The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-07 00:00:00

LIABILITIES.

AMERICAN NEWS.

-gm,- -
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.—The North American
mail steam-ship Niagara, Captain Stone, arrived at
this port this afternoon from Boston and Halifax,
with the usual mails, and 70 passengers. Her dates
are New York, 20th; Boston, 21st; and Halifax,
23d ult.

We have particulars of the loss of the Forth on the
14th of January, at 5 o'clock r.m. She struck on
the south east side of the Alacranes, and was soon
afterwards abandoned, the passengers and crew
saving most of their effects. The passengers and
crew arrived at Campeachy on the 18th of January,
after suffering much hardship. The officers and part
of the passengers left three days after for Havannah
—part of the passengers left for Vera Cruz. Several
took passage on the 21st of January. The Forth had
passengers for New Orleans, as well as fcr Bermuda.
The Niagara brings the mails intended for the un-
fortunate steamer Forth.

The mail steamer Europa, Captain Lott, arrived at 1
Halifax on the 21st, and proceeded to New York,
which she would reach on the 23d ult., in 13 days
from Liverpool.
The proceedings of Congress had not been im-
portant. Nothing decisive had been done with the
Panama Railway scheme projected by Messrs. As-
pinwall. The slavery question had exhibited no new
feature. The Bill before the House of Representa-
tives, providing for the formation of a Home Depart-
ment in the Central Government, had received the
assent of a majority of 112 to 78. An Assistant-
Secretary of the Treasury was also to be created. A
memorial had been laid before the Senate from cer-
tain parties, proposing to construct a railroad across
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It was not acted upon
prominently.
On the 19th, in the Senate, a sharp discussion took
place relative to slavery; resolutions condemnatory
of interference being presented from Florida. On
the same day, in the Senate, Mr. King presented the
memorial of certain citizens, proposing to carry the
mails and military stores of the United States across
the Isthmus of Panama, for a sum not exceeding
12,000 dolls. per annum. The petition was referred
to the committee on Military Affairs. On the 19th,
also, in the Senate, Mr. Douglass, of Illinois, moved
to take up the Bill for the organization of a territorial
Government in California, upon which the yeas and
nays being ordered, the result stood—yeas 16, nays 35.
General Taylor, the President elect, was shortly
expected at Washington. He had already offered the
office of Secretary of State under his administration
to the Hon. John M. Clayton, and that gentleman,
our advices state, had accepted the appointment.
The National Intelligencer, the most "relia-
ble" of the journals of the capital, state that Mr.
Crittenden " will not accept any place in the Cabi-
net." Mr. Clayton is opposed to slavery, "in the
broad sense of the term," it is reported in one quar-
ter; in another he is said to be " a discourager of
fanaticism." He is representative of Delaware.
The following is an extract from a speech delivered
by General Taylor at Memphis, Tennessee, on the 3d
ult.; it is brief and promising :
"He had been called by his countrymen to a new
theatre—from a long military life to a civil position of
the greatest public trust; and in entering upon the dis-
charge of those high duties, he did so greatly distrust-
ing his own abilities to discharge them in such a manner
as their great responsibilities might demand; but he
should look for assistance and support not to this man,
or to that, but to the whole people, to whom he was
indebted. The office was not one of bis own seeking,
nor had it been secured by any effort of his. In
electing him to the Presidency of the United States,
the people had mainly looked forward to good govern-
ment and a just administration of the laws; and in en-
deavouring to carry out their wishes in this regard (al-
though no one could rival the Father of his country), it
was left for those who might succeed him to emulate his
example as far as possible. He again thanked the
citizens of Memphis, through their representatives, on
this occasion, for this warm manifestation of their
regard."

Accounts from Venezuela, via Puerto Cabello, of
the 28th ult., state that the late naval engagement
between the rival fleets of Monagas and Paez was
much more decisive than was at first reported. The
Monagas party had been completely triumphant, and
war was now considered as being at an end. At the
capture of the fleet of General Paez a large number
of prisoners were taken, among whom were three of
General Paez's sons. The provinces had become
tranquil; business of all kinds was improving, and
was likely in a short time to resume its usual ac-
tivity.
From Mexico we have dates to the 26th of Janu-
ary, being three days later. The insurrection, headed
by Don Estevan Leon, in the vicinity of Toluca, in
the district of Mexico, has not yet been entirely
quelled.
From Valparaiso we have dates to the 22d of De-
cember, rid Panama. From the 25th to the 30th of
November, 113 persons took out passports to Cali-
fornia. Bolivia was in a very unsettled condition ;
revolutions and counter-revolutions were the order of
the day. That under General Beim was the last re-
volution.

