From he Nep Orleans Daiiy Republican BRITISH CLAIMS ON TEXAS
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We understand, (says the Houston Tele- graph that the British Charge d'Aflaires has been instructed by his Government to make formal demand in the name of H. B. M, Queen Victoria, for a grant of land amount ing to about 3,000,000 acres, the section of country designated on the old maps as Cam eron's and Beale's grant, and the same claim ed by Mir. John Woodward. It will be re- collected that this MT. Woodward presented a beautiful silver pitcher to General Houston, at Columbia, and was soon after appointed Consul General of Texas for the United States, which office he abused by compelling each emigrant who left New ork for Texas, to pay him five dollars for passport, which was as worthless as a piece of blank paper. For this he was dismissed from office, and Congress refused to acknowledge his claim, or that of his employers, for the immense tract of land claimed under this grant We understand that MT. Beale, and the others in- terested in this claim, paid at one time S40,000, and at another S20,000, and smaller sums, at different times, to secure this claim. They consider, therefore, that they have just right to demand the land in question, or to require Texas to repay them the money they expend- ed to colonize 1t. Several of the parties in- terested are British subjects, and they have pettloned their Government to enforce their claim. We had supposed that this claim was forever set at rest by Congress, who rejected 1t upon the ground that the contract was made with the Mexican Government, before the Revolution, and that Government was alone answerable for its infringement We cannot understand by what right this demand can with propriety be made through the Bri- tish Minister and in the name of his Govern ment. If this claim is admitted by Texas, 1t will open the door for many others, not less extensive. The Powers grant, Wood berry's, McMullen and McGlone's, and in- deed every other empresario grant may be enforced by similar means, under the direc- ton of the respective Governments to which these empresarios belonged; and hereafter, France, Great Britain, and Belgium, may in- terpose, and require Texas to fulfil the con- tract with Mir. Castro, Mir. Fisher, and Messrs Convers, Carol, and others.