The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-29 00:00:00

BRITISH COLUMBIA AND CALIFORNIA.

(From the limes' Correspondent.)
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 24, 1862.
We have news from the British possessions to
the 19th. The last steamer, which left Victoria on
that day, arrived hereon the 22d, making the trip in
about 62 hours, including a short stoppage at Cres-
cent City on the north coast of California. This
shows the advantages the colonies would derive
from having a line of British steamers on the route
which could make the trip from San Francisco to
Victoria direct in 21 days. D pendent as they have
hitherto been on American steamers, which touch at
the way ports on this coast and in Oregon, passen-
gers and mails are almost always subject to unne-
cessary delays, and make the communication so slow
as to impede both business and travel.
The remittance by the last steamer was, by
ship's manifest, 403,120 dols., of which the largest
portion, 223,421 dols., was from Victoria, shipped
by the express house of Wells, Fargo, and Co., and
being part of the produce of Cariboo, remitted to
meet the requirements and engagements of com-
merce; 166,899 dols. from Portland, being the pro-
duce of the Salmon River and other golddiggings in
Oregon and Washington territory; and 12,800 dols.
from Crescent City, being nearly all in coin. These
figures do not include the value of golddust car-
ried in private hands, which is at all times consider-
able, and at present, while the miners are coming
to winter in California, is large. The purser of the
steamer estimates that 400,000 dols. must have come
from Victoria, including the amount manifested
from that place, as given above.
It is impossible to get correct returns of the gold
brought from British Columbia for various reasons
which I have repeatedly explained. The shipments
are thrown into the periodical exports of gold from
San Francisco three times a month, which they have
greatly swelled, and they are credited to the " yield"
of California in the gold statistics of the latter coun-
try—a drawback which must be submitted to until
a line of English steamers shall be established be-
tween Panama and Victoria. This is so great a pro-
ject that I can merely allude to it at present.
Suffice it to say that the steady progress of the
colonies justifies the hope that the exigencies of
trade and of immigration will soon make the estab-
lishment of such a line feasible in a pecuniary view.
It is clear to all conversant with the countries that
the absence of such a means of communication with
the mother country in particular, and with the
world in general, retards the increase of their popu-
lation, checks the development of their varied
natural resources and of their industry, and limits

their commerce.
In the month of October the golddust deposited
in the Mint in San Francisco, and entered by the
depositors for conversion into bars and coin, as from
Cariboo, was 9,442 ounces, and, as from Fraser
River, 102 ounces, the value of which would be
about 162,248 dols. gross.
Cariboo dust bses about 6 per cent. in melting,
and its ley is lower than that of California dust ;
the average fineness of the former being 700, and
that of the latter 880. The difference in quality is
due to the fact that the Cariboo dust contains a
larger proportion of silver. It is a remarkable fact,
become a miner's dogma, that the further north on
this continent the mines are situated, the more
abundant is the production, the larger is the yield,
and the lower is the fineness.
The miners paraphrase the statement, " Southern
mines yield little gold, but rich ; Northern mines
yield much gold, but poor" in quality.

Nov. 26.
Yesterday we had a marked illustration of the
value of the telegraph in the receipt of late news
from England that the English and Russian Go-
vernments had declined to intervene in American
affairs. The rapidity with which the news has tra-
velled so great a distance is somewhat striking.
The telegram reached San Francisco at 11 a.m.
yesterday. It informs us that the Arabia had
arrived on the day before (the 24th) at Cape Race,
Newfoundland, with dates from Liverpool to the
15th, and from Queenstown to the 16th instant.
From Cape Race the news wastelegraphed to New
York, and thence by the overland telegraph to San
Francisco, thus bringing us information of great
interest from the old world on the morning of the
ninth day from the date of its despatch, by the
steamer, from Ireland. And the intelligence so
speedily conveyed is not, as might be expected,
a mere bald announcement of an important fact.
A full and clear synopsis of the subject is conveyed,
embracing the proposal of mediation by France,
Earl Russell's observations, views, and arguments
thereon, and his determination; and a report of
the commercial effect in England of the settlement
of this vexed question, all communicated in five sen-
tences, containing 293 words, besides the introduc-
tory passages.
When the telegraph is in good order and has not
much work we have almost instantaneous communi-
cation with New York, the only break in the work-
ing being at Chicago, the principal intermediate
station.

Respecting the principle involved in the subject
of the late news, as it is well that you should know
the sentiments of the American people generally
upon the question of intervention or mediation, Inlay
avail myself of this opportunity to state what the
feeling is in the Pacific States. I shall be upheld in
asserting that in California the Unionists, who form
the majority of thepopulation, are more universally
and unanimously opposed to interference of every
kind, name, and nature by England than the people,
or any section of them, have ever been on any public
question ever mooted in the State. No other ques-
tion could so universally evoke a hostile and bitter
feeling of resentment, or could command so unani-
mous a condemnation as that of our interference in
the present quarrel—a quarrel which all insist shall
be settled by the parties thereto, without aid or
advice or any interference from England directly or
indirectly. Even the Southeners seek no more than
recognition, and they are satisfied with the neutra-
lity hitherto observed. They admit, with as much
reason as gratitude, that England has acted through-
out with great propriety and fairness, preserving an
evenhanded neutrality towards both parties.
In the neighbouring State of Oregon there always
has been a considerable sprinkling of Secessionism,
and several persons of " Southern proclivities" have
removed to Victoria, where they have purchased
property and set up in business, with a view to set-
tling permanently in the British dominions—some
to avoid the annoyance, and others the persecu-
tion, to which their political principles subjected
them in their own country. A few of these, it is
reported, have become or are qualifying to be-
come British subjects, for which the laws of the
colony of Vancouver Island afford every proper
facility—involving little loss of time and very little
expense. The change of nationality is not, how-
ever,to entitle these immigrants to
the
to hold
full necessaryprotectionol
drealy w i
s ,
of
property
e lawsrt ;a
thelt m
e ns
as aree
mittedlegal
guarantees as English-born subjects, without being
subjected to any drawback or liable to any special
imposition. The laws protect the foreigner and
Englishmen alike, and both are equal before them,
except in the matter of political franchises. That
there are still in Oregon a considerable number of
Secessionists is true, but the great body of the people
isof
WashingtonUnionist,andtetrhreitomraiority is of the same mind
a s California on the question of interference. Simi-
lar views are entertained by the bulk of the people
Interference would -deeply offend, and would
be resented, locally, by the people of California, of
Oregon, and .
dou
hibt.
Washingtonir au dy x
q uiekl territory,e
peculiar hu
truth, I may add emphatically, that all the
s touchiness,iti
v e
n es s
of
the Pe
character,s aroused excited
the
nationalL
this point. It is a question put beyond the pale of
• rational discussion. The public
mind is made up,
without
itsoeo n n
t"