CALIFORNIA.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 411, 23 March 1850, Page 2

CALIFORNIA.

We gave in our last as comprehensive a view of the intelligence from the Gold Region as

,the arrival of the Moa so short a time before the hour at which we were obliged to go to press permitted. We proceed to make further and copious Extracts,— -knowing that there is no subject of more general interest to our readers to which we could at present devote our space. . From the peculiar condition of society m California, and the specific character of the one engrossing object which draws the multitudes of emigrants to its shores, Political affairs, which command paramount consideration in other countries, are regarded with only a secondary degree of attention there. Their importance, however, (especially to those who intend to take up their permanent residence in the country) is so obvious, that we to day first select statements bearing on that subject. The Government and representation of the State, according to the Constitution lately determined on, is placed in the hands of the following persons :—: — Officers of tub new STATE.—The following is a list of ths new state officers, senators and representatires in Congress, elected under the constitution ratified by the people at the election on the 13th of November last, viz.: Governor-Peter H. Burnett ; Lieutenant-Governor— John M'Dougall. United Jstates Senators-John C. Fredmout ; W. M. Gwin. Repre. sentatives in Congress-George W. Wright ; Edward Gilbert. Secretary of State-W. Van Vooyhies. Trea. surer— Richard Homan. Comptroller— J. b. Houston. Attorney.General— Edward J. C. Kewen. SurveyorGeneral— Charles J. Whiting- Chief Justice-S. C. Hastings. Associate Justices— H. A. Lyon ; Nathaniel Bennett* The Governor had issued an Inaugural Address, in] which, —while he naturally takes the most favourable view of the prospects of the country that the case admits— he suggests also some judicious warnings and admonitions :—: — Gentlemen of the Senate and Assembly : I have been chosen by a majority of my fellow citizens of the State of California to be her first Executive. For this proof of their partiality and confidence I shall ever retain a most grateful sense. To be chosen Chief Magistrate of California, at this period of her history, when the eyes of the whole world are turned towards her, is a high and distinguished honour, and I shall do all in my power to merit this distinction, by an ardent, sincere and energetic discharge of the weighty and responsible duties incident to the position I occupy. Nature, in her kindness and benificence, has distinguished California by great and decided natural advantages ; and lheie great natural resources will make her either a very great or a very sordid and petty State. She can take no middle course. She will either be distinguished among her sister States, as one of the leading stars of the Union, or she will sink into comparative insignificance: She has many dangerß to encounter, many perils to meet. In all those countries where rich and extensive mines of the precious metals hare been heretofore discovered, the people have become indolent, careless and stupid. Thii enervating influence operates silently, steadily, and continually, and requires countervailing cauies, or great and continued energy of character in a people to *ucceisfully resist it. How far this influence may mould the character of the future population of California, time atone can determine. If she should with, stand and overcome this great peril, she will constitute a bright exception to the fate that has attended other States similarly situated. But I anticipate for her a proud and happy destiny. If she had only her gold mines the danger would be imminent, but she has still greater and more commanding interests than thii—interests that seldom or ever enervate or slupify a people, b«t, on the contrary, tend, in their very nature to excite and nourish industry, enterprise, and virtue. I mean her agricultural and commercial advantages. While our mines will supply us with ample capital, j and our fine agricultural lands will furnish us with provisions—our great and decided commercial facilities j and position will give full ami active employment to the energies and enterprise of our people, and will pre- j Tent them from sinking into that state of apathy and indifference which cannot exist in a commercial and active community. .... Our new State will soon take her equal station among the other States of the Union . When adm itted a member of that great sisterhood, she will occupy an important position, imposing upon her new and gieat responsibilities. She can never forget what is due to herself ; much less can she forget what it due to the whole Union. Her destiny will be united with that of her sister States and flic will then form one of the links of that bright chain that binds together the happy millions of the American people. How »ide and extended is our expanding country. With only thirteen States and three millions of inhabitants originally, we have grown in the short space of three quarters of a century, to be one of the greatest nation* of the earth. With a federal government to manage and control our external relations with the world at large, and State governments to regulate our internal and business relations with each Jother, our system is peculiarly adapted for extension over a wide field, without the danger of becoming unwieldy and impracticable. We have now more than twenty mil. lion§ of inhabitants and thirty States, with others knocking at the door of the Union for admittance. Our States and cities line the eastern coast of North America facing