An Act to Define the Boundaries of the Republic of Texas

Before the end of the year 1836 congress was determined to identify the land and sea boundaries of the nation. The Texas navy had superiority of the gulf of Mexico which gave them rights to a distance of three leagues offshore from the mouth of the Sabine river to the effluence of the Rio Grande river and its mouth and thence up stream to its source and then due north to the 42nd latitude, as defined by treaty between U S and Spain. These boundaries were to be used in negotiations with the United States as soon as the public interests dictated the necessity. 

AN ACT, To define the Boundaries of the Republic of Texas.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas, in congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, the civil and political jurisdiction of this republic be. and is hereby declared to extend to the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at the mouth of the Sabine river, and running west along the Gulf of Mexico three leagues from land, to the mouth of the Rio Grande, thence up the principal stream of said river to its source, thence due north to the forty-second degree of north latitude, thence along the boundary line as defined in the treaty between the United States and Spain, to the beginning: and that the president be, and is hereby authorized and required to open a negotiation with the government of the United States of America, so soon as in his opinion the public interest requires it, to ascertain and define the boundary line as agreed upon in said treaty.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the house of representatives.

RICHARD ELLIS,

President pro tem. of the senate.

Approved, Dec. 19, 1836.

SAM. HOUSTON.

--- as published in the Laws of the Republic of Texas.