The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-05-29 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA

The accounts from San Francisco reach to the 7th of
March. The steam-ship California was still lying de-
serted by her crew, who were digging for gold, which is
still said to be as abundant as ever. The town was
crowded to overflowing. Lots of ground were worth
from 5,000 to 30,000 dollars. The steamer Oregon ar-
rived at San Francisco on the Ist March, and her crew.
bad also deserted. Order had been restored in the gold
region, and the wet season was expected to last but two
or three weeks longer. Trade and speculation at San
Francisco, it is stated, beats anything ever known in the
States. From Chagres the latest accounts are of the 30th
ult., and from Panama to the 26th. Many vessels had
arrived at the former port. At Panama nineteen vessels
had arrived, and were generally taking passengers for San
Francisco. There was no intelligence of the Californin at
Panama: the steamer Panama was daily expected. The
Oregon was due on or about the 15th of May, so that by
this time all three are due or have arrived at Panama.
The latest dates from Valparaiso and Callao report no
arrivals from San Francisco. There was no contagious
disease at Panama, and few deaths. The number of per-
sons waiting passage for San Francisco, at Panama, on
the 28th ult., was estimated at 5.500; but of this number
1,280 had engaged passage in the vessels about to sail.
The road across the Isthmus was in good order, and no
detention occurred from the want of canoes and mules.
Chagres and Gorgona were healthy, excepting a few cases
of fever and ague.

RIOT AND GREAT SACRIFICE OF LIFE AT
THE ASTOR HOUSE THEATRE.-THE MA-
CREADY AND FOREST FEUD.

ew York, as will t

vent and illkfeeling have exis-
e seen frath paragraphs else-
, •

e respective a
I;ch ontnn nn

Macread

ms, ba%

sonal collisions. On t
feud between the partic

to instant,

f much

came to an out-
loss of life, and
3'• The follnw_

engagement I
Minna fn. I.L.

n from i
kip are

said to have attended for the purpose. On Wednesday
he vas addressed by several gentlemen of the city, with
a ri-quest that he would appetir again and conclude his
env.Fv, ment, to which he consented; and Friday evening
was•fixed upon for his final performance—Macbeth being
the ehnracter selected. As soon as this was announced,
rumours began to be circulated throughout the city that
be would be interrupted, which unfortunately proved too
true. As early as halt'-past six o'clock in the evening,
every avenue to the house was filled with disorderly
crowds, evidently 1N nt upon mischief, and the theatre
itself, was speedily filed with the conflicting parties, and
numerous gm-am of police provided by the authorities.
The rising of the curtain was the signal for the most dis-

cordant hissings and hootings from the Forrest party, and
opposition cheers from the friends of Mr. Macready,
amidst which performance was reduced to .dumb shew,
until the conclusion of the second act. At this period it
was supposed that the piece would be allowed to proceed
and several young men, who had been prominent in creating
uproar, were arrested and locked up in a temporary prison
under the boxes. In this place was a gas-light and some
shavings, to which they set fire, and which was soon ex-
tinguished by the police. In the meantime the crowds
'outside had become more outrageous : and at length
began to smash the windows of the building with paving-
stone:., to the indescribable dismay of the audience
As the mob increased in numbers and daring, cries were
heard on every side, " Where are the military ?" &c. ;
and at length about nine o'clock, the sound of a troop of
cavalry was heard coming up the Broadway, and in tt.few
minutes afterwards two troops of cavalry, of the first di-
vision.of the State Militia, and a battalion of the National
Guards were also on the spot. We give the scene which
ensued from the New York Herald.
"A troop of horse then turned from Broadway into Astor-
place, and rode through the crowd to the Bowery, receiv-
ing showers of stones and other missiles,. on their way. The
horses became unmanageable, and the troop did not again make
its appearance on the ground. In a few minutes afterwards,
the National Guard, one of our itiependent volunteer com-
panies, made their appearance on the ground, and attempted
to force a passage through the crowd to the theatre. The mob
hissed and hooted at them, and finally attacked them with
stones, which were at hand in consequence of the
building of a sewer in the neighbourhood. The companies
were at this period thrown into disorder by the attack made
upon them and retired to Broadway, where they rallied, and
made another attempt to reach the theatre. They were hissed
and pelted as before. with stones, but they succeeded in reach.
iug oesireu point. ney nen for.
on the side-walk, and while doinf so, five or six of diem were
felled to the g' ound by paving stones and taken into the theatre
in a state of insensibility. Captainp Pond, the captain of the
company, was one of those thus injured.
The next officer in command then said to the sheriff, who
was on the ground, that if he did not get orders to fire, he and
his men would abandon the streets. Accordingly that officer
directed the company to fire a round over the heads of the
people, which was accordingly done, but without effect. The
people continued to pelt them with paving stones as before.
An order was then given to the company to fire at the crowd,
and it was done, two men falling. one shot in the arm, and the
other through the right cheek. The first was sent to the hos-
pital, but the other was found to be dead. After the volley the
mob retreated a short distance, but rallied, and renewed the
attack with greater vigour than before. Paving stones and
other missiles were discharged at them in great quantities, and
while the mob was going on another volley was fired by the
military, killing and wounding several more, some of whom
were taken by their friends to the drug store on the corner of
Ninth-street and Broadway. One young man, named
ley, of No. 147, Third-avenue, was shot through the body, and
taken to a public-house in the neighbourhood.

After thii volley the croWdreTre'aiedl;;Tti;and the military
and the police took advantage of it to form a line across the
street at both ends of Astor-place, so as to prevent any connec-
tion between Broadway and the Bowery. Major-general Sand-
ford then issued an order far more troops, and two brass nieces,
loaded with grape, to be brought to the scene immediately, as
it was rumoured that the crowd intended to arm themselves,
and renew the attack. It was at this time half-past eleven
o'clock, and the additional troops, consisting of several com-
panies and the artillery, reached the scene of disorder. The
cannon, loaded with grape, were placed in front of the theatre,
ready in case of a renewal of the attack.

The result of the firing, so far as was ascertained, was
17 killed, and IS wounded, many of whom are not ex-
pected to survive. Fifty-three persons have been arrested
for taking part in the disturbance.

The excitement which ensued, and which continued up
to the sailing of the packet, was immense, the authorities
and soldiery being loudly denounced by the democratic
party, amongst whom are chiefly Mr. Forrest's friends, as
murderers, aristocrats, &c. Several large meetings had
been held, at which violent language was used, some of
it, very singular to say, levelled against Englishmen! We
give a specimen of one of the placards issued:—

"AMERICANS !
AROUSE! THE GREAT

Decide now whether English
ARISTOCRATS 11 !
AND

• FOREIGN RULE!
shall triumph in this
AMERICA'S METROPOLIS,
or whether her own
SONS,
whose fathers once compelled the base-born mi
curnb, shall meanly lick the hand that strike

themselves to be deprived of the liberty of opinion
—so dear to every true American heart.
AMERICANS' !
come out 1 and dare to own yourselves sons of the iron hearts
of '76 ! AMERICA.
A verdict has been held upon some of the bodies, justi-
fying the conduct of the military, but expressing an opinion
that, had more police been called in the sacrifice of life
would have been prevented. Mr. Macready, the innocent
cause of the disturbance, left the city shortly after it com-
menced, and had arrived safely in Boston, from which he
is expected to return here in the Hibernia.