Europe, and our country extends across the entire continent to the shores of the Pacific, facing the million* of Asia. We have commanding military and commercial positions on both oceans, and nothing can retard us on our onward march to greatneis but our ov/n errors and our own follies. California has her part to act in this great march of improvement, and whether she acts well her part or not, depends much upon her early legislation. With the most ardent desire to do my duty towards our new and rising State, I pledge you my most cordial cooperation in your efforts to promote the business of California and the Union. For the principles that will govern me in my administration of the executive department of the State, I beg leave to refer you to my forthcoming menage, I thank you, gentlemen, for the kindness aud courtesy you have shown me, and hope that your laboun may redound to your own honour and the happinesi of your constituents. The Alta California of December 22, has the following observations ou the state of the Pueblo de San Jose, which has, for the present, been chosen as the Seat of Government ;— The Pueblo de San Jose, just now, preients an unusual and stirring aspect. Crowded with strangers, the State Legislature about organizing, and candidates tfor the several offices feeling the pulse of either House, IL exciting and interesting state of affairs may be Hked. Our intelligence received yesterday from

that city adds a very diiagreeable finish to the picture, nevertheleis. It appears that for about one-iixtli of the number assembled there, the meaneit accommodations can only be procured, and as the population is rapidly augmenting, the prospects are that rery loon there will not be an empty sugar.hogshead in the place. This is certainly an admirable arrangement for the seat of Government ; and the consequences of this failure on the part of the people of San Jose to accommodate the Legislature and provide for the comfort oJ the members, during its first session, should be an immediate removal of that body to this city or to Monterey. It is thought by many that this will be done. The following description of the daily scenes at the San Francisco Post Office will help the reader to form some idea of that city and its business :—: — The scene daily exhibited at the Post Office in this city is probably without a parallel in any part of the world. In their anxiety to obtain letters, many persons are on the ground before daylight, and the string of applicants at each window, amounts to an hundred and more before the office opens. The crowd increaies throughout the day, the late arrivals being obliged to ■tand several hours in the ranks before their turnPlaces near the window have been sold to impatient individuals, for as much as 25 dollars. The box delivery for the first two or three days, wai nearly equally thronged. The state of things will probably continue, with little amelioration, till within a week of the next mail's arrival, when it will be renewed. The mail brought by the Oregon was contained in aeventy.two bags, and numbered 45,000 letters, besides an immense amount of newspapers— double the size of any single mail which was ever received in New York ! The bags were taken to the office on Saturday night, after night. On Sunday, a partial box delivery, amounting to 2000 letters was made ; on Monday, a similar delivery ; and on Tuesday at noon, the entire mail having been distributed, the general delivery commenced. Mr. Moore the indefatigable postmaster, and his clerks worked day and night, without rest or respite, to accomplish this labour. The arrival and departure of the steamers, at nearly the same period, render the duties of the office unusually severe. The forwarding of letters, in accordance with the thousands of orders, seat in from all parts of the mines— a postoffice feature peculiar to California alone— could, of itself, suffice for the constant employment of eight or ten clerks. The necessity of special provision for all Government service in California — whether civil, military, or naval— is daily becoming more and more evident. Through the want of it all departments ire most embarrassingly cramped, and unless some relief be speedily extended, their administration must become impossible. Turning to — what will be read with most interest — the condition and prospects of the emigrants to the " Land of Gold," we invite particular attention to the following summary of the recent news, which we copy from the Syd~ ney People's Advocate, — a journal by no means open to a charge of any prejudiced attempt to decry the attractiveness of California :—: —

Latest Private Intelligence from Cauforkia. — By letteri and passengers arrived here by the Spec from San Francisco, we learn that the setting in of the winter raius|had, as anticipated, taken thousands of the new arrivals by surprise, and the consternation occasioned by finding themselves without a roof or shelter from the piercing cold, wai perfectaly indescribable. Thoie who had been longer there had suffered equally, and the shattered constitutions which their weakly and sickly form* presented almost prevented recognition of old acquaintances. The fever and ague, diarrhoea, and dysentery had made dreadful havoc in the neighbourhood of the city, and the awful pictures of the tent-town or encamping ground at Happy Valley are horrifying in the extreme ; to mul« tudes it had proven " the valley of the shadow of death ;" and some of our informants, who went there by the Inchinnan, could with great difficulty fiud enough of unoccupied ground on which to pitch a tent, the cleared surface presenting the appearance of numerous graves, and forcibly impressing