen, whose number the said regulation shall designate. 160. To be a member of the Ayuntamiento, it is requisite to be a citizen in the exercise of his rights, more than twentyfive years of age, or being married, twenty-one years of age, to be an inhabitant of the Ayuntamiento district, with residence in it three years, one of them immediately prior to the election; to have a capital or calling upon which he can subsist, and to know how to read and write. 167. The offices of the Ayuntamiento are municipal charges from which no persons can excuse themselves. VOL. II. 2 H TITLE 3.-Of the Judicial Power. ONLY SECTION.Of the Administration of Justice in general. PARAGRAPH 1.-Of the Administration of Justice in Civil Cases. PARAGRAPH 2.-Of the Administration of Justice in Criminal Cases. PARAGRAPH 3.-Of the Inferior Courts and Superior Tribunals. TITLE 4th. ONLY SECTION.-Of the Public Revenue. TITLE 5th. ONLY SECTION.-Of the Civic Militia of the State. 211. In all the towns of the State there shall be established corps of civic militia, and these shall constitute the military force of the same. 212. The formation of these corps, their organization, discipline, and internal government, shall be regulated by Congress, conformably to the general laws of Federation on the subject. 213. The Congress shall regulate the service of this militia, so as to effect the purposes of their institution, in a manner the most useful to the state and the least burdensome to the citizens. 214. No inhabitant of Coahuila and Texas can be excused from affording his service when required by law. TITLE 6th. ONLY SECTION.-Of Public Instruction. 217. The method of instruction shall be uniform throughout the State; and to facilitate this end, the Congress shall form a general plan for public instruction; and shall regulate by means of statutes and laws whatever appertains to this most important object. TITLE 7th. ONLY SECTION. Of the Observance of the Constitution. 218. The observance of the Constitution in all its parts is one of the most sacred obligations of the inhabitants of the State of Coahuila and Texas, and no one can be absolved from it, neither the Congress nor any other authority. And every inhabitant of Coahuila and Texas can insist upon this observance, making representations for this object to the Congress, or to the Executive. 219. Any infraction of this Constitution creates a personal responsibility. In order to render effective this responsibility, the Congress shall issue the laws and decrees which it believes conducive to this object; and besides, every year at their first session, shall take into consideration the infractions which the permanent deputation and the Council of Government may present, and shall do what may be necessary thereon. 220. The public functionaries of the State, of whatever class they may be, shall, at the time of entering upon their offices, take the oath to observe, sustain, and defend, the Constitutional Act, the general Constitution, and that of the State, and to discharge faithfully and completely the duties of their office. 221. Propositions for the reformation, alteration, or abrogation of one or more of the Articles of this Constitution must be made in writing, and be supported and signed by two-thirds of the deputies. 222. The Congress, in whose time any of these propositions may be made, shall not act otherwise thereon in the second year of their session than by reading and publishing them, with the grounds upon which they are supported. 223. The following Congress will either admit or reject the discussion of these propositions, and being admitted, they shall be published anew by the press, and shall be circulated by the Governor, in order that they may be read in the next electoral assemblies before they shall make the appointment of deputies to Congress. 224. In the following Congress they shall discuss the proposed alterations, reforms, or abrogatious, and if they are approved of, they shall be immediately published with the Constitutional Articles. 225. In making the reforms, alterations, or abrogations indicated, besides the rules prescribed in the anterior articles, there shall be observed all those formalities provided for the passing or repealing of the Laws, with the exception of the right conceded to the Governor of making observations, which cannot take place in these cases. GIVEN IN SALTILLO, 11th March, 1827. Santiago del Valle, President; Juan Vicent Campos, Vice President; Rafael Ramos Valdez, José Maria Viesca, Francisco Antonio Guttierez, José Joaquim de Arce Rosalez, Mariano Varela, José Maria Valdez y Guajardo, José Cayetano Ramos, Deputy and Secretary; Dionisio Elisondo, Deputy and Secretary. Therefore, I command, That it be printed, published, circulated, and complied with. Given in Saltillo, 11th of March, 1827. JOSE IGNACIO ARISPE. APPENDIX.-No. III. COLONIZATION LAWS OF THE MEXICAN CONFEDERATION AND THE STATE OF COAHUILA AND TEXAS. Protection by Government. Art. 1. The Government of the Mexican Nation will protect the liberty, property, and civil rights of all foreigners who profess the Roman Catholic religion, the established religion of the empire. Law of the 4th of January, 1823. Art. 1 & 2 of the Law of the 4th of August, 1824, same. Art. 1 of the Colonization Law of Coahuila and Texas, 24th of March, 1825, same. By a law of Coahuila and Texas of 21st of May, 1834, protection is offered to the person and property of every settler, whatever may be his religion. Art. 9 of the Law of Mexico, dated 6th of April, 1830, forbids foreigners entering from the Northern frontier without passports. Art. 11 of same Act prohibits citizens of foreign countries, lying adjacent to the Mexican Territory, from settling as colonists in the states or territories adjoining such countries, and suspends contracts not executed, opposed to such article, &c. The eleventh article of this law, which was directed against the Americans, was repealed in 1833.] Art. 1 & 2 of instructions to Commissioner of 4th September, 1827, require certificates of their religious character, &c., from the local authority, without which they cannot be admitted; and the Empresario must give his |