CALIFORNIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 174, 19 January 1860, Page 4

CALIFORNIA

By the Tuisco, from San Francisco, we (the Sydney Herald, 10th inst.) have nine day’s later news, viz., to the 7th October. The Herald of that date states, that the first brick house ever constructed in California, was being pulled down. It was, says the Herald, first occupied by Burgoyne and Co., bankers, as their place of business. The most terrific conflagrations have raged around and over its head, but always left it unscathed. The ever gnawing and remorseless tooth of improvement has at length fastened upon its existence, and in another day it will cease to l>e. The German Mutual Insurance Company of San Francisco has resolved to establish a corps of fire policemen, wdioseduty it shall he to be present at all fires, and render assistance for the preservation of property. About four months. ago, says the Herald, seventeen negroes, who had been slaves in Mississippi, were brought to the state of California by their owner, for the purpose of emancipating them, which was accordingly done. So far from enjoying the freedom with which they have been presented, they Lave become discontented and anxious to return to Mississippi. They, were informed that they would not be allowed to live there in a state of emancipation, but determinedly expressed their preference to live as slaves at home than to he free \here, The only one who has been able to ! raise sufficient means to return is a woman

named Rebecca Bracy, who is to sail by the first steamer with her two children. She .will probably be followed by the others as soon as they are able. - The correspondent of the Star, writing from San Bernardino, September 27, says—Several families arrived to-day from Salt Lake. They report that all is peace and quietness iu Utah ; money is scarce. A large emigration may be expected this fall. Several families arrived here a few days ago from Texas; they report more on the road.

Another paper says that each succeeding mail frem Salt Lake announces a steadily increasing disaffection and treason on tbe part 9f the Mormons. The wholesome dread experienced from the presence of the .United States troops is gradually disappearing, and being replaced by vehement denunciation of the Government and its leading men, coupled with assassination and robbery. A fearful massacre of Indians ■ had taken place. The Indians killed were a band of the Pitt River tribe, and were attacked In their rancharia by a company of whites, known as the Pitt River Company, an organization acting without authority of any kind—a lawless, reckless set of desperadoes. Mr. Henry Landt, acting as a guide to General Kibbe, was on the ground soon after the foul murder was committed, and estimates the number killed at ninety, ten of whom were warriors,, and the balance women and children. He depicts the scene as most horrible; bodies mutilated and half burned, were strewn over the ground; fifty of tbe victims laying in sight from one stand point. General Kibb, as we gather from Mr. Landt’s report, on reaching the scene of action, in the course he pursued, made but little improvement on the acts of the bloodthirsty wretches who preceded him. Having captured two infants, he ordered them to be taken out in view of tbe Indians, and through promises of protection and kind usage, and anxiety to secure the children, persuaded two warriors to come into his camp ; fair promises were made to these men, and through them an invitation extended to the tribe to meet him the next day for a ‘ big talk 5 and a feast. On the next day the same men, accompanied by one of the chiefs of the trite, visited the camp of the Americans, and failing to come to any terms, were detained when they attempted to leave, contrary to express stipulations, and when, on discovering the bad faith of the whites, they attempted to make their escape, two of them were shot down, the chief being retaken.— -Herald.

In a San Francisco paper, covered with the black lines of mourning, we have a long account of the life, death, and interment of Senator David G. Broderick. This gentlemen fell, as will be seen in our issue of yesterday, in a duel with a judge of the Supremo Court. He appears to have been a party man in the fullest sense, and the quarrel which -issued thus fatally arose out of party contentions. The account given by the journal most''enthusiastic in his favour, admits that, at the table of an hotel he applied to Judge Terry language the most offensive and insulting. He said of this judge: “ The damned miserable wretch, after being kicked out of the Convention, went .down there and made a speech abusing nie. 1 have defended him at times when all others deserted him. I paid and supported three newspapers to defend him during the Vigilance Committee days, and this is all the gratitude I get from the damned miserable -wretch for the favours I have conferred on him. I have hitherto spoken of him as an honest man—as the only honest man on the Bench t of a miserable, corrupt Supreme Court—but now I -find I was mistaken. I take it all back. He is just as bad as the others.”

The proceedings' appear to have been very' deliberate. The Press now clamours, for vengeance, demanding that the full weight of the law shall fall upon the survivor of 1 his sanguinary encounter —a cry vriiich is ridiculous when we find that the city gave to the deceased: himself, equally criminal, the honours of a public funeral. The same journal contains the account of another duel, in which Dr. Goodwin and Col. Gatewood were the principals. These, gentlemen met each other with lilies at forty paces. The. first fell mortally wounded. Immediately follows a “shootiug affair;” a jealons man fires three shots much in the style, although without the provocation, of Sickles. There is also an account of a fatal affray, in which a so-called General Harrison is the victim. He appears to have given provocation which ought to have led to his being committed to the watch-house; but a Mr. Jones, we are told, shot him, killing him on the spot, and the general opinion is said to be that he was justified in the deed ! Immediately under these accounts we find it stated that the keeper of a restaurant, having had ’ some words with the waiter, a quarrel ensued. The waiter drew his pistol and dropped it. While he was picking it up the master shot him dead. Such, then, is a view of the social condition of California. To what cause are we to attribute the prevalence of crimes like these—-this ferocious spirit of vengeance—this recklessness of human life ? !