on their downcast spirits that they had been thrown by their own voluntary exile into a Golgotha, instead of the fanciful Paradise which their imaginations had pictured to them on deserting their homes in New South Wales. Men with hearts full of sorrow and repentance, with tears in their eyes, implored some of the passengers by the Spec to warn their relatives of the fate that must await them if they ventured going to California, and requested that their distresses might be made as public as possible, in order to deter others risking their lives in adventures to that part of tha world. So much were the people who came from Sydney changed in their appearance, that scarcely one in twenty could be recognized. Prices of all commodities had risen rapidly, not from scarcity, but principally from speculations and want of conveyance. Labourer! were at the port offering their services at very reduced rates, and oue of our imformants saw dozens of doctors, lawyeri, ond others of learned professions, so miserable that they were glad to work as carpenters' labourers, and were staggering under shoulder load* of planking at the numerous erections in the city, while several of them, the doctor of the Star of China among others, were employed at watermen on the harbour, and thankful of that means of procuring a living. Many hundreds others, whose names cannot be rememberedi were walking about the streets of the dreadful " Happy Valley" more like spectral skeletons than men of flesh and blood. When the Inchinnan arrived, the first sight that met the passengers on landing were the dead bodies of men lying at the waters edge in a state of decomposition, unclaimed and unnoticed ; and in the streets of San Francisco a man was lying dead, exposed to the view of every passer-by. The tents piesented fearful scenes. In corners, and boxed up betwixt packages of luggage, wh'ch served to ihield the emaciated bodies of ague patients, were seen unfortunate victims ot that disease wrapt up in blankets, their teeth chattering, their limbs shivering, and their countenances distorted by disease. Dispair had silenced their calls for assistance, which could not be rendered them, and reiignation to the approach of death only permitted them to solicit ai a dying favour that thoughtless emigration from New South Wales should be discouraged by a detail of their individual misfortunes. The lodging houses were in a dreadful state ; one hundred and fifty sleepers were thronged into one apartment, and there Uy mingled the healthy and'tbe diieaied, men of all nationc and of all tongues, the once exalted among the most debated, the filthy and the clean in one indiscriminate mm: Returned minen, enfeebled by fever, were ieen, careless of their dreadful fate, with not the slightest regard to personal cleanliness, and from their inability to help i themselves, and the want of others to assist them, in many instances they were covered by crawling lice, and shockingly disgusting. Some of our informants were witnesses to some of these briefly-detailed scenes; fc"t each had seen so many hardships, that it it impossible i we cm do more than speak of them generally as they

are corroborative of the intelligence received by private letters. Theie was employment for carpenters, but even that was unsteady. A few of our informants were only about thirty days at the port, and some of them were 10 much disgusted, that they thought every day they were detained was as long ai a month. Curies loud and deep were expressed against a charterer of lome large vessels who had been in California, and duped the emigrants from this quarter by his misrepresentations. H« had been entrusted with hundreds of letters, which it has since turned out he h»% never delivered, and the consequences will be dreaCTul. Wives left here do not know whether their husbe'ids in California wish them to go to them ; while nusbands are returning to Sydney whose wives have cone in the vain hope of meeting them in San Francisco, and numbers are already widows and fatherless who may never learn the fate of their relatives, the post affording scarcely a hope of communicating with friends. The condition of the localities of the Mines ! is [thus described by the Placer Times under the dates December 15 and December 22 :—: — The Plncer Times of December 15, came to hand at a late hour yesterday. From it we copy the subjoined statements of the recent Squatter disturbances in Saciamento City. " Land Titles v. Squatters.-— The citizens of Sacramento and vicinity have, for the last two or three weeks past, been somewhat excited by a movement on the part of a large portion of this community, who have taken upon them the responsibility of disputing the legality and genuineness of fhe title of Mr. John A. Suttor to the land in this neighbourhood, which he originally obtained from the Mexican Government ; and, having satisfied themselves on this point, have arrived at the conclusion that they have equal right to settle upon and occupy the land ai those who presume to possess prior claims. As this is a very delicate and intricate qnestion to discuss, and one which our limited knowledge will not allow us to handle as understanding as we could wish, we shall content ourselves for the present by merely trying to give the facts and arguments on both sides ai fully and clearly as our limited space will enable ua to do." "Acting in good faith, we have no reason to question, some gentlemen possessed of penetration and foresight, thinking, after the discovery of gold in this vicinity, that this would become an important trading point and a place of some magnitude, as early as 15 months since, purchased of Mr. Sutter considerable land in this locality, on some of which this cily now stands, not questioning Mr. S.s title to the same.— From that time to the present this land has continued to change hands — buyer and seller supposed to be on principles of honour which usually govern such transactions. The first man we heard dissenting from these views was Mr. Kiiyser, who, at a public meeting held early in October to revise the City Charter, took the ground that all the land claimed by Mr. Sutter and others, belonged to the United States, and would io continue to belong until Congress decided differently. Mr. K. vva« undoubtedly honest in the expression of his views, but nineteen, -twentieths of that meeting repudiated his opinion and believed his ideas viiionary. Another argument which the earlier landholders make use of ii, that if there are any pre. emption claims they have the best right to their benefit, having first settled upon, surveyed, and improved the land, at that time covered with wood and brush, and that Congress would recognise their right on this ground alone— basing their argument and arriving at the conclusion from the precedents of the American Government, in its acquisition of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, &c, when in every case where individuals had paid an equivalent for or settled upon lands, the Government acknowledged the claim. " Having stated to the best of our information, the position of those who claim to hold legal titles, we shall now direct the reader's attention to the arguments and complaints of the squatters. la their speeches some of them dispute altogether Mr. Sutler's awnenhip to so much land. They contend that he has no iegal title to the many leagues of land which he claims. In order to support this position, they assert that Mr. Sutter's deed of cession, wluch we have alluded to, never received the sanction or ratification of the Mexican Republic— that is, that although that deed received the sanction of the authorities of the State or Department, those functionaries acted without the authority of the Mexican Congress and President- Having satisfied themselves on this point, they further maintain that this land belongs to the United States, being acquired by the recent war in this part of the Mexican territory, and that, as American citizens, they have an equal right with their fellows to its occupancy and benefits. They assert that the land speculators (as they call those who claim to bold titles) obtained lands here for a mere song, and that they never for a moment thought to occupy or improve them. " Among the grievances the squatters complain of, the flood of letters poured into the United States before they left, holding out strong inducements for them to come here for agricultural purposes— all of which letters were written under the influence of the land monopolists to promote their interests — and that now that they are here, strange to say, between the immense claims of John A. Sutter, Hiram Grimes, and a few others, there is not an inch of land worth settling upon left them to cultivate. Under this state of things they assert that they shall squat upon, occupy, and maintain by force of arms, if need be, such land as is now not built upon, until they see better claims than they have yet seen, or until the American Congress decide them to be in the wrong, and not entitled to the small spot of land which they claim. They say that it is too early yet to commence that immense system of land monopoly here, which has cauied so much distress in Europe, and also in the case of Van Renssalaer in the State of New York. However, at one of their meetings, held on Monday evening, one of the speakers said that if any man had purchased lou before the agitation of this question, and paid his money in good faith, that his property should be respected by him ; and this declaration seemed to meet with a response from most of those assembled. Actuated by the motives and impulses which we have 60 briefly, and we hope impartially sketched, the squatters have formed an Association, numbering a thou« sand or twelve hundred members, elected officers, and prepared to carry their principles into operation. We canuot now even give an epitome of the constitution of this association, or the government and requirements of its members, for we have never seen the document ; but we may at some future time. We believe that while there are some unprincipled men connected with this movement, a great majority are honest and deserving citizens. Intelligence from thb Mines.— We learn from a gentleman who has just returned from an eXtemiye yisit in the northern mines that the recent freshet in the rivers has nearly subsided, the water fallen several feet, and miners were again able to work in the beds of the rivers. A great deal of excitement, consequent upon the scarcity of provisions in the mining regions, previous to the late fall of rain, haj exiited, and great