From Havannah we have dates to the 7th ult. by
the steam ship Isabel of Charleston. Fine rains had
set in in Cuba, after a prolonged drought.
The United States' steamer Isthmus arrived at
Havannah on the sth from Chagres, which port she
left on the 2611 of January, and an officer who came
in her, bearer of dispatches to the United States'
Government, fully confirms the previous reports in
regard to the abundance of gold in California, of
which, it is said, he has specimens to take on with
him.

From Chagres the dates are about a fortnight later i
than those by the last arrival, and the advices relative
to the subject of California are of great interest.
The third ship of the Pacific Mail Line of Messrs.
Howland and Aspinall was about to leave New York
for Rio, Panama, and San Francisco. She would
take out 33,000 dolls. in specie. She completed the
line, the steam-ships California and Oregon being
already at Panama. The California arrived on the
11th of January. She, and two ships that were there,
would take all the passengers to San Francisco--be-
tween 600 and 700—who were waiting their depar-
ture on the 20th ult. The California left Valparaiso
on the 22d of December, and Callao on the 10th of
January. Six ships had left the former port for
California since the Ist of November, and 10 were
loading for the same region. The steamer Cali-
fornia brought to Panama from Callao and Payta
118,600 dolls. in specie for California, 17 cabin
passengers, and 52 steerage ditto. The California
spoke on the Pacific coast 35 vessels bound for
California.

The accounts from the Californian gold regions
continue ample. We extract the following official
documents from the TVashington Union of the 14th
ult.:—

" We are indebted to the Secretary of the Navy fur
the following very interesting letters Just received from
Commodore Jones. They were forwarded from Mazat-
lan by our consul, Mr. Parrot, thence across land to
Vera Crux, and transmitted to Pensacola, thence by mail
to Washington:—
"' Flag ship Ohio, San Francisco, Dec. 22, 1848.
" Sir,—My letters from Nos. 33 to 42 inclusive,
dispatched from Monterey by Lieutenant Lanmao, and
from this place by the Lexington, will fully inform you
of the operations of the squadron since our departure
from the Gulf of California. Nothing material has
occurred since my last date. Desertions are less
frequent, the Ohio having lost but one man since
her arrival here; and I think the disposition to
desert is not so general; but that may be owing to
the inclemency of the season, which, for a while, must
suspend the digging and washing for gold, except by
such persons as are most amply supplied with good
houses and all the Jnecessaries of life requisite for a
winter's campaign in a rigid climate, affording nothing
for the use of man but gold. Incredible quantities of
gold are yet daily collected, and scarcely a week elapses
without some new discovery of the precious metal more
startling than any previous one. It is said that a
small party of five or six persons, a few days ago, struck
upon a pocket, as they term certaia deposits, from
which in two days they obtained 30,000 dollars of pure
gold.
" Within the last three weeks we have certain ac-
counts of fifteen murders. In one instance an entire
household of ten persons—a respectable ranchero, his
wife, two children, and six servants. The man, whose
name was Reid, had been very successful in the dig-
gings during the summer, and had returned to his
house near Santa Barbara with a large amount of gold.
His house was surprised by an armed party, and the
whole family, as above stated, were barbarously
murdered, and the house rifled of its golden treasure.
The perpetrators of this horrid deed are still at
large. Of the other five cases, four are highwaywit
robberies committed on persons returning wit
say
gold from the mines. In a word, I in
with truth, that both person and property are insecure
in Upper California at this time; and lam sorry to add
that, in all cases of outrage
dis-
covered, emigrants from the d aUn violence, as yet
nited States, disbanded
volunteers, runaway sailors, and deserters from the army
and navy, are believed to be.perpetrators.
" The mutinies attended the
with murder have been
fully confirmed, and have caused much uneasiness to
shippers of gold from this coast.
" A recent arrival from Callao reports that the Ade-
lina had been taken into that port, and the mutineers,
eight in number, promptly executed.
- .1 have the honour to be, your obedient servant,
"` TIIOfdAS AP C. JONES,
" `Commander-in-Chief United St atea' Naval Forces,
Pacific Ocean.
The Hon. John V. Mason, Secretary of the Navy.
" 'P. S.—Since the above letter was written we have
accounts of more murders. One in the town of Sonoma,
and another in the vicinity.
" December 25, 1848.

