Ingram Stock Certificate #284

in the corporation. Each stock certificate was numbered, dated and signed by the purchaser, secretary and president of the colony. The number of shares was noted and the certificate was embossed with the Blalock Mexico Colony seal.[8]

The assembly also enacted the first permanent laws for the colony. These laws would take affect after they settled on the Chamal property. The first laws stated:

When the land is divided the parties falling in possession of that which is improved shall pay for the improvements. This provision is made in view of the fact that those who go first will have a considerable improvement made when the last of the colonists arrive. The other law is that all cases of dispute are to be settled by arbitration, each disputant being allowed two arbitrators, and the four chosen are to select one more, making five members, which will constitute a board of arbitration. Their decision will be final.[9]

It was also decided to elect a committee whose responsibility would be to locate a suitable site on the property on which to establish the town. The men chosen for this job were; Mr. George Blalock, Mr. Charles C. Rogers, Mr. William R. Derr, Mr. George Moore, and Mr. Jo Miller. The survey task would include the surveying and plotting of twenty-acre town lots for each head of family. These lots could be used for a home in the town.

The final bit of business conducted at the meeting was to reimburse $400 to Mr. Blalock. This payment was compensation for the expenses he incurred while conducting business for the colony in Mexico. At this same time the colonists received other good news in a telegram that had arrived the evening of February 6th. The "...Mexican government had made the concession that their goods enter that country free of duty. This is worth fully $50,000 to the colonists."[10]

Mexican Concessions

In 1883, the Mexican Legislature passed a law establishing the Department of Promotion, which had the responsibility of overseeing colonization efforts. It was under the aegis of this law that the Blalock Mexico Colony was granted valuable concessions with stipulations.