numben thereupon abandoned good digging! and mado ; tracks for Sacramento. The rivers are now nearly as low at they have been at any period of the year ; the freshet has been the means of opening a vnst extent of new deposits, and the roads are now lined with the returning miners. In the vicinity of Mormon Bar, on the North Fork, American River, very excellent deposits have been found in many large ravines, con. rerging to that point, that will enable miners to work them the whole winier. One day, the week . before last, a person of the name of M'Gorvan, ; unaided, collected the value of ninety-nine dollari — ■ The storekeepers have taken advantage of the late 1 improvement in the state of the roads, and an ample sufficiency ii now on hand, so that no fears need hereafter be entertained of a scarcity. We learn, however, from an intelligent gentleman, who has juit returned to this place from his party on the Sau Joaquin, that he rains for the last few days have made the routes almost impassable, and have caused all active operations to be suspended, in the spots which fell under his observation. We subjoin letters from parties who have themselves experienced what life in California really is. They have appeared in successive numbers of the Sydney Herald, and, it will be seen, are authenticated by the names of the writers. Dear Elspith,— l am sorry to inform you that I arrived in a very b*d time of the year, when mountains are all covered with snow, and rain falling in torrents ; and what is worse than all, nothing to cover our heads but a cold canvas tent, with ground floor; therefore you that are in a comfortable house need not envy our comforts in the gold regions of California. Dere Elspith, I will endeavour to give you a slight account of this place by stating a few prices of articles for our domeitic comforts : to commence '.—Beef v» Is. per lb., and that of such a quality I would scarcely give it to my dog; bread is li. (id. a loaf that is \\ lbs, ; snap la. per lb. ; tea 45. ; sugar Is. ; rice 6d. ; and as for vegetables I have never seen any of tbem ; spirits are plentyful and cheap, you can get as much as you can drink at once for Is., but I cannot rent a house witb one room in it for leas than one hundred dollars per month, that is equal to £20 sterling, and that must be paid in advance. Now I shall endeavour to give an account of the rate of wages, and the charge for board and lodgings : tradesmen are getting 12 dollars per day, and labourers from 5 to 10 dollars per day, but not one out of every ten can get anything to do. Board and lodgings from 16 to 30 dollars per week, and as for hospitality it has never been known here, for I have seen men lay dead in the street for two hours together, and no notice taken of them and I have heard of them laying for days together ; and am so disgusted with the place that if I were in Sydney by your aide I would not witness what I have already seen for all the gold in California ; but my dear, you know what aort of man I am, therefore I need not tell you that I never meet sorrow halfway, so if the Lord spares my life and health, I will make a spoon or spoil a horn before I come to Sydney again ; because I have seen plenty of Sydney people since I came here, and they tell me that it is always the same in winter, and the summer is quite the reverse. If so, I hope to be rewarded for all I have suffered My dear wife, some of my friends wonder that 1 did not bring you with me, and 1 have not the least doubt but I should have been a good deal more comfortable if I had taken your advice, and let you come along with, me, for women can make more money in one week than a man can in two ; but that would not satisfy me to lee you standing over a wash tub, or in service in u cold tent ; but as soon as lam able to get a good comfortable house to pat you in, I will content for you to share it with me again I always have been able to do so till like a madman, I started for here in search of gold. I hope you will tell all my friends and acquaintances what I think of California ; and if they doubt my letter, refer them to Mr. White, who is working his passage hack to Sydney. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell send their best respects to Mary Ann Hudson and all her family, aud please give my respects to them also, and to all enquiring friends ; and send aft soon as you receive this letter, and let me know all tho particular how you are getting on, and how my dear children are; give them nil a kiss for me, and do not letjthem forget^that they havea father, and that before tuia. time next year Ihopetokiis them myself. I have nothing more to say, only to tall you to make yourself as comfortable as you possibly can, for it is enough for one to suffer at once ; and God only knows the state of my mind »t this time, to think 1 have turned myself from a good home, and all that is dear to me on earth — that is you and my dear children— all this have I done for the sake of gold ; therefore I have met a just reward. But, my dear Elspith, Ido not despair. I have fortitude and perseverance enough to ro through it all. If the Lord only assist me and spares my health. Therefore do not let this dull letter of mine cast your spirits down, for the same God piotects you in Sydney as I trust will protect and watch over me in these wild forests and mountains in California. All this, my dear, 1 hope you will bear with that patience I know you are capable of exercising and for which I have so often applauded you. No more at present from your loving and unaltered husband till death, JOHN JAMISON, Butcher, of Sussex- street. San Francisco, December 11.

To the Paying Officers of the Chelsea Pensioners of Netv South JVales. California, December 8, 1849Sir,— Agreeable to your orders, on niy arrival I deem it a duty to conform to, so that you should be acquainted of my life being safe in this country, after experiencing a tedious voyages of eighty-two dsy§. With respect to this country it is really unfortunate to every individual who left Sydney, in peace, comfoit, and plenty, as there is nothing but sickness and misery before men and families, inttead of their expectations. I will not trouble you with such distressing circumstances, I shall, if I live and can procure the amount of my passage return direct, if not, in time I shall inform your honour of my existence and stale. 1 have the honour to be. Sir, youn re«pe(tfully, ROBERT CONWAY, Pensioner'