" San Francisco, Dec. 18, 1848.
" Sir,—ln consequence of the late mutinous:and mur-
derous proceedings on board the Chilian barque Adelina
and the English schooner Amelia, increased vigilance is
required to guard the lives and property of all lawfully
navigating the high seas.
" • You will, therefore, henceforth, in making passages
from port to port, scrutinise closely the appearance and
illanceUning 9f all Teasels you fall in with lit sea; and

should you have reasonable doubts of their character yon
will board them for tho purpose of ascertaining if inch
suspicious vessels remain in possession of the person who
cleared them from the last port. Should you find, on
boarding any vessel, that any act of mutiny or other
unlawful violence has been committed to the prejudice
of the rightful owners, you will repair the injury in the
best way you can, by restoring order on board, and by
taking out any murderer or mutineer that the master or
owner on board such vessel may request you to take on
board. Should it be necessary to send any such vessel
into port, if other than one sailing under the flag of the
United States, she must be sent to the port whence she
last sailed, if west of Cape Horn, with a letter to the
Government or Consul of the nation whose flag she may
bear. Individuals and Americans sent in under this
order will be sent to this port.
" In discharge of the foregoing highly important and
delicate duties, moderation and great circumspection are
strictly enjoined on you; and whenever it is necessary to
board a vessel, especially when under a foreign flag, you
will do so with the least practicable delay or hindrance,
taking care to make known to the master the true and
only object of your visit.
" ' Respectfully, your obedient servant,
" ' THOB. AP C. JONI&
" Commander-in-Chief United States' Naval Forces,
Pacific Ocean.

" ' To , &c.
" True copy—test: "' W. M. STEUART,
" ' Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief United
States' Naval Forces, Pacific Ocean."

" San Francisco (Upper California), Dec. 3, 1848.
" ' Sir,—The long looked for St. Mary's, Commander
Cron inshield, joined me at this place on the 12th inst.
" ' THOMAS AP C. JONES,
" Commander-in-Chief United States' Natal Forces,
Pacific Ocean.

" ' The Hon. John Y. Macon, Secretary of the Navy."
The Union adds :
" Lieutenant Lanman, of the United States' Navy,
arrived last evening in Washington, as bearer of dis-
patches from the Commander of the Pacific squadron.
At Payta, on the 12th January ult., he took passage in
the mail steamer California, and arrived at Panama on
the 17th. On the 26th the California was to sail for
San Francisco. We learn from Lieutenant Lanman
that there were about 500 persons, inoluding General
Smith and other officers, waiting at Panama for a pas-
sage up the coast. Lieutenant Lanman is confident in
the opinion that they were all accommodated with a
passage in the steamer. The American ship Phila-
delphia and an English vessel discharged coal at Panama.
There had not been much sickness or mortality on the
Isthmus."

The following extracts from a letter are front the
National Intelligeneer, published at Washington :
" To give you some idea of the state of things here, I
will mention the prices of a few of the necessaries of life.
Flour has been selling at 300 dollars per barrel, pork
70c. per lb., brandy 60 dollars per gallon, and moist
other things in proportion. I trust J. will not take it
into his head to emigrate. Gold-hunting is a most
dangerous amusement. The mortality is really frightful
among the gold diggers, and the poor beggarly-lookin
creatures returning from the mines have, no doubt, paid
dearly for their peck or two of gold."
Touching the movement to the gold regions, the
Nese York Herald says :
" The golden sands of the Sacramento, and the auri-
ferous produce of the soil bordering on the San Joaquin,
continue to be an absorbing topic of conversa-
tion among all classes of society. Thousands of adven-
turous young men, armed with implements for gold-
digging, and for washing, smelting, and assaying the
ore after it has been gathered, are on their way to El
Dorado, and thousands more are preparing to embark for
the same distant region. The accounts that have beta
recently received, confirmatory as they are of the official
statements that have been published concerning the
great, and almost lavish, abundance of gold in California,
have strengthened the wandering in a determinatioa to
seek their fortunes as gold diggers, and incited many
who are in comfortable circumstances to throw up all—
friends, relatives, and business—for the chance of mak•
ing a fortune among the placers. In fact emigration to
California has hardly yet commenced. Several thou.
sands of our citizens, from various sections of the country,
have gone thither, but that number is only as a drop in
the bucket to that which will follow.

" RECAPITULATION OF DEPARTURES TOCALI-
FORNIA.
" Total in 141 vessels, via Cape Horn
24 Chagres
6 The Brazos
- 5 Vera Cruz
- 1 Tampico.-
- 1 San Juan River

... 8,484
... 1,769
... 406
▪ 449
• 50

" Total in 178 vessels 11,160
"If the gold excitement does not abate, we think it
very probable that 25,000 more adventurers will be on
their way to California and the gold diggings before the
Ist of May next. There are many companies being
formed in the Western and South-Western states, the
members of which intend proceeding overland through
our own territory, and are only waiting for the season to
be a little more advanced to take up the line of march
for the shores of the Pacific. The probability is that
there will be 50,000 gold diggers at work in the mines
before the Ist of January, 1850, and perhaps 